Under gentle use, the engine is refined and instantly responsive. The DBS's powerplant also delivers on the other side of Aston's traditional brief: the velvet padding that surrounds its iron fist.
The mighty 12 can summon huge speed on even the shortest straights fortunately, the car's massive carbon-ceramic braking system proved equally adept at slowing it without drama or untoward noises. Our test drive was conducted mostly on narrow Spanish mountain roads, which were twisty enough to look as if spaghetti had been spilled on the Volante's navigation screen. The turbocharged V-12 has muscle everywhere, from huge low-down torque to a snarling top end that, with the throttle pinned, delivers acceleration sufficient to make passengers squeal. The factory quotes a zero-to-60-mph time just 0.2 second slower than the hardtop's.įrom the perspective of the driver's seat, those numbers seem entirely plausible. The Volante is 220 pounds heavier than the DBS coupe, according to its maker, but this extra mass doesn't blunt Aston's acceleration figures. It certainly seems incongruous when applied to a car that, despite its aluminum structure and carbon panels, weighs well in excess of two tons. The Italian term, which means "superlight," was originally used in Aston's world to describe Zagato's construction technique for early custom Astons, such as the DB4 GT. While never short on power, the DBS finds it a challenge to live up to the Superleggera part of its name. (Matt Becker, Aston's chief development engineer, considers that figure to be conservative, as his team has seen 215 mph during the Volante's internal testing.) Power and Grace Top speed is claimed to be 211 mph, with the roof open or closed. Aston says the formula makes it the fastest softtop in the company's history. The rest of the Volante's mechanical package sticks closely to that of the coupe. In the DBS, that V-12 sports the engine's highest state of tune, good for 715 horsepower.
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