Take a Look Under the Hood of the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Pinnacle of Aston Martin’s current lineup packs 715 horsepower and a top speed of 211 miles per.
The Sunset Grand Turismo events on West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip draw some stunning supercars, but at the November 11 event, attendees had a chance to check out the car that Aston Martin calls the pinnacle of the current model range. That is, of course, the DBS Superleggera.
It the DBS Superleggera was just sitting in a parking lot with the windows up and the bonnet closed, it would likely draw some attention, but at the November Sunset GT show, Team Speed got a chance to look under the hood of this wicked Aston Martin. As beautiful as the DBS is from the outside, the way that the Aston engineers managed to fit this twin turbocharged V12 under the hood is a work of art of its own kind.
Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Power
The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera is far more than just a big engine, but the heart of this package is the twin turbocharged V12 wedged into the relatively tight engine bay. Frankly, this engine looks like it would be a nightmare to work on, as there is no space anywhere, except around the air intake boxes where there has been a gap left for the cooling fan. Every other inch of the engine bay is filled with components of the twin turbo, 5.2-liter V12 that delivers 715 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque.
With the help of the rear-mounted ZF eight-speed automatic transmission that is connected to the engine by means of a carbon fiber propeller shaft, the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera can dash from a stop to 62 miles per hour in just 3.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 211 miles per hour.
Those numbers make the DBS Superleggera the best-performing Aston Martin road car to date while also being among the highest performance cars in the world.
Unique Layout
Most front engine performance cars have the throttle body at the front of the engine, but this Aston Martin V12 has dual throttle bodies, one located each rear side of the intake manifold. The air boxes at the front of the engine bay gather air from the grille and send it to the turbochargers, where it is compressed, sent through the intercoolers and then into the engine.
This unique intake design has its benefits, but the downside is a whole lot more piping than you would see in your “average” V12 engine bay. As a result, the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera engine bay is packed to the hilt, but there is no question that a look under the front-flipped hood is awe-inspiring.
Photos for Team Speed by David Ciminelli