Aston Martin's DBS has finally broken cover. Familiar the world over as Daniel Craig's steed in Casino Royale, the final car is, if anything, even more seductive than its on-screen forebear.
The company has gone all-out to meld the aggressive with the elegant, turning the undeniably beautiful DB9 bodyshell into a carbon-fibre smothered, fire-breathing supercar, light, ultra agile and capable of earth-shattering performance.
Under the skin, it's all change, with a boosted engine and powertrain mated to an all-new traction control system. If that wasn't enough, the graceful flanks of the DB9 have been given a work-out, and the DBS's body panels mix Italian grace with American muscle, yet somehow comes out as something uniquely British.
A lot of this is down to the engine noise and the interior, which showcases the company's craft skills without skimping on the technological details - should you tire of the V12's howl, you'll find somewhere to plug in your iPod, a feature strangely lacking on some of the world's most expensive cars.
Pricing will be announced at the 2007 Frankfurt Show, but you can expect the DBS to come in at the top end of the company's range - now the Vanquish is no more, the new car makes a capable - and highly desirable - flagship.
