The 2011 Aston Martin DBS is a unique machine. It's not quite a pure exotic, and it's not quite a pure luxury car. It's a hybrid of the two -- a luxotic, if you will. And, aside from a few quibbles, the DBS pulls it off.
Propelling the DBS is the same 5.9-liter V-12 as in the DB9, but with 40 more horsepower, for a total of 510. It is a difficult vehicle to launch while testing. With its ultra-quick-revving engine; a clutch that seems to lock up almost instantly; and good, but not great tires, it takes patience to avoid completely roasting the rear tires. We managed to get to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and clocked 12.4 seconds at 117.4 mph in the quarter. The DBS comes standard with carbon ceramic brakes, so stopping from 60-0 requires just 107 feet, very respectable for a car weighing more than 3800 pounds. The DBS came alive on our figure-eight course. "This car's handling and behavior is expertly resolved; all of its motions suggest a smaller, well-balanced car; grip is great; but it's how nicely the car turns-in and how playful it is in the corners that impresses me," said testing director Kim Reynolds.

The DBS comes standard with a rear-mounted six-speed manual gearbox, with the Touchtronic six-speed automatic available as a $4000 option. We highly suggest getting the manual, not because we're car guys and believe that's what you should drive, but because the Touchtronic is too boring to be in a car like this. Aston Martin does have a new single clutch automated manual gearbox coming, and while we're not sure why they didn't go straight to a dual clutch, at least it is a step in the right direction.

The DBS isn't built like most other cars. It's composed of a variety of materials more likely found in the Space Shuttle than in a car. The chassis is bonded extruded aluminum with extruded aluminum door side-impact beams. The hood, trunk enclosure, trunklid, door-opening surrounds, and front fenders are of carbon fiber; enabling the DBS to shed more than 60 pounds. The door frames and inner panels are magnesium, while the outer skin and roof are aluminum, and the windshield surround is cast aluminum.