Aston Martin DBS (07-12) Buyer's guide
Buyer's guide for the Aston Martin DBS (07-12).
Running‑cost notes (UK, specialist rates): annual service typically £800–£1,200; tyres £1,200–£1,600 a set; ADS dampers £800–£1,200 each; manual clutch £3,500–£5,000 fitted; Touchtronic fluid/filter service £400–£700; CCM pads £600–£1,000; CCM discs £6,000–£10,000 parts; radiator/hoses/thermostat refresh £1,200–£2,000 depending on scope. Seat layout and weights: the 2+0 Coupe deletes rear seats and belts for a shelf and, when paired with lightweight front seats, removes roughly 20–25 kg compared with a 2+2 on standard chairs. Volante packaging effectively makes it a 2+2. As Aston Martin did not publish a firm production split for 2+0 vs 2+2, confirm the build on each car; 2+0 is tangibly rarer in the UK and attracts purist interest. Options that add value to many buyers: Bang & Olufsen audio, carbon interior/seat options, desirable colours (Quantum Silver, Casino Royale‑type greys, deep blues/greens) and later Garmin‑based nav. Condition, brakes and suspension health trump spec if budgets are finite.
Aston Martin’s 2007–2012 DBS sits on the VH Gen II aluminium platform with a 5935 cc V12 (quoted 510 bhp/420 lb ft), rear transaxle and standard carbon‑ceramic brakes. Coupe arrived first (2007, manual only at launch), Touchtronic 2 auto followed; Volante joined in 2009. The Coupe could be 2+0 or 2+2; Volante is effectively 2+2. Manuals exist in both body styles but are markedly rarer in the UK. Carbon body panels and CCM brakes bring running‑cost considerations. A full, recent service record with evidence of brake life, damper health and battery care matters more than mileage.
The 5.9‑litre V12 is robust if serviced yearly (oil, coolant, plugs by age) and kept on a conditioner. It is chain‑driven and tolerant of mileage, but age‑related cooling hardware (radiator, hoses, thermostat) now deserves preventative replacement. Expect minor oil weeps from cam covers and front timing cover; budget to reseal if damp. Manual: rear‑mounted Graziano 6‑speed with twin‑plate clutch. A healthy clutch takes up smoothly without judder and doesn’t slip on a 4th‑gear load at 2,000 rpm. Many need a clutch around 25k–45k miles depending on use; £3,500–£5,000 with release bearing at a good specialist. Gear linkages can feel notchy when bushings age; the transaxle mount and torque‑tube bearings contribute to drivetrain shunt if tired. Touchtronic 2: rear‑mounted ZF 6‑speed. When warm, shifts should be clean with no flare or thunk. Despite early ‘sealed’ messaging, fluid/filter services every 4–5 years keep them sweet. Watch for mechatronic sleeve leaks, torque‑converter shudder and harsh 2–3 upshifts; fluid service often helps, but valve‑body work can be £1,500–£2,500. Differential and torque tube: listen for rumble at idle/clutch‑in (torque‑tube bearings) or whining on overrun (diff). Seepage at diff output seals is common; a quiet unit with dry casings is the aim. Rear axle bush wear adds to shunt. Use‑related battery drain is real; fit and use the factory charger port. Performance is identical on paper (c.4.3 s 0–62 mph, 191 mph) but in practice the auto launches more consistently; the manual is more involving on a flowing road.
ADS (Adaptive Damping, Bilstein) gives the DBS its breadth. A good car rides tautly but compliantly in Normal and tightens in Sport without crashiness. Leaking dampers are now common; replacements are £800–£1,200 each. Height sensors and ADS modules do fail; scan for codes. Front lower arm bushes and ball joints wear, as do rear hub bushes; expect a four‑wheel alignment after any suspension work. Tyres (245/35 ZR20, 295/30 ZR20) are consumables; the car is set‑up sensitive, so match brands/pairs and check date codes. Brakes are Brembo CCM as standard. True disc wear is slow on road use, but pad deposits and uneven bedding masquerade as ‘warped discs’, causing judder after heavy stops. Proper deglazing and bedding often cures it. Always measure disc mass and inspect for surface cracking; replacement sets are £6,000–£10,000 in parts, pads £600–£1,000, so buy on condition. Fresh high‑boil fluid every two years is sensible. Stone chips on exposed CCM bells and creaking from pad hardware are common and not usually serious.
Bonded aluminium structure with a mix of aluminium and carbonfibre exterior panels; front splitter and rear diffuser are carbon. Expect galvanic/filiform corrosion under paint on aluminium edges (door bottoms, bonnet and boot perimeters, mirror bases); it appears as bubbling or ‘spidering’. Proper rectification involves strip, treat and repaint rather than local blow‑ins. Carbon lacquer can peel on splitters/diffusers; many have been refinished—quality varies. Undertrays and fasteners corrode. Rear subframe is steel and can scab, particularly on winter‑used UK cars; heavy corrosion needs subframe removal and coating or replacement. Check the alloy front crossmember for impact damage. Panel gaps should be even; carbon bonnet is light but expensive—inspect for previous repair. Headlamp lenses craze with age; new units are dear. Volante: check roof fabric for rub marks, rear‑screen delamination, header‑seal wind noise and water ingress into the boot. Hydraulic rams/lines and microswitches fail with age; roof cycles should be smooth and quiet.
