First of all, you have to bear in mind that all the cars in the so-called super luxury GT class have somewhat unique characteristics. They aren’t as segmentized as, say, compact hatchbacks, or midsize sedans. That being said, there is no direct competitor to either one of them, but they are all competing with each other on one level or another. The Aston Martin Superleggera entered the segment as a sexy beast poised to take on Ferrari. It is a hard-core machine, but not without its luxury merit. Considering its fighting nature, laced with lush luxury and Aston Martin delight, the DBS Superleggera competes within both segments - the fast and the luxury. That is why it has to take on everything - from a Rolls-Royce to a Ferrari.

Some characteristics for this comparison had to be set, though. All cars have to have two doors, a V-12 engine under the hood, some exceptional performance figures, and they need to be handsomely priced.

Bentley Continental GT

It has a W-12 under the front bonnet, it is ludicrously luxurious, and it features all the imaginable tech available from the Volkswagen Group. With tech similar to that of the new Porsche Panamera, the latest Continental GT is definitely poised to smash the luxury league to pieces. While much plusher and chubbier compared to the new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, the Continental GT does offer a similar sporty and luxurious concept to its drivers. It is a car that will gladly move past 200 mph, and it can surge to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. However, it won't be as capable through the bends or evoke the hard-core allure of a race car. And that for a reason. That reason has a name - the Supersports.

So, why can we compare the Continental GT with the DBS Superleggera?

Last year Bentley revealed the delirious Continental GT Supersports. It was a car that was roughly 80 pounds lighter than the Continental GT Speed, but its W-12 engine was more powerful. Tuned to deliver 700 horsepower and 750 pound-feet of torque, it is potent enough to give the heavy Continental GT supercar straight line performance. I cannot wait to see what Bentley has in store for the new Supersports. Obviously, we don't expect it for some years, but when it does come, it will be as close to a direct competitor to the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera as it gets.

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera

Bentley Continental GT

Engine

All-alloy quad overhead cam, 48-valve 5.2-litre bi-turbo, V12 with stop/start cylinder deactivation

6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W-12

Maximum power

715 HP @ 6,500 RPM

626 HP @ 6,000 RPM

Maximum torque

663 LB-FT @ 1,800-5,000 RPM

664 LB-FT @ 1,350-4,500 RPM

Acceleration 0-62mph (0-100km/h)

3.4 seconds

3.6 seconds

Maximum speed

211 mph

207 mph

Transmission

Rear mid-mounted ZF eight-speed automatic

dual-clutch eight-speed automatic


Read our full review on the 2018 Bentley Continental GT.

Ferrari 812 Superfast

Ever since it was published that Aston Martin was working on a new high-end car, it was public knowledge that Aston would be taking on the best from Ferrari - the 812 Superfast. Now, the Superfast is still a bit more powerful, but with 664 pound-feet of torque, the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera can apparently match it. Andy Palmer was cocky at the presentation of the new model even citing that the DBS Superleggera has 20 percent more torque than “a certain red type of car.”

Well, that red type of a car does have 780+ horsepower and can crack 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. Something the DBS Superleggera cannot do. The DBS will do 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds. However, Palmer was confident about the new car - it will do better than a Ferrari where it matters - from 50-100 mph. And, it should be a tad cheaper. Something like the new entry-level Chevy Blazer cheaper (about 30 grand). Of course, this would be the suggested price. Dwell into the world of personalization and equipment options, and I am sure you will not be able to find the end price for the DBS Superleggera. Obviously, the most incredible difference between the DBS Superleggera and the 812 Superfast is the fact that the Ferrari sports a freaking naturally aspirated engine. 1.3-liters bigger than the one in the DBS at that. But remember what Clarkson of TopGear, now of GrandTour, said - a turbocharger is something like having an added liter of engine capacity. So, that’s that. The 812 Superfast is definitely the closest competitor to the DBS Superleggera.

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera

Ferrari 812 Superfast

Engine

All-alloy quad overhead cam, 48-valve 5.2-litre bi-turbo, V12 with stop/start cylinder deactivation

6.5-liter V-12

Maximum power

715 HP @ 6,500 RPM

789 HP @ 8,500 RPM

Maximum torque

663 LB-FT @ 1,800-5,000 RPM

530 LB-FT @ 7,000 RPM

Acceleration 0-62mph (0-100km/h)

3.4 seconds

2.9 seconds

Maximum speed

211 mph

>211 mph

Transmission

Rear mid-mounted ZF eight-speed automatic

F1 dual-clutch


Read our full review on the 2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast.

Ferrari GTC4Lusso

Two Ferraris in a row. Because why the heck not? And, this one is a hatchback - one that stirred many hearts when it appeared in its original form as an FF back in 2011. But, not all have been stirred in a good way. Right now, the Ferrari GTC4Lusso is the second Ferrari grand tourer. With a V-12 under the long front bonnet and 681 horsepower at the mercy of the right foot, the GTC4Lusso may even be closer to the DBS Superleggera than the mad 812 Superfast. It accelerates to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds - as fast as the DBS. It can fetch 214 mph - more than the new DBS Superleggera, and it has already been proven as a worthy track toy.

