Aston Martin's F1-inspired DBS Superleggera: is this 007's next ride?

Aston Martin's all-new DBS Superleggera Coupe will leave you shaken and stirred.

Aston Martin has pulled back the covers on its DBS Superleggera, with the Formula One-styled US$300,000 coupe replacing the Vanquish 'super-grand touring two-door' that Aston Martin has made since 2001.

The new car revives two historic nameplates from the Aston Martin line: The DBS title first appeared in a line of coupes starting in 1967, while Superleggera, which means “super light” in Italian, hasnʼt been used since the DB4 Superleggera stopped production in 1961.

The US$305,000 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera coupe will replace the Vanquish.

The new car, which Aston privately showed to a small group of journalists in New York ahead of deliveries in time for Christmas 2018, is indeed light.

The long, swooping body is sculpted out of carbon fiber and balances like a cat on Superleggera-specific 21-inch alloy wheels that look like slim tree branches forking, while an F1-inspired double front diffuser generates the most downforce (397 pounds) of any production Aston Martin car ever.

It weighs 267 pounds fewer than the last Vanquish. And it looks like a beautiful song.

The 'Superleggera' name pays homage to the lightweight construction methods pioneered by Italy’s famous coachbuilder, Touring.

The curvaceous DBS Superleggera will undoubtedly go over even better than the aggressively redesigned Vantage (a smaller coupe model) that Aston showed last year, which, with a gaping black grill and preference for electric-yellow exterior paint, has polarized auto critics and insiders.

Both of those cars are part of the automakerʼs Second Century Plan, in which Aston Martin promised seven new cars in seven years. Aston chief Andy Palmer announced the plan in 2015 as a way to make the company an annual profit-maker, something it has not achieved with much consistency through its 103 years.

Aston Martin says a new exhaust system with active valves and quad tailpipes ensures that he DBS Superleggera has a 'commanding sound character', particularly in the more aggressive driving modes.

The DBS Superleggera has a bi-turbo, 5.2-liter V12 engine that will be the basis for all forthcoming V12 models as well, since it is highly modifiable and can allow the integration of improvements for various trim lines and future products.

Vents on the sides, even reaching over the wheels, give the car a super-aggressive, unique look.

The engine made its debut in this yearʼs DB11 coupe. It gets 715bhp and 664 pound-feet of torque – an astounding amount, considering that even 10 years ago only the most expensive, crazy-looking hypercars crested the 700hp mark.

This one looks as if it could saunter down a high-fashion runway. It will give the 789-horsepower Ferrari 812 Superfast a firm challenge for dominance within the set.

(The 812 Superfast, by the way, is the only other front-engine, rear-wheel drive, luxury super GT car on the market today. The British company is targeting Ferrari in other ways, too.)

Zero to 62 miles per hour in the Superleggera is 3.4 seconds. Top speed is 211mph.

Aston Martin says the DBS Superleggera will have class-leading, in-gear acceleration, with 50-100mph achieved in fourth gear in 4.2 seconds.

The interior of the debut model I saw left more to be desired. It combined so many different stitching, wood-working, carbon-fiber, leather, and detailing options that the cabin of the car seemed more like an all-you-can-eat buffet than a Michelin-starred dinner.

Standard equipment includes keyless entry, tire pressure monitoring system, and a 360-degree camera with parking-distance display and park assist.

If you want to see all the options offered for signature touches – simultaneously, in the same car - just slip behind the wheel.

But no worries – Aston offers ample elegant and luxe custom leather and alcantara options, and the potentially cool performance seats and steering wheel come standard. The chaos inside is nothing that a small dose of taste and restraint canʼt fix.

The audio system has DAB, plus Bluetooth audio and phone streaming, iPod, iPhone, and USB playback. There is also an integrated satellite navigation system and Wi-Fi hub. All the in-car infotainment systems use a central LCD screen controlled via a central dial.

Executives say performance behind the wheel is “dialed up a notch,” compared to that of the DB11, with tighter suspension, three driving modes to suit individual driving styles, and firmer stability and traction settings, though a Bloomberg test drive will have to verify this difference later this year.

If it drives half as well as it looks, we are all in for a treat.