Aston Martin DBS 770 Volante is 211mph, £337k drop-top supercar

The adaptive dampers have been recalibrated at all four corners, for example, to give improved control without affecting rolling refinement (Aston has sought to preserve the DBS’s long-distance appeal) and a new solid-mounted steering column has been fitted, “allowing the driver to enjoy a more precise connection with the road”. 

Aston also claims front-end stiffness is up by 25%, courtesy of a tougher new crossmember, while a thicker undertray at the back is said to increase rear-end rigidity by 3%. Even the eight-speed ZF gearbox has been retuned to give quicker shifts and to better convey a whopping 664lb ft (available from just 1800rpm) to the rear axle. 

The company’s product and marketing boss, Alex Long, told Autocar that “from a dynamics point of view, the DBS is our most prodigious performance car in the front-engined range” and that this hardcore new version aims to cement its legacy while offering a taste of Aston’s strengthened commitment to engaging handling in future models. 

“The focus on performance as a pillar of the brand is critical,” said Long. “Historically, we’ve been a performance brand as well as a luxury marque, and we’re moving back to that. So rather than having products with two levels of power output and performance – and that includes dynamics and braking and all the other aspects of what makes a proper performance car – we now have to bring these power levels that give our cars the edge.” 

But the 770 has not been conceived explicitly with a focus on shaving lap times. Long said “a lot of our customers say the DBS is the supercar for touring” and so the outright aim was to enhance “the emotional connection engagement” between car and driver. “In a world where there’s so much driver assistance, increasing electrification and so on, there’s a place for that. I think what people are looking for from us is that thrill,” he added. 

As with the similarly uprated Aston Martin DBX 707 – a fire-breathing performance version of Aston’s V8 SUV – the run-out DBS is told apart from its standard sibling by an aggressive design makeover with “an authentic level of function”. A substantial horseshoe-shaped bonnet vent enhances engine cooling, while a newly designed splitter, increasing downforce at the front, is flanked by a pair of larger new air vents that boost airflow and nod to the previous-generation DBS. 

Other core differences over the standard DBS include a raft of carbonfibre body components, a bespoke rear diffuser and a new 21in wheel design modelled on those worn by the Valkyrie and Victor. 

The interior is less radically reworked but comes furnished as standard with top-rung leather and Alcantara sports seats, a unique colour split for the cabin trim and stitching, and laser-etched DBS 770 Ultimate badging.