Aston Martin DBS Superleggera road test review. The ultimate Aston V12 

I didn’t realise straight away that ‘Harry’ was Harry Metcalfe, founder of EVO Magazine. Man is a legend...

I really like the way he talks. Very calm and not exited even though he is excited.

I love how Harry does longer videos than most car/bike channels, it really allows him to dive into detail about his experiences with the cars/bikes. Harry you blow Top Gear out of the water

Even with the basking shark grille this car is just stunning. Thank you Harry for putting out quality content for real petrolheads.

Harry's Garage and Carfection. The only valid reasons for a RU-vid premium account.

Stevie Wonder did a lovely job designing the steering wheel, even more impressive when his brief entailed making sure that it had to look like it cost less that £20.00

It's worth investing in a late 90s/2000 handbuilt Aston Martin Vantage 550/v600 in Royal Blue with Parchment hide! A beauty!

Best car channel on RU-vid

Interior of this Aston is big let down in othevise great looking car.

When the V12 starts up, closed caption says [Music]

Well done review; Harry's concerns about torque and traction as he ends the video, is of course the main reason Porsche has always made their Turbo (the real one) AWD - even with the assistance of the 911 weight distribution on traction, the driven front wheels and some trick diffs etc. really do allow most of the torque to be used in most conditions. My guess is that the Aston was never designed to allow AWD, or it is just not in their heritage to do so. Either way, I think Harry's conclusions really do highlight the limitations of these high power RWD cars in real daily use.

Harry your reviews are so real world & spot on, far better than some of those younger RU-vidrs. I had a DB11 and the grabby brakes & loss of traction due to turbo & 2WD ended up with me getting back into a Bentley Conti. Before the DB11 I tried the Ferrari Cali T & sad to say but that didn’t last long either. Harry you rock!

I am in love with the One 77 , and the drive you did in the frosty green one .

Thanks Harry, another great one. Those rear seats should come out, that should lose some weight! Personally I think all the modern supercar interiors are a bit of a mess - too many techno buttons to fiddle with and clutter in limited ergonomic space, many actually useless to the average appreciative buyer.

My friend picked his up from Aston in Bristol and when he took me for a spin in it I was blown away by the fact it had the stop start feature. A V12 with stop start technology 🤯😂

Love the exterior styling, the interior is a bit disappointing at this price point. How do Aston make a turbo unit sound so good?

Wow that start-up! And the sound at 13:15! Such an amazing sound, especially considering it's turbocharged. Great review Harry, your videos are always some of my favorites!

An exceptional bit of kit. Quiet start is a genius move, because the theatre and drama of firing up previous generation Astons isn't always shared by neighbours (in my experience...who wouldn't appreciate a de-catted Vanquish at 6am, I know one person who didn't). Things move on though, and there's now a flagship that doesn't get shown a clean pair of heels by its rivals, such is the improvement in chassis dynamics on the new cars. Keep up the good work, Harry - and Merry Christmas. For a turbocharged V12, nothing sounds as good - people might complain it doesn't sound as good an 812SF; turbos will do that, but Aston did a stunning job to mask its forced induction origins.

I'd buy this for that v12 engine sound, and simply because its an Aston

One of the best sounding modern V12 engines money can buy

This guy's passion for cars is endearing. I could listen to him talk about cars for days. He seems like he would be awesome to have a few pints with.

Its taken me a while Harry, but I have to say that I enjoy this channel more than any other car channel, I do hope you keep reviewing for many years to come :)

It's nice to see they are keeping the tradition of the engine builder getting his name on a plaque. I rebuilt a Tadek Marek classic Aston V-8 and carbs once ( free labour, it was for a friend ) and he had a second plaque made with my name on it to go next to the original builders. That was a really nice gesture I thought.

Love you Harry,no messing about with all the details like US reviews,out on the road at 7 minutes. Keep up these tasty reviews.

I owned a 2006 Vanquish S from 2012 to 2018. What I loved about the looks of the car was its "Britishness" - trying to explain from my "German petrolhead" view, the old Vanquish was a beautiful GT, masculine but understated, with a hint of weirdness. ;-) These new Astons suffer from a huge lack of elegance. Flashy as a Ferrari, but still miles behind when it comes to technology. Wish they would build some elegant British GT cars again.

