We don’t expect the DBS to be affected by the same levels of depreciation currently being seen in other Aston products thanks to the considerably lower numbers in which it will be built. And while its £160,000 list price might seem steep, it has to be remembered that this is a car with very few options to ramp the price up further, and it gets standard ceramic brakes that until recently were an £11,000 option on a Ferrari 599 GTB.
Most impressive of all is the level of refinement Aston Martin has achieved. Road roar becomes oppressive only on very coarse surfaces, wind noise is well suppressed, and the big V12 is vocal when you want it to be and near silent the rest of the time. Given the excellence of its ride, it makes for a formidable long-distance tourer.
Aston Martin takes a very particular approach with its interiors that will probably enthuse and infuriate in equal measure. Those who like things on the showy side will be in heaven. But those more interested in how things work are likely to put their blood pressure in the danger zone the moment they try even a simple task.
The centre console is a myriad of buttons, many of which are concealed behind the huge, ugly gear lever, and while acclimatisation will eventually familiarise you with their operation, we suspect you’d be in your grave before it became remotely intuitive.
That said, the driving position is excellent and the illegible dials are less of a problem than you might imagine, thanks to a large digital speedo and change-up lights. The steering wheel, which adjusts for rake and reach, is of the correct diameter for such a car and the weight of the pedals is perfectly judged.
Behind the seats are two hollowed-out shells where the DB9’s rear
seats have been removed, allowing Aston Martin to refer to the DBS (somewhat annoyingly) as a “2+0”. Still, it’s welcome extra luggage space to supplement a boot that’s wide but not very long and rather shallow.