Top Speed had the opportunity to attend an exclusive preview of Aston Martin’s latest full sized drop top speed machine, with the coach builder’s Director of Design Mareck Reichman. The DBS Volante debuted in Geneva this past March, but made its U.S. debut right here in Miami, kicking everything off with one heck of 007 inspired party.
The Voltane is powered by the familiar 6.0 Liter V12 making 510 HP, the interior is made up of no less than seven cow hides and audio is superbly handled by the the Bang & Olufsen system. Mr. Reichman was also kind enough to tell us a little bit about the special timepiece by Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Aston Martin is releasing a convertible version of James Bond daily driver. It was in Miami for a special preview this morning and while we are still editing an interview with Aston Martin director of design Mr. Reichman, enjoy some pictures of the finest British convertible on the road today.
Remember the watch we told you about from the party last night. The exclusive timepiece is officially known as the Aston Martin transponder watch made by Jaeger-LeCoultre and is the perfect accompaniment to the new DBS Volante. Aston Martin’s Director of Design, Marek Reichman, took time out of is busy schedule to give Top Speed a personal demonstration. The wrist watch can open and close the doors of the Aston as well as turn the lights on and off.
Did you know that James Bond originally wore a Jaeger-LeCoultre around his wrist? So it is only fitting that drop top DBS buyers can purchase an accessory that would make even Q jealous. Retailing for around $40,000 the wristwatch will easily make any new Volante owner feel just like 007.
Kicking off Aston Martin’s exclusive preview of the 2010 DBS Volante, they decided to throw a party dedicated to the new drop top, and Top Speed was invited. The evening started in Miami’s fashionable Design District as we were given the velvet rope treatment and offered a variety of 007 inspired cocktails. The ravioli covered in vodka sauce was just perfect with a spoonful of parmesan.
From the DB9s and Vantage out front to the pair of DBS models inside, we were surrounded by over a million dollars worth of Aston Martin. You can’t truly appreciate the difference between the base V8 and the new Volante until you look at all of the models in one place. What stuck out most about the new drop top was the meticulous use of carbon fiber, not necessarily as a lightweight replacement, but as pure eye candy. From the mirror supports to the rear diffuser, the design team from Gaydon did a fine job applying the wavy black stuff.
There were James Bond clips playing on the ceiling, and TV stars in the audience. The music was light and the mood was right for quite a few South Florida partygoers last night. Aston Martin was even showing of a highly decorated $40,000 wrist that matches the $300,000 car. It sure is nice to be privileged in South Beach.
We knew the Aston Martin DBS Volante was going to break cover in Geneva next week, but thanks to a broken embargo (not us, we swear), we’re able to talk about it before we see the roadster at the auto show.
The DBS Volante is powered by the 6.0-liter V12 engine also found in the DBS coupe. In both applications, the powerplant pumps out 510 bhp and 420 lb ft of torque. This helps the Volante make the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint in 4.3 seconds and hit a top speed of 191 mph. The topless DBS also comes with carbon ceramic brakes and a six-speed manual transmission or automatic six-speed ‘Touchtronic’ option is also available.
Aston is helping save some of the weight gained by removing the roof through composite materials. The hood, front wings and trunk are all made from carbon fiber.
If we were a little more juvenile, this would be the part where we make a reference about James Bond, seduction and toplessness. But we’re better than this (that’s what the comment section is for.)
Full breakdown in the press release after the jump.
We knew that Aston Martin was working on a topless version of the DBS (it even asked for suggestions for a name). Now rumors are going around that the cars is almost complete, and we’ll see it for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Aside from the fabric roof, the Aston Martin DBS Volante will be identical to its coupe brother. It will be powered by the same 6.0-liter V12 engine that delivers 510bhp at 6500rpm and a peak torque of 420 lb.ft at 5750rpm. The coupe version accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 4.3 seconds and can hit a top speed of 191 mph, so we expect similar figures from the topless version.
We first saw Jaeger-LeCoultre’s watch for the Aston Martin DBS back in August, but we don’t mind showing it again now that we have video because it’s just so damn cool.
There might be higher-tech products out there, like proximity transponders that will unlock a car just by approaching it, but that doesn’t matter. Every kid who grew up with James Bond’s gadgets will drool for this watch. Just remember dribble does not look good on your tux.
Roadster and Volante - these are the usual names for the open-top models from Aston Martin. But the topless version of the DBS may not follow the same rule.
An Aston Martin spokesman said that the company is still looking for a name suitable for the sports-car and that it "is not sure this will be Roadster or Volante." The company is currently using the Roadster name for convertibles with two-seats and Volante for a four-seats, but the DBS is something a little more special that may deserve it own name.
Well, the company still has a few more months to find a suitable name for their car as the open-top version of the DBS is not coming until next year. Got any ideas?
A Bond fan paid $350,000 for 007’s wrecked DBS (about $120,000 more than a new DBS would cost) that crashed into an Italian lake. The car didn’t even die a cool Bond-like death (like chasing a beautiful villainess on a winding road, and hitting the ejector seat moments before the car hits the water). Instead, a stuntman lost control of the car on his way to the set of the new flick Quantum of Solstice.
007 star Daniel Craig revealed the remains of the wrecked/soaked car ended up in a collector’s hands. "I think somebody paid about £200,000 for this written off Aston Martin," Craig tells the Glasgow Daily Record. "It was a Bond aficionado."
If the collector wanted to to get closer to James Bond, shouldn’t he have known just to buy the new DBS and take the $120,000 saving to use for a year’s supply of martinis?
First unveiled at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the Aston Martin DBS gets new ‘Touchtronic 2’ transmission. Introduced as an alternative to the standard six-speed manual gearbox, DBS customers will now be afforded the option of the ‘Touchtronic 2’ six-speed automatic transmission. Derived from the same ZF transaxle unit that was developed for the DB9, the system has been substantially re-engineered to accommodate the power and performance characteristics of the DBS.
The DBS Touchtronic transmission features a final drive ratio shortened from 3.15:1 to 3.46:1, aiding quicker acceleration times and an improved performance feel. Additionally, changes to the gearbox calibration aid more aggressive gear shifts and greater usability, while retaining the performance potential of the manual gear box – matching the 0-60mph time of 4.3 seconds. System functionality is consistent with that on the DB9, with ‘Park’, ‘Reverse’, ‘Neutral’ and ‘Drive’ modes selected via facia mounted controls.
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