Incredible video as always Harry. Always look forward to new content from you. By far the best on RU-vid. Should be on Top Gear not those clowns.

Harry puts all other car reviewers to shame. The Master of the Art.

The whole front end of this car is gorgeous, as is the hood. I can't imagine improving any of the lines, shaping or proportions.

"It does sound pretty epic- but then the cost is pretty epic"...LMAO

These tech partnerships are tough, Mercedes is putting the old infotainment system on their new models, some got the new touchpad other did not. Aston got the old. The thing about tech is that it evolves too fast and makes the car look dated, I like what Rolls and Bentley are doing by hiding their infotainment system from the dashboard and wish Aston did it too because as cars get even more loaded with tech they will tend too look old faster than ever

The bonnet and the boot! Good on you Harry, not a trunk in sight.

Fantastic video Harry! One thing I would say that I think you’ve missed, is that since the DBS has a slightly higher roofline than the previous gen Vanquish it means I can now sit in the back in relative comfort - I don’t think I would want to travel any longer than an hour though, at most! I am 5ft 7 and it was actually not that bad at all in the back; it is noticeably improved over the previous gen DB9 or Vanquish. - been out for a test drive and currently have the Vanquish if you’re wondering why

Great review Harry. Honest and intelligent. You are not scared to say what you really think about these mega expensive supercars, which most You Tube reviewer’s are (probably with a fear that they won’t get access to more Aston’s etc). The only problem I have with you is you don’t post enough videos. Keep it up.

Harry is the class that RU-vid needed but not deserved

Loved that start up sequence.

Lovely review, thanks Harry. Have to agree about the interior versus the Conti GT. There's no excuse for that stuck on plastic screen in a £250k car. The Bentley interior is pretty much the benchmark for a performance GT. That exterior and engine are wonderful though.

Another quality Harry's Garage road trip. Dunes, mountains, water, mud, camels, sheep & goats plus the friendly locals and scenes from films including James Bond's, Spectre! My favourite scene was where they filled up in the Atlas mountains. Guided to the 'petrol station' by a man on a moped wearing a 'stripey nightshirt' who smoked his cigarette whilst the Tenere was being filled up 😂

Have to agree with your views on the interior. I remember when I saw the DB11 for the first time: I had just flow back from Germany where I had spent the week in a rented C-Class Merc and discovered that the latest Aston Martin had almost the same interior. Why on earth would anyone spend that amount of money and look at a dash that is the same as a rental hack - unless it was a GT350H of course!

The smile on Harry's face tells it all !

Absolutely fantastic video loved every minute! Being a big fan of the Aston Martin gorgeous isn't it many thanks for sharing with us all sir

I enjoyed his videos where he went in to further detail about the car before the drive, because he's SO knowledgeable. I miss that

Stunning looking and sounding but that interior..... its hideous! Looks cheap and the steering wheel is horrible looking. Luckily I will never be able to afford one to ever have the problem of sitting in the drivers seat looking at it. Great vid as usual Harry 👍

Leave it to Mr. Harry to delight us with a wonderful Aston Martin review, and just in time for the Christmas holiday! Thank you Sir!!

Thanks Harry for some great videos this year. Looking forward to next year’s content. In the meantime, I wish you and yours a very merry Christmas 🎄 and a happy new year 🎅🏻🚗🍻

Harry’s history of testing top end Astons in the winter at two degrees 😂 #one77

That sound!!! Even years later my God

There might come a day when Aston Martin hires an interior designer to get rid of the 1999 Hyundai design. But it is not this day.

Great video Harry. I was reading a letter in the new EVO, written by an engineer if I recall correctly. He kind of lambasted manufacturers who make downforce claims based on max speed. This car in particular, he said, only makes 80kgs(I may recall incorrectly as I don’t have the magazine to hand) of downforce at 100mph which is a more realistic speed to measure downforce at. Sadly, despite its massive power figure this car is out accelerated by an AMG GTR, which I found rather bemusing.

Red stitching, belts and the quilting not to my taste, as aren’t the instruments and sat nav screen, looks good on the outside though. Think Aston could (need to) still do better.

We just can't get it all in this world! I want the DBS looks, with the Continental GT interior and the Ferrari 812s or F12s powertrain.

What a machine, and it’s not just that car, the backdrop is breathtaking, Countach, Abarth yet another great video.

