THE call came from the General Manager of Aston Martin Kuala Lumpur for us to test drive their ‘lightweight’ supercar. We did not hesitate.
Some history first
A true thoroughbred that marks the return of not one, but two illustrious names. With DBS, Aston Martin revives an iconic nameplate that first appeared in 1967, while Touring's famous mark, Superleggera is once again adorned on the bonnet of an Aston Martin.
A collaboration that originally paved the way to the DB4, 5 and 6 Mark 1, Aston Martin DBS Superleggera pays homage to the historic super lightweight construction technology of the famous Italian coachbuilder.
Underneath
This chassis is an evolution of the latest generation lightweight bonded aluminium structure first seen on the DB11, with forged double wishbones at the front and a sophisticated multi-link system at the rear.
Latest generation adaptive damping is fitted as standard, with sensors detecting the prevailing driving conditions, as well as the demands the driver is making of the car.
Both the powertrain and chassis have a choice of three dynamic modes, GT, Sport and Sport Plus which can be selected by the driver to intensify or relax DBS Superleggera's responses according to the needs of the driver.
Above
As befits its flagship status, DBS Superleggera features a high level of craftsmanship with extensive scope for personalisation via a generous choice of many options which will cost you a princely sum.
Supple, aromatic leather and Alcantara upholstery comes as standard, as do the Sports Plus performance seats and steering wheel. There is a choice of two alloy wheel designs: the standard 'Y' Spoke Forged Wheel and the Lightweight Twin Spoke Forged wheel.
Both are 21" in diameter and fitted with Pirelli tyres developed specifically for DBS Superleggera. There is also a choice of striking Designer Specifications, with specially chosen colour and trim combinations selected by the Aston Martin Design Team to accentuate certain aspects of DBS Superleggera's character.
Priced to be exclusive
Priced from £225,000 in its home England, €274,995 in Germany and US$304,995 in America, deliveries of Aston Martin DBS Superleggera started in Malaysia at a selling price from RM1.7 million (before local taxes and delivery).
Driving it
From the ignition of the engine, a mild rumble filled the well-crafted luxurious cabin and we knew that the next few hours were going to be unforgettable. It was.
We snaked past all the Kuala Lumpur city traffic (Aston Martin’s headquarters is located in the heart of KL City) and made our way to the administrative city of Putrajaya.
We paid the highway toll and hit the accelerator. It was 3.4 seconds of pure joy as we eased off the accelerator once we reached 110km/h. Yes, we repeated this action every time we exited a toll plaza as the highways were all speed camera ready and we had no choice but to keep to the governed speed limit.
The V12 provides a soundtrack that will excite even non-car lovers and some diehard electric vehicle owners. The mid-power acceleration is as awesome as its 0-100km/h builds up. From 90km/h, click the paddle shifter down to 3rd gear and hit the throttle and you hear the engine singing with joy as it rushes along with the revolution range without any hesitation.
This is not a supercar for the ordinary driver. It is a supercar for a driver that not only has a lot of spare money but for a person who knows how to handle the power with confidence.
Remember
If you need to ask what is the yearly road tax value or what is the fuel consumption figure, then it is clear that you cannot afford this exclusive supercar. – The Vibes, January 8, 2021
Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Specifications:
Engine: V12 48v QOHC twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed semi-automatic
Displacement: 5204cc
Power: 715hp @ 6,500 rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800 -5,000 rpm
0-100km/h: 3.5 seconds
Top Speed; 340km/h
Selling price: From RM1.7 million before options and local taxes
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