Aston Martin DBS Superleggera | Spotted

It could be spectacular, because the V12 flagship is the best car that Aston Martin makes. Perhaps the best it’s ever been: monumentally fast, epically capable, hugely entertaining and hugely desirable, it’s everything and more you’d hope for from the ultimate series production Aston. Everything the standard car has to offer, whether it’s an S or a related emblem, has every right to be amazing. And a great addition to the Bentley Supersports…

However, the extra power and panache of the top-of-the-line Aston Martin model comes at a price, with the Vanquish priced from £330,000. You can be sure that €400,000 is very easy to achieve with options, especially when it comes to Q. The ones in the adverts start at £350,000 and that’s clearly a huge amount of money. It’s certainly enough to make you wonder what the next best thing might cost and, wouldn’t you know it, the old DBS Superleggeras are starting to hover around the £100,000 mark…

Let there be no doubt: the Vanquish is the superior car. It’s even faster, even better to drive, and has an interior from another planet compared to the DBS. But the Superleggera was a damn fine car in its own right; there was some concern about how it would cope with the twin-turbocharged V12 torque (and 725bhp), as the previous Vanquish – fun as it was – didn’t have brilliant traction. We needn’t have worried: rarely did 664 lb ft feel like just the right amount of pulling power. The DBS was as confident and accessible as a modern super GT should be, while still retaining its wild side. Plus, it was completely breathtaking to watch; you wouldn’t be the only one who thinks the Superleggera was a more attractive design than the new Vanquish.

However, time waits for no one, including Aston Martin; Because the first DBSs are now seven years old, a reasonable amount of money has been made and a replacement is now available, they are more affordable than they used to be. The original RRP was £225,000, meaning most examples would have comfortably topped a quarter of a million once they left the showroom. You can bet some would have been even closer to £300,000.

Full disclosure: this one isn’t a third as much as a new Vanquish. If we assume this amount is £350,000, that means £116,000, just like this amount. But with virtually every DBS out there in grey, black or white, and almost always with black wheels, a color seemed too good to ignore; gloomy really didn’t do the looks justice. This looks much more like it, to our eyes at least, a beautiful blue (help us, Aston people) that really brings it to life. Maybe the wheels aren’t the sexiest ever; silver instead of black is the most important thing here.

It’s a 2019 car with just 20,000 miles, approved for sale and used at Aston Martin Nottingham for £128,000. Or not much more than a 911 Carrera with the right options is released nowadays. Of course, this won’t be the end of a Superleggera’s depreciation journey, although it will certainly be less severe from now on – the Vanquish before that currently costs around £70,000 second-hand. The DBS was also an important step forward there; there’s no reason why good ones shouldn’t remain desirable for a long time to come. Or at least until those epic Vanquishes come down even further…

Engine: 5,204 cc V12, turbocharged
Transfer: 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 725 at 6,500 rpm
Torque (lb⋅ft): 664 at 1,500-5,000 rpm
0-100 km/h: 3.4 seconds
Top speed: 341 km/h
MPG: 23.0
CO2: 285g/km
Year registered: 2019
Registered mileage: 20,539
Price new: £225,000 (before options)
Yours for: £128,000