Oh my word, what sound! Love it:)

Warm Congratulations to Harry for a detailed, expert and fair-minded review. Aston Martin showed this car at Henley Regatta last summer. I sat in it. You had to adjust the driver’s seat to an extreme position to get any sense of where the bonnet ended and the corners were actually situated. Even then it was not completely satisfactory. The gentle rebukes which Harry gives to AM at the end of this video sound entirely convincing. AM should employ him as a consultant to help them with ironing out faults, which they can surely fix at once!

Your P8 can do the same loud/quiet start based on whether you hold the start stop or press it once

This is currently my favorite car. The looks, power, exclusivity. I wish I could afford it ....

Saw one of these today, amazing presence video does not do it justice.

Great review Harry, beautiful car! Also, nice looking Panerai on your your wrist. 👍🏻

Another classic video just in time for Christmas. If only I had the money, it has been a vintage year for classic GTs. DBS, continental and 812. Be a difficult choice which one.

To me it looks mostly fantastic, although I've never been a fan of the enormous 'bottom-feeder' grills that Aston sometimes produce, and the interior is a bit too clear in its Mercedes roots. First time I tried to apply the parking break I found I was actually opening the centre cubby; having the brake toggle in the footwell may have made sense in a '70s taxi but not today in an Aston! Nevertheless, as you say the view of those haunches in the mirror brings a smile every time. For the same money, though, and for general driving pleasure, I'd get myself a recent used F12 and put a private plate on it. Better gearbox, much better brakes, better quality in the cabin and the manettino is more intuitive and ergonomic. The noise is just as good and even in the cold and rain you won't arrive frazzled from just trying to keep it out of the hedge!

Spot on video, Harry. The exterior is great, except for the AM script and side vents that funnel mud. But, that interior is very chintzy looking.. The infotainment screen could be from a Mazda3 and the instrument vessels look ugly. I kept wishing for some tasteful wood and nice leather. Carbon fibre really is becoming too common in these superstars (though it works well here on the exterior).

Great video. Loved the DB11 one and this is as good. Practical and objective.

Love the exterior but the interior looks below par for the money I’m afraid☹️

And this is how you end a Wednesday 👏

“A very pleasant place to be” - and he’s in a quarter of a million quids worth of car... Go on Harry!!!!!!! 😀

I remember when Jaguar first came up with this synthetic "toc toc toc" as feedback noise for the indicators in the late 80's. When I first heard it it reminded me of someone overstretching their fingers resulting in this pop noise from the joints. Kinda eerie :-)

Well Harry AWD certainly looks like its coming, I was reading a car magazine from India and it shows the Aston Martin DBX, unbelievable even Aston Martin is going to try and sell a SUV.

love your review. this guy goes in depth

Excellent review, warts and all. Most reviewers would gush over this car but Harry finds some serious faults in braking, too much torque for two-wheel drive, and disappointing interior for the price, which is an added criticism. That interior console is retro, right out of the 1990s IMHO. Why 700+ horsepower, but it does go like hell and sounds great. Good, balanced critique.

Nice video of a nice car! Harry can you find a Saab 9-3 Viggen to review? I think you would like it a lot.

Great noise and great vid but I completely agree about the power being too much. I've got a (much, much cheaper) car of similar weight and 500bhp/500lbft and it's pointless having that much power with rear wheel drive unless it's 15C or warmer and bone dry. I image 715bhp just makes the problem worse. From now on I wouldn't have a daily driver (or even a car I wanted to use in winter) with more than 250bhp that wasn't four wheel drive. Most of the time, my 500bhp might as well be 250bhp as the only thing it's doing is making the traction control light flash.

Great video. Thanks Harry, keep em' coming.

Great test Harry I’m very glad to see you like Aston martins “my all time favourite” as usual great content keep them coming chap.

I remember Harry Metcalfe from the Evo magazines. Thoroughly good read.

Just such good videos from Harry - many many thanks.

Nice car but to much MB input for me. I’d prefer the Ferrari 812 superfast 800HP and no turbos!

Thank you Harry, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Cheers from a Canadian fan.

Tell it like it is Harry. Another great film. Have a great Christmas and New Year.

You can always tell by Harry’s face when he’s socializing with a V12.

Another good effort from Aston that just manages to fall short of it's target, as usual.

The front wheel/carbon disk/caliper combo is on point.

