DRIVING IMPRESSION
There’s no taming Aston Martin’s GT
Mark Smyth tests the thoroughbred abilities of the DBS Superleggera
It’s winter in England. The roads are a bit slippery with the usual mixture of rain-soaked leaves and mud. It’s a good time to test a Land Rover. But I’ve joined the traffic leaving Jaguar Land Rover from the company next door, Aston Martin, and I’m joining the greasy roads in a car that pushes 900Nm through its rear wheels. I have a soft spot for the last-generation Aston Martin DBS. But as much as I am fond of the last one, the new one — the one bearing the Superleggera badge on the bonnet, is something entirely different. Based on the DB11, it remains a GT car but one that has more of the soul of a sports car, much like the new Vantage. At its soul is still a hand-built V12 — in this instance, a 5.2l twin-turbo V12 pushing out 533kW and 900Nm through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. Aston claims it will hit 100km/h in 3.4 seconds and go on to a top speed of 339km/h, at least until such time as the European Commission legislates for speed limiters. Testing its dual nature...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.