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2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera First Drive Review | Nowhere I'd rather be

BERCHTESGADEN, Germany — The mountains at the border of Austria and Germany are full of rolling green fields bookended by tree-capped mountains. The roads that run along the mountainsides and valleys, despite being packed with tractors and a seemingly endless line of vacation travelers, are ripe with corners just waiting to be strung together. I'm standing on a hillside staring at the new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera when I realize there are few things I've ever wanted more than a V12-powered GT and a ribbon of clean pavement. The DBS Superleggera is the third new Aston Martin revealed this year, following the Vantage and DB11 AMR. It's based on the DB11 and serves as a replacement for the Vanquish S. In place of the old, naturally-aspirated 6.0-liter V12 is an upgraded version of the 5.2-liter engine found in the DB11 AMR. In the DBS, the engine makes 715 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, up 85 horses and a gut-punching 148 pound-feet over the DB11. The extra power comes mostly from an increase in boost from the two turbos. The other big changes to the DBS come in the way of the relatively lightweight carbon-fiber bodywork. Every panel save for the doors and roof has been re-sculpted. The new panels are carbon fiber, and — with options such as carbon-fiber trim and a lightweight exhaust — the DBS weighs about 160 pounds less than a DB11. The styling is different, too, thanks to a massive grill and lower intakes that make up most of the front fascia. Aston Martin says the extra area is needed to cool the V12. It reminds me a bit of the wide-mouth Aston grilles from the '50s and '60s. The straked "curlicue" fender vents, F1-style double diffuser, and reworked Aeroblade increase downforce to nearly 400 pounds at the car's top speed of 211 mph without any major drag penalties. The Aeroblade pulls in air from behind the rear windows, moving it through the bodywork and over the rear wing. Rather than using an active wing like on the DB11, the DBS uses a fixed Gurney flap. The Aeroblade and Gurney flap give the DBS downforce while keeping the overall design relatively clean. The new DBS is handsome and purposeful, if not exactly beautiful. Sitting behind the wheel, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were in another DB11. The seats are the most notable and obvious change in the DBS, offering slightly more bolstering than what you get on the DB11 (though they lack fine-tuned adjustments). The rest of the interior simply looks like a reskinned DB11.

Why you should run out and buy a vintage Aston Martin Lagonda right now

Aston Martin has a reputation for crafting some of the world's finest luxury GTs, and with a little help from James Bond, it has also become a quintessential British brand. While the company's models are known for combining speed and luxury, they certainly aren't recognized for being inexpensive. However, there might be a way to get the Aston badge and potentially make a little extra money if you ever decide to divest. Bloomberg suggests looking outside the mainstream by taking a closer look at the original wedge-shaped Lagonda (above). First shown in the mid '70s, the Lagonda looks like nothing else on the road before or since. Early models feature pop-up headlights and styling so sharp the sedan appears to be slicing through the air, even while sitting still. Later revisions softened the design slightly, and even Aston Martin's modern reinterpretation (inset) doesn't go as far as its predecessor. The interior is what really makes the Lagonda famous (or infamous), though. With instruments displayed on LEDs or CRT screens, depending on model, it's like the science fiction in there. Power is provided by a 5.3-liter V8 quoted at around 280 horsepower, according to Aston Martin. Unfortunately, the Lagonda's avant-garde styling and reputation for unreliability hasn't garnered much love for the super saloon over the years. Aston Martin only made 645 of them by the time production ended in 1989. The tide appears to be turning, though, and the sedan's value is rising strongly. According to Bloomberg, citing Hagerty, prices currently average about $44,000, up 61 percent since 2010, and the later, somewhat more reliable examples are up 85 percent. Perhaps those values are soaring because those lining up for the new Lagonda (a.k.a. Taraf) are looking for a historical counterpart to display alongside their next car. Head over to Bloomberg to get the full story on why it might be time to reconsider these once unloved four-door Astons.

Aston Martin DBX spied with Mercedes-inspired interior exposed

Aston is out doing performance testing on its new SUV, the DBX. One of our spy photographers caught it running around the Nurburgring a short while ago, and now we have sound to go along with it. There are also a few shots of the interior that show off some of Mercedes' contributions to the crossover. If we had to guess, we'd say Mercedes-AMG is also providing the loud beast hiding underneath the hood, too. In listening to the DBX pounding around the Ring, it sounds a whole lot like the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 found in all the extra-hot AMG vehicles, from the AMG GT to the GLC 63. It's a guttural, nasty sound we've grown accustomed to out of these vehicles, and now that Aston is already using this engine for the DB11 and V8 Vantage, it's no stretch to think they'd use it again. The interior features a lot of Mercedes switchgear upon close inspection. It's impossible to confirm, but the font, menus and layout of the infotainment system look a whole lot like MBUX. Then the array of climate controls, rotary knob and buttons around it look just like the stuff out of a modern Mercedes. If you zoom way in on the key sitting in the dash, we can even see a little of what might be a three-pointed star on it. At any rate, the key is identical to what new Mercedes keys look like today. Moving on to the steering wheel, we see the exact same setup as what's on the spokes of pretty much every Mercedes equipped with MBUX. Everything down to the symbols and black touch-sensitive buttons show up here. It's important to remember this vehicle is still a prototype, so things could change. As for the exterior, we don't get to see anything new there beyond what Aston officially released awhile back. It's still wearing all the same camouflage, touting sponsors/suppliers to go along with the same zany green, yellow and red look. Aston has previously said the DBX will be officially revealed before the end of this year, and we'll expect it to go on sale in 2020.