Cabin trim wears gently if looked after. Expect bolster wear on early soft leather, peeling of soft‑touch coatings on switches and light crazing on piano‑black veneers. The ‘ECU’ glass key chips or de‑laminates; replacements are not cheap, so test both keys. Window‑drop calibration on frameless doors should be crisp; lazy drops point to tired regulators or needs‑reset. HVAC panels and nav screens from early cars feel dated; from around 2011MY the Garmin‑based nav is more usable. Bang & Olufsen BeoSound was optional; the pop‑up tweeters should rise/fall cleanly—sticking actuators and amplifier faults are known. Carbon‑Kevlar lightweight seats (where fitted) save meaningful weight but check shells for cracks and that all motors/heaters work. Rear seats (2+2) are child‑sized; many Coupes were specified 2+0 with a shelf.
Design was signed off under Marek Reichman, with the DBS launched in 2007 as the lighter, sharper DB9 derivative. Coupe 2007–2012; Volante 2009–2012. Manuals at launch; Touchtronic 2 followed soon after and dominated UK orders. Production and split: Aston Martin did not publish a granular seating/transmission breakdown. The evidence from UK registrations and marque specialists suggests roughly 70–75% of cars are Touchtronic, with manuals making up the balance; manual Volantes are notably scarce. Coupes were offered as 2+0 or 2+2; 2+0 appears to account for a minority (commonly quoted at around a tenth to a fifth of Coupes). Volante is effectively 2+2. If a precise split matters to you, confirm with the build sheet for the individual car. Original UK list pricing sat in the mid‑£160k bracket for the Coupe at launch and circa mid‑£170k for the Volante, with options (notably B&O audio, carbon seats and bespoke paints) pushing many cars well beyond that. Special editions such as Carbon Black arrived from 2010 with curated colours and trims but no major mechanical change. Paperwork to want: continuous service history (annual, not mileage‑based), evidence of recent coolant system refresh, Touchtronic fluid service if applicable, CCM disc mass/pad life notes, and geometry reports. Check for completed safety recalls (notably the widely publicised accelerator‑pedal arm adhesive recall that covered contemporary AML models). Factory build sheet and a print‑out of AMDS diagnostic scans add confidence. UK‑supplied RHD cars with low owners are strongest; imports need VAT/registration evidence and an eye on spec differences.
- Cold start from dead cold. Listen for top‑end rattle (should be brief) and exhaust leaks. Confirm fast idle settles cleanly. Any misfire under load demands a code read, plugs and coils check. - Battery voltage and charge rate. Confirm the charger port works and the car has a recent, quality AGM battery. - Coolant system. Look for pink/white staining at radiator end tanks, hose unions and water pump. Bring temps up and sit in traffic to confirm fans cut in and temps stabilise. - Manual: clutch take‑up, no slip in 4th at ~2,000 rpm WOT, no chatter. Check for shunt on/off throttle; inspect transaxle mount and torque‑tube bearings. - Touchtronic: warm through, then check for flare/shunt on 2–3/3–4, smooth kick‑down, and no delayed engagement R→D. Ask for evidence of fluid/filter service. - Diff/axle: road test at 30–50 mph, lift and listen for whine. Inspect diff seals and rear hub carriers for leaks. - Brakes: gentle then repeated firm stops from 70 mph. Feel for steering vibrations. Inspect CCM discs for uniform surface and measure remaining mass; inspect pads and pins. - Suspension/steering: check for knocks over ripples, tramlining and uneven tyre wear. Inspect front lower arms, rear hub bushes and dampers for leaks. Obtain a recent alignment print‑out. - Body: look closely at bonnet/door/boot edges for paint bubbling, carbon splitter/diffuser lacquer, and headlamp lens condition. Undertray off if possible to assess the steel rear subframe for corrosion. - Volante roof: inspect fabric for wear, run full open/close cycle and check for boot water ingress. - Interior: test window drops, seat heaters/motors, B&O tweeters and the nav screen mechanism. Inspect for sticky switchgear and worn bolsters. Verify both keys. - Diagnostics: full AMDS scan, including ABS/ADS modules and transmission (Touchtronic). Check for stored low‑voltage codes. - Provenance: verify VIN/build sheet for 2+0 vs 2+2, transmission, options and paint. Confirm recall completion (accelerator‑pedal arm) and that service intervals were annual.
For driving, we would buy a late‑build Coupe, manual, specified 2+0 with the carbon‑Kevlar lightweight seats and documented recent spend on cooling system, clutch and alignment. The manual/2+0 combination saves meaningful weight, the later infotainment is less frustrating, and a well‑set geometry on fresh Michelin or Pirelli rubber transforms the car. If you want open‑top use, a Touchtronic Volante with impeccable roof operation and proof of recent transmission fluid service is the sensible choice; manual Volantes are charming but very thin on the ground.