I like that...

So you should; this is the new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, topping the British company's series production range and pitched as a 'Super GT'. The aggressive take on Aston Martin's contemporary design language is formed partly in carbon fibre, meaning it's lighter than the Aston DB11, and it has even more power.

How much more?

Well, the DBS Superleggera uses the relatively new twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 engine, which makes 639hp and 700Nm of torque in the recently introduced DB11 AMR, but here it puts out 725hp at 6,500rpm and a simply gobsmacking 900Nm of torque between 1,800rpm and 5,000rpm. The DBS is some 72kg lighter as well, so the 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds and 211mph top speed should be of no surprise. We're promised that the in-gear acceleration, using all that torque without the need for high revs, will be one of the car's defining characteristics.

Wow. Still rear-wheel drive?

Oh yes. There's a redeveloped eight speed automatic transmission mounted in the back for weight distribution reasons and that features a mechanical limited slip differential, too, augmented by Dynamic Torque Vectoring. Apparently, because there are massive carbon brake discs as standard in the DBS, it can use this system a lot more effectively than some cars do.

So, it's a supercar, really?

The technical specification would certainly suggest as much, wouldn't it? And yet Aston is adamant that the DBS Superleggera forms part of its GT line-up, so while it's undoubtedly going to be a riot to drive, and nosebleed-fast, adaptive damping and various driving modes should also allow it some civility for longer drives. The cabin is sportier than in the DB11 thanks to new seats and a flat-bottomed steering wheel with large gearchange paddles, but it's still luxurious by any measure - and the occasional rear seating is carried over. Something tells me that the driving mode button that allows the retuned exhaust its full voice will be used more often than those...

Indeed. Now, how much for all this loveliness?

It's £225,000 and first deliveries begin this autumn.

Shane O' Donoghue - 26 Jun 2018