The age of extinction is very nearly upon us. This, the latest special edition from Aston Martin, is a chance to celebrate the passing era, a time when dinosaurs well and truly ruled the Earth. Consider the Aston Martin DBS as the T-Rex of the combustion-powered epoch. When it debuted back in 2018 as the DBS Superleggera, it was the undisputed flagship of the Aston Martin range (a position it has subsequently given over to the Valkyrie hypercar and its successor, the Valhalla), a ferocious beast that commanded respect and awe in equal measure.
A lot has changed. Five years is a long time in the motor industry, especially one undergoing budget purges, market shifts, sales upheavals, and a technological revolution. In that time, Aston’s ownership has shifted into the hands of Canadian fashion billionaire Lawrence Stroll, global crises have come, gone and stayed, and the legislative march against combustion engines has continued its steady, implacable advance. 2023 also marks Aston Martin’s 110th year. And the end of the line for the DBS.
Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate
The Aston Martin DBS might be antediluvian, but it won’t have any shortage of admirers. It is powered by the company’s massive V12 – constantly uprated and refined but still as ideologically awkward as a wood-burning stove. The DBS Ultimate delivers 770PS (hence the name) and claims to be the most powerful production Aston Martin ever made (the Valkyrie, which puts out over 1,150PS, is a more bespoke, hand-built affair). Just 499 Ultimates will be made – 300 coupés and 199 Volantes – and Aston says the order books have already closed.
The DBS represents the ur-form of the front-engined supercar, with a long bonnet and a sweeping, fluid belt line that rises from the front grill to just above the rear wheel arches. Relatively subtle changes have been made to the charmingly brutish styling, including a large horseshoe-shaped vent in the bonnet. Carbon fibre is everywhere, inside and out, and there are multi-spoke 21in wheels in three different finishes.
Even though there’s stiffer suspension, recalibrated suspension, and more accurate steering, the Ultimate should ride just as well as its predecessors. The supremely comfortable interior is starting to show its age, not difficult in this era of rapidly evolving screens and interfaces. This is offset by a deluge of hand-finished elements, from quilted leather to hand-stitched seats, and Alcantara and carbon-fibre finished surfaces.
Regardless of whether you drive the open or closed DBS, it is one of the all-time great GT cars, a machine that makes an event of every journey. Granted, it is big (and thirsty, and noisy), but no one ever drove an Aston Martin to melt into the crowd. Likewise, the noise made when undertaking the 3.2 second sprint to 62mph will be as far from the silent thrust of the EV as can possibly be imagined. What on earth will this automotive centenarian do next?
-
A new Athens gallery is a celebration of old and new, a stone's throw from the AcropolisNew Athens gallery Melas Martinos by Local Local is a contemporary art space, a stone's throw from the Acropolis, in the Greek capital's Monastiraki neighbourhood
-
Haute Couture Week A/W 2025: live updates from the Wallpaper* teamFrom 7-9 July, Haute Couture Week A/W 2025 arrives in Paris. Follow along for a first look at the shows, presentations and other fashion happenings, as seen by the Wallpaper* editors
-
Boundaries between art and life dissolve in Katherine Hubbard's intimate documentation of her mother's illnessIn 'The Great Room', Katherine Hubbard merges caregiving for her mother with an unflinching documentary of the process
-
The Valkyrie returns Aston Martin to top-level Le Mans competitionWallpaper* went trackside to witness the Aston Martin Valkyrie's impressive showing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2025
-
Aston Martin reveals first ever racing variant of its extreme Valkyrie hypercarAiming to conquer Le Mans, as well as other endurance races around the world, Aston Martin and The Heart of Racing unveil the track-focused Valkyrie WEC and IMSA challenger
-
The new Aston Martin Vantage Roadster gives you an elemental experienceEvery statistic about the new Vantage Roadster screams speed; this is a convertible for those in a hurry and unafraid to make a noise about it
-
Raise your horns: Aston Martin’s Valhalla blends race-car dynamics and high-tech craftValhalla is the first ever mid-engine series production Aston Martin, a hybrid V8 limited to 999 units
-
Aston Martin bring the Midas touch to their super tourer with the DB12 Goldfinger EditionReleased in honour of the sixtieth anniversary of the iconic James Bond film, Aston Martin has gone all out to the DB12 Goldfinger Edition a worthy collector’s item for high rolling film fans
-
The new V12-powered Aston Martin Vanquish arrives to conquer the world of luxury GT carsThe luxury British marque’s new Vanquish flagship is absolutely, positively, definitely, its final flirtation with V12 power. Or is it?
-
Could a car be any more muscular? Aston Martin unleashes the bold and brutalist ValiantEquipped with a V12 engine, manual gearbox and chiselled bodywork, the limited-edition Aston Martin Valiant is the company’s most extreme front-engined road car to date
-
Aston Martin Vantage review: we take the wheel to find out if it makes the supercar gradeThe new Aston Martin Vantage is an upgrade on every conceivable metric, resulting in a machine with more power, luxury and dynamic ability than ever before
