Aston Martin unleashes its most powerful road car EVER - and it costs £337k

Aston Martin has unveiled its 'most powerful production car ever'.

Called the DBS 770 Ultimate, it is the last version of its grand tourer with a heavily-tuned V12 engine, which has been unleashed in the British brand's 110th birthday year.

Packing a massive 759bhp from a 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged petrol powerplant, it can reach eye-watering speeds of up to 211mph.

Just 499 are to be built as a swansong for its stunning GT model, each costing in excess of £300,000. But you might as well put your wallet back in your pocket because Aston has already taken deposits on all of them.

The Ultimate DBS: Called the DBS 770 Ultimate, this is Aston Martin's 'most powerful production car ever' and is the last version of its grand tourer with a heavily-tuned V12 engine

As the name suggests, this is the ultimate DBS Superleggera from the luxury car maker, bidding farewell to one of the brand's most beautiful existing models. 

But the 770 guarantees it won't be making a quiet exit.

While it is being promoted as the manufacturer's 'most powerful production car ever', the key word to take into account from this claim is 'production'.

That's because the 300 coupes (prices at £314,000) and 199 Volante convertibles (£337,000 each) it is due to make for the global market is enough to qualify it as a volume-production model.

The reality is that this isn't the most potent road car to leave its Gaydon factory, with 'exclusive' models like the one-of-a-kind 836bhp Aston Martin Victor and 150 1,160bhp Valkyrie hypercars trumping it on horespower alone.

Yet this minor caveat makes the DBS 770 Ultimate no less brutal... or loud.

The Aston Martin 770 Ultimate has been unveiled as the swansong DBS model as part of the British car company's 110-year anniversary in 2023

While it is being promoted as the manufacturer's most powerful production car, the key word to take into account is 'production'. That's because 499 examples is enough to qualify it as a production-run model, despite a number of more potent 'exclusive' Aston road cars leaving the Gaydon factory in recent years

Aston Martin engineers have worked their magic to squeeze another 44bhp from the 12-cylinder engine, thanks primarily to increased boost pressure and tweaked air and ignition pathways, the car company says. 

Linked to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, power is delivered to the rear wheels via a mechanical limited-slip differential.

With 900Nm of pulling power on tap, the DBS 770 Ultimate can sprint from a standstill to 62mph in just 3.2 seconds (coupe) and continues accelerating beyond 200mph.

Away from the engine, there have been some other changes over the 'standard' DBS. 

While it shares the same carbon-ceramic brake setup, it has exclusive 21-inch wheels inspired by the Valkyrie hypercar and said to have a 'jewellery appearance'.

Suspension has also been upgraded, with the adaptive dampers recalibrated to provide additional agility without ruining the ride quality, while other chassis tweaks have increased torsional stiffness by three per cent.

Announcing its arrival, Marek Reichman, Aston Martin's chief creative officer, said: 'DBS has always sat at the pinnacle of the Aston Martin production model line-up. And now we’re infusing DBS 770 Ultimate with even more… more power, more performance purity and all with more sophistication, more taste and in the most considered manner. 

'Something so raw, and yet so beautiful it’s almost intimidating to look at. 

'It's through this design approach that we came up with the shapes - starting with the amped-up front end – and from there everything else flows in design balance with the performance upgrades.'

With 900Nm of pulling power, the DBS 770 Ultimate can sprint from rest to 62mph in 3.2 seconds (coupe) and continue accelerating beyond 200mph

While it shares the same carbon-ceramic brake setup, it has exclusive 21-inch wheels said to be inspired by the Valkyrie hypercar and having a 'jewellery appearance

Among the design changes to the 'standard' DBS is this deeply recessed bonnet scoop, which is designed to suck air through the radiators to improve cooling

As Mr Reichman points out, identifying the 499 limited-edition 770 Ultimate from an 'ordinary' DBS shouldn't be a difficult task.

The swansong versions all-round more aggressive design is highlighted by a new carbon fibre sill. The firm says this 'visually lowers the side profile towards the rear wheel' and creates 'a poised stance that accentuates the DBS’s muscular physique'.

It also gets a unique front splitter and rear diffuser combination, a deeply recessed bonnet scoop to suck air through the radiators to improve cooling, and a dashing of additional carbon fibre trims and louvres. 

Inside, the carbon enhancements continue with this a flat-bottomed steering wheel and dashings of the lightweight material on the centre console

Even the eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox paddles are made from featherweight carbon fibre, all in the aim of shedding bulk

The bucket seats chassis are made from carbon fibre while the minimum padding is a mix of leather and alcantara materials

Inside, the carbon enhancements continue and include a pair of new front bucket seats trimmed in leather and alcantara, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and the accompaniment of carbon fibre shift paddles. 

The 499 customers who already have their names down on the available cars can push the price of their DBS 770 Ultimate even high if they want through extra customisation available via Aston Martin’s Q division.

This ranges from anything including bespoke graphics packs, unique wheel colours and contrasting leather trims. 

And it's not the only limited-run model the British car company is promising in 2023 as part of its 110-year anniversary, with another unnamed Aston Martin due to be unveiled as part of the celebrations.