Aston Martin announced that the DBS and Superleggera nameplates would make a return in an all new model, which is rumored to be the successor to the aging Vanquish. Despite only officially announcing the vehicle earlier this month, it looks like the automaker is already testing the vehicle at the Nurburgring.
Automotive Mike captured footage of the coupe at the infamous circuit and it looks like Aston is making a lot of progress on the vehicle. The car looks similar to some of the prototypes we’ve seen before, but this is one of the first times we’re actually getting to see the car in action. And boy does it look and sound intimidating.
The first couple of times we saw the car, we thought Aston was testing a successor to the Vanquish. Now, it seems possible the prototype could be the upcoming DBS Superleggera that the brand recently announced.
Not a lot is known about the new DBS. Last year, Aston Martin boss Andy Palmer stated the new coupe would be a rival to the Ferrari 812 and would be “bloody good.” Besides that and the history of the Superleggera moniker, there’s not a lot to go off of.
The juicy details are hidden away
The prototype that’s on the Nurburgring is finished in matte black and looks to be wearing a decent amount of camouflage. The hood, though, is what really has us believing that this could be the vehicle the automaker teased. Aston conveniently placed pieces of camo on the hood, which look like they’re covering a pair of heat extractors. Those are the only things that the brand teased in its previous photo of the DBS.
Another item that we haven’t seen before on any of the other prototypes is the tidy rear wing. Aston isn’t known for placing big wings on its vehicles, unless it’s going racing. In the same light as the DB11, the coupe has a small wing that deploys at high speeds. The component looks like it was taken right off of the DB11, so we wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Aston integrated its Aeroblade solution into the new vehicle to improve downforce.
We’ll have to wait to see if this prototype really is the DBS Superleggera. Luckily, we won’t have to wait that long, as its official launch is expected later this year.