However, I am fairly certain that, despite all the power, the four-wheel-drive system, and the 4RM-S four-wheel steering, the DBS Superleggera would eat it on the track. As much as the 812 Superfast seems to be a perfect match for the DBS Superleggera, it definitely looks like that the GTC4Lusso may be equally comparable to it. I want all three of them on the track. At the same time. Now!

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera

Ferrari GTC4Lusso T

Engine

All-alloy quad overhead cam, 48-valve 5.2-litre bi-turbo, V12 with stop/start cylinder deactivation

turbocharged, 3.9-liter V-8

Maximum power

715 HP @ 6,500 RPM

601 HP @ 7,500 RPM

Maximum torque

663 LB-FT @ 1,800-5,000 RPM

561 LB-FT @ 3,000 – 5,250 RPM

Acceleration 0-62mph (0-100km/h)

3.4 seconds

3.5 seconds

Maximum speed

211 mph

199 mph


Read our full review on the 2017 Ferrari GTC4Lusso T.

Mercedes-AMG S65 Coupe

Ok, Mercedes-AMG isn’t exactly as prestigious as Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Aston Martin or Bentley, but boy, do they know how to build an exceptional car. The Mercedes-AMG S65 Coupe is one of those exceptionalities within the Mercedes range. It is $70.000 more expensive compared with the next best thing - the AMG S63 Coupe. This premium is still nowhere near the mad pricing of the rest of the cars here.

Nevertheless, the AMG S65 Coupe has two doors, a 6.0-liter, V-12, and 630 horsepower. Obviously a brute. The Mercedes-AMG S65 Coupe does have an extremely different character compared with the DBS Superleggera.

Actually, the differences are fundamental, but these two super GTs are considered competitors for one reason only - they can drive really well, really fast. Despite being “only a Mercedes,” it does carry that prestigious aura with itself. Heck, I am sure that if you were to jump in the DBS Superleggera, you’d find a bunch of features and hardware from Benz cars - starting with the infotainment system.

Don't think for a second that the S65 is anything else but a super plush luxury barge that happens to be really good in terms of speed. But somehow, I can see someone who made it in life but still does not have the new DBS kind of money lying around, choosing the S65 instead.

Hardcore is not the first word that pops into mind when talking about the S65 Coupe. Sophisticated, refined and balanced, though …..definitely. These terms sum up the appeal of the S65 Coupe.

The Mercedes-AMG S65 Coupe is the most extreme version of a car considered to be the best car in the world by so many. It definitely does compare with the DB11, but in some weird German kinky way with the new DBS as well.

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera

Mercedes-AMG S65 Coupe

Engine

All-alloy quad overhead cam, 48-valve 5.2-litre bi-turbo, V12 with stop/start cylinder deactivation

6.0-litre V-12

Maximum power

715 HP @ 6,500 RPM

630 HP @ 4,800-5,400 RPM

Maximum torque

663 LB-FT @ 1,800-5,000 RPM

738 LB-FT @ 2,300-4,300 RPM

Acceleration 0-62mph (0-100km/h)

3.4 seconds

4.1 seconds

Maximum speed

211 mph

186 mph

Transmission

Rear mid-mounted ZF eight-speed automatic

AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 7G


Read our full review on the 2018 Mercedes-AMG S65 Coupe.

Rolls-Royce Wraith

We again bring you something that many would consider sacrilege. Before you crucify me for referring to the AMG S65 Coupe and the Wraith as competitors to the new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, hear me out.

The Wraith is the most engaging and the most speed-ready car Rolls-Royce has ever envisioned. It is an opulent two-door coupe that can burn its rear tires. It really can.

Don't believe me? Google it.

To achieve such extraordinary capacity, BMW blessed it with the twin-turbo, V-12 that develops 624 horsepower. With a shortened wheelbase, fastback design reminiscent of the GT cars, and subtly sharpened up suspension; the Wraith isn’t only about luxury and softness. Don’t be fooled into thinking the Wraith is a brute like the DBS Superleggera. Not in any sense, shape, or form.

"Wraith is powerful, but never brutal. It's a cultivated power which perfectly complements the dynamism of its exterior styling. This is a true Rolls-Royce." Dr. Helmut Riedl, Director of Engineering at Rolls-Royce said.

So, how the heck does it compare with the new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera? It definitely does not in the purest sense. As a car treading cautiously over the paths no Rolls-Royce has ever crossed, the Wraith has that rebel authority and dominance similar to the DBS Superleggera, only in its own world of plush, soft, and dignified.

So, yes, for Rolls Royce the Wraith is something like the DBS Superleggera is for Aston Martin. A car with the devil’s smile that's full of tech, power, traces of uncertainty, and a price tag fit for kings.

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera

Rolls Royce Wraith

Engine

All-alloy quad overhead cam, 48-valve 5.2-litre bi-turbo, V12 with stop/start cylinder deactivation

V12, 6592cc, twin-turbo

Maximum power

715 HP @ 6,500 RPM

624 HP @ 5,600 RPM

Maximum torque

663 LB-FT @ 1,800-5,000 RPM

590 LB-FT @ 1,500-5,500 RPM

Acceleration 0-62mph (0-100km/h)

3.4 seconds

4.4 seconds

Maximum speed

211 mph

155 mph

Transmission

Rear mid-mounted ZF eight-speed automatic

eight-speed automatic ZF transmission


Read our full review on the 2018 Rolls-Royce Wraith.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera.

Read more Aston Martin news.