Aston Martin has unveiled the new DBS 770 Ultimate as a much improved swan song for the company’s burly V12 grand tourer, as well as an appealing statement of intent for the company’s future sports cars. The production run for the Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate will be increased from 300 coupes to 199 convertibles. Each item has already sold out prior to the beginning of deliveries in late summer.
The new DBS 770 Ultimate is the most powerful Aston Martin ever produced. Its 769 horsepower surpasses the normal DBS’s 725 horsepower. Even the eight-speed ZF transmission has been retuned for faster shifts and better transmission of the rear axle’s 900Nm torque (available from 1800rpm).
There have been more powerful road cars produced by Gaydon in recent years, including the 1176-horsepower Valkyrie hypercar and the 847-horsepower Aston Martin Victor coupé, but they have been extremely limited and prohibitively expensive.
The added oomph of the 5.2-liter, quad-cam, V12 engine is essentially the result of a 7 percent boost in turbo pressure, modifications to the air and ignition paths, and careful adjustment of the power and torque distribution curves. In coupé form, Aston claims a 0-100kph sprint time of 3.2 seconds and a peak speed of 340kph.
As was the case with the comparably extraordinary Aston Martin Vantage V12 introduced the previous year, the addition of power is accompanied by a comprehensive chassis and drivetrain upgrade designed to improve handling and engagement.
The adaptive dampers have been retuned at all four corners, for example, to improve control without diminishing rolling refinement (Aston has sought to preserve the DBS’s long-distance appeal). Additionally, a new solid-mounted steering column has been installed, which Aston claims gives the driver a more precise connection to the road.
Aston also says that the front-end rigidity has increased by 25 percent due to a new, stronger crossmember, while the rear-end rigidity has increased by 3 percent due to a thicker undertray.
As with the similarly upgraded Aston Martin DBX 707, the run-down DBS is distinguished from its normal sister by a functionally aggressive redesign. A massive horseshoe-shaped bonnet vent improves engine cooling, while a newly designed splitter, which increases frontal downforce, is flanked by two larger new air vents that increase airflow and are reminiscent of the previous-generation DBS.
A plethora of carbonfibre body components, a bespoke rear diffuser, and an unique 21-inch wheel design based on those found on the Valkyrie and Victor are further key distinctions from the normal DBS.
Less drastically redesigned, the inside comes standard with premium leather and Alcantara sports seats, a distinctive colour split for the cabin trim and stitching, and laser-etched DBS 770 Ultimate badging.
Aston would not comment on the specifics of a replacement for the current DBS. Alex Long, the company’s head of product and marketing, told our sister newspaper Autocar UK that “this is the end of the DBS – the final DBS produced,” although he did not confirm whether or not the nameplate would be used again in the future.
He did confirm that Aston “will always have a flagship,” and ex-CEO Tobias Moers’ statement from last year that “there’s still room for a V12 in our sports car generation” suggests that Aston is not yet prepared to retire its largest engine, paving the way for a new generation of 12-cylinder, front-engined grand tourers.
Long believes that the V12 is synonymous with the brand.
“It’s a great engine, and in this particular incarnation, it’s the most sporty and has the most dynamic personality.”
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