I love the way v12s sound.🎧💅🏻🎼🎧🎼💕🎧🎼🎧💋🎼🎧🎼🎧🎼

. I like how the top or roof of the boot has a similar shape to the top of the iconic Aston Martin Grill. Giving the appearance that the shape carries right through the car.

My God this car is drop dead gorgeous. The color is superb as well.

Christ almighty that start up. This is one car for the times.

I wish the inside looks lik the new bentley Continental GT.

Great review. So refreshing to hear a warts-and-all "7 out of 10" summary instead of the usual fanboy stuff on RU-vid.

Wow Harry your so fortune to have such a garage, I'd be like aaaahhh every morning just walking through just looking at such a wonderful collection of motor cars modern, and historic so many I remember from my youth. My father was a jaguar man except on two occasions once 73 /74 I think Rolls Royce silver shadow two tone navy blue and silver and then the rover 3500 5 door between 80 -82 you'll have to forgive my recollection of things since my illness last year, I just love and I bet you the garage and the cars have got that smell that aroma can't describe it but I'll bet you know what I mean anyhoo thanx for the entertaining and informative videos thanx

Great review as usual Harry! The first time you used the indicator I thought “that sound very odd” and then you said the same. To me, it almost sounds like a video game version of a heartbeat. Strange. How does it ride on the pegs? 😉

The interior color combo is ghastly. Love the sound though!

Not surprised it weighs so much it’s got an interior from the Flintstones. My money, if I had any would be heading to Bentley. Excellent review sad that AM don’t have the best looking GT anymore.

Always a joy to watch the videoes, have a great holiday!

I have been waiting for this one,,,, Harry in the DBS, the carbon brakes you do adjust to eventually, but they can snatch a little initially until you learn to drive / brake round them, it does make you think twice when braking hard, anybody behind you will be up your rump... the sound for a turbo car is really good. What is that massive interior mirror, not exactly elegant trimmings then there is a big box on the windscreen to the left of it....

Just imagining how good that Countach would look in the red on the AM. Yummy

Such a great looking car but such a shame about that interior! Whatever happened to the beautiful swooping dash of the DB9?

This is one of the coolest looking Aston Martins to date.

Great review. You comment on the sort of things which matter to me. I have a db11. The video leaves you thinking that it might be the better choice even without the price differential. On UK roads the last thing you need is more torque than the already massive amount in the db11. To get the extra torque you put up with worse brake feel (I like the DB11 brakes) and a less responsive version of the gearbox which is superb in the DB11. The weight saving is insignificant and the extra downforce again not relevant at UK speeds. Only spend the extra over the 11 if you need to play top trumps or you like to drive very fast on German motorways. While I agree that the dash shapes don't work well together with the tablet style display at odds with everything else, the quality of the materials and finishes lifts the interior well above the German or Japanese cars. I also agree that the Bentley's interior is in another league for both quality and design but is more drawing room than sports car. Autocar gave the DBS 5 stars and consider it more dynamic than the Bentley - a test on very cold roads was biased agàinst the 2 wheel drive car. Which is very relevant - even in the DB11 performance is traction limited, and the German super saloons have all gone to 4wd to çope with this level of performance.

Yea it looks cooler than the Bentley GT, Which still look pretty awesome - But that interior certainly needs a significant design overhaul for any major future update of the car - They need a new interior design concept to help that part revitalize - I´d say they should invest heavily into it, else the competition will get way ahead, not only the VW group but Mercedes, Volvo, BMW, and others have taken large steps ahead for the interior design, material expressions, and quality. On the other hand, one must not forget that they work on the Valkyrie, and what will come in its slipstream is properly going to bring Aston a great deal further, for weight reduction and many other things, including a digitized interior.

Love every aspect of this car

Another lovely video from Harry, would have been lovely to have seen a summer european trip in an Aston (hint!) it's interesting that this car has so much more power than Jag's f-type, which I've always regarded as the "poor" (okay less rich!) man's version of an Aston (less true now - more from when Ford owned both of them) when that car had AWD, it would have been interesting to hear the thoughts compared with the 812 too, I don't remember harry having the same torque/traction control concerns on his Spanish trip in that car - perhaps it was dry Spanish high altitude motoring compared with humid cold british winter (and winter tires!) still something beautfiul about an Aston barreling down a country road!

I just realised I miss one of harry,s videos.,wow I must have been on a different planet