These new spy photos capture a late-stage DBS prototype on test in Germany, near the Nurburgring. It's a revealing set of spy photos - with lots of angles of the sports car and a few snaps inside the cabin too.
So these spy photos are of the new Aston Martin DBS?
Definitely. Aston dealers will soon start selling the DBS Ultimate Edition (sounds like a DVD boxset!) to make way for the newcomer arriving in the UK at the end of 2012.That points to a show debut over the summer, or more likely at the 2012 Paris motor show this autumn.
What's new on the 2012 Aston Martin DBS?
For starters, there are quite significant changes to the metalwork, particularly around the rear flanks, whose voluminous wheelarches are different enough to bring the DBS in line with the more aggressive style of the One-77.
Front and rear aprons, spoilers and details are revised too, and judging by the disguise around the side windows, the glass graphic may be redrawn. The side mirrors have been moved from the windows to be mounted on the doors, as on the new Porsche 911.
It's clear this is a much more aggressive kind of Aston flagship; the sleek, but samey style of yore is finally making way for a greater width of expression.
What about the mechanicals underpinning the new 2012 DBS?
The new DBS will stick with the celebrated V12 engine for now. Aston Martin's V8 and V12 range are fit enough to last until 2016, CAR understands.Don't pay too much attention to the interior spy photo inside this Aston prototype. It looks like a mix of current DB9/DBS dash and controls - but Gaydon is vowing to improve the cabin quality of its products, to match high expectations of buyers slapping down a six-figure sum. Aston's new Garmin-based sat-nav will feature.
