2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Road Test and Review

2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera hero ・ Photo by Carrie Kim

What exactly is an Aston Martin? Some would say it is the ultimate expression of perfection on four wheels. Others would proclaim it to be a triumph of modern design. And the majority would agree that it’s one of the most premium and meticulously crafted sports cars you can buy. But take one out on the road, and onlookers won’t be so quick to answer. Its uniqueness makes it unidentifiable, its performance makes it unbelievable, and its beauty makes it indescribable.

Don’t stop reading — this is still a car review. It’s just that when it comes to the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, it’s hard to talk about it without getting poetic. And the reason for this is that an Aston Martin really is like no other car. There are several in its price range, but none are quite so debonair as the DBS. Read on to discover what makes the 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera so special.

The Basics

Just in case you didn’t know, Aston Martin is a beyond premium supercar brand that runs in the same circles as Ferrari and Lamborghini. It's not exactly a mainstream brand. In fact, Aston Martin only sold about 1,000 cars in the U.S. last year. For a little context, Ford sold about 2.4 million. Not that we are we trying to compare the Aston Martin to a Ford, but this helps to show how rare these cars really are. One Aston Martin takes approximately 300 hours to make.

“Superleggera” means “super light” in Italian. The DBS maintains an aluminum frame, but its body panels are constructed from carbon fiber, shaving significant weight from the body as compared to the DB11. Does lighter equal faster? You bet! The DBS can go from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.4 seconds.

Photo by Carrie Kim

Stunning From Every Angle

The DBS Superleggera looks part supercar, part spaceship. Maybe it was our test car's sparkling White Stone paint that made it look so futuristic, but up close, this special $5,380 color sparkled like nothing manufactured on this planet anyway. Real flaked glass is mixed with these special paint colors, causing the most sophisticated glimmer in the sun you’ve ever seen. The shimmer only adds to the elegance of the car’s swooping curves and chiseled muscular body, softening it in a way that removes any vulgarity. Where other supercars can look harsh and hyper-angular, the DBS looks sculpted and sensual.

The contrast of the black roof, wheels, and side mirrors add some visual weight and keep the car from looking too much like some mystical unicorn, perhaps even hinting at the dark side hiding under that menacing bonnet. We will say that the car sits very, very low — and with no special hydraulics to help keep it from scraping the ground, we couldn’t even get it up our driveway.

Photo by Carrie Kim

Interior Luxuries

It’s arguably even better once you get inside the DBS. Even though everything you expect to see and feel is found inside the cabin, it never stops flooring you each time you saddle in. The intricate triaxial hand-stitched embroidery on the seats is of unmatched craftsmanship, and our test car’s metallic leather seats somehow looked gorgeous instead of gauche. Alcantara and leather surfaces are everywhere — you can forget all about that ordinary “new car” smell, 'cause this is all about the leather, baby. We happened to love everything about the brilliant navy blue interior with silvery leather and bright contrast stitching in our test car, but the beauty of an Aston Martin is that if you don’t like that color scheme, you can choose your own!

As for tech outside of what’s under the hood, yeah the DBS has got it. Smartphone connectivity is available, but we didn’t use it once during our test drive. The exhilaration caused by cruising in a DBS Superleggera was enough for us. (Go ahead and try to conduct a phone call over the roar of that engine — we dare you.) The only thing we needed was the open road and that Bang & Olufsen premium sound system. One of the many plus sides to driving a car like the DBS is that it’s truly a distraction-free experience.

Photo by Carrie Kim

Blistering Speed, Blissful Ride

So here is what you’ve been waiting for — how does it feel to pilot an Aston Martin DBS Superleggera? It’s no surprise that a car with a 5.2-liter twin turbo V12 engine is fast, so the real story is how easy all that power is to live with. The DBS is a Grand Touring car (GT), and it lives up to its name in every way. This is not a crude supercar; its refinement is truly remarkable. Some cars in the same category would leave you feeling beat up after a quick jaunt to the market, but the DBS is an absolute pleasure. Of course, it’s ridiculously speedy and feels like it rides on rails, but we could’ve driven this car on a cross-country road trip if it wasn’t such a short loan. With a max speed of 211 mph, the DBS makes 717 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque.

Like most cars in this class, there are three drive modes, which Aston Martin calls GT, Sport, and Sport +. No matter which mode you’re in, acceleration takes your breath away. Surprisingly, we felt faster off the line in GT mode, probably because in Sport+ the rear wheels lose traction more quickly with lots of wheelspin, which looks and sounds dramatic but actually slows you down. Don’t worry, though — each mode will still grace you with a glorious exhaust note.

Photo by Carrie Kim

Pricing

We all know the saying, “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it,” and that definitely rings true when it comes to the DBS. But since you can’t even get a price to display when you play with Aston Martin’s online configurator, we feel compelled to tell you that the 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera starts at $303,995.

However, expect to pay extra for almost everything. As tested, our special exterior paint color cost $5,380, and the special colored leather interior costs an additional $5,380 (plus an extra $3,190 for the specially stitched seats and $750 for the custom embroidery). The Bang & Olufsen BeoSound premium audio system costs $8,330 and the required gas-guzzler fee is $1,000. Once fully equipped, our test car jumped from $303,995 to $340,681. To get the most accurate pricing details, serious buyers should contact their local Aston Martin dealership.

Photo by Carrie Kim