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Configurator Challenge: Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, featuring ‘Nick’

We create our own 'super light' and 'super fast' Aston


Customisation is in vogue at the moment, but choice can be seriously confusing. In our configurator challenge, we let the CarAdvice team loose on a manufacturer’s website to create their ideal spec of a certain model.

For this edition of the Configurator Challenge, we’re designing our perfect Aston Martin DBS Superleggera.

Let us know what you think in the comments, and which cars you’d like to see next!



James Wong, Journalist

The DBS Superleggera isn't as classically handsome as Aston Martins of old, but I wouldn't say no to one.

I'm a firm believer that all Aston Martins look best in green, hence I've chosen to finish my DBS in the lovely AM Heritage Racing Green, complemented by 21-inch Y-spoke alloys in diamond-turned finish.

Other exterior appointments include yellow-painted brake calipers, red tail-lights, about as many carbon-fibre accents as you can throw at it, along with machined carbon-fibre badging. You can never have too much carbon in my opinion, though I do prefer the roof strakes in body colour.

For the interior, I've once again opted for a brown colour scheme for that classic British grand touring feel. It's a dual-tone Chestnut Tan and Copper Tan Metallic design, with contrasting Sandstorm 'welt' piping.

I've also opted for the beautiful satin chopped carbon-fibre inlays that debuted with the Vanquish S, embroidered Aston Martin wings into the seats, a black Alcantara headliner, dark chrome "interior jewellery", along with seat backs finished in satin chopped carbon-fibre.

As for accessories, I figured an indoor car cover would be necessary to protect that lovely green paint from yucky dust, grime and spider webs in the garage.

There you have it – Superleggera, or Superperfecto?



Kez Casey, Road Tester

I’ve spent most of this last week at home asking the digital personal assistants that have taken over my life to play me the hits of the 80s (I’m surprisingly retro-futuristic like that). The resulting brain damage has led me down a deep and distasteful 80s theme for this DBS Superleggera.

Maybe that’s also a throwback to my belief that the donor car (Aston’s DB11) is possibly the worst looking production car from Gaydon since the 80s Vantage. Controversial! Anyway, on with the show.

Retina-searing Yellow Tang paint starts a visual assault that’s impossible to ignore. I’ve even kept the roof body coloured, against the tide of popular opinion it seems, but applied black-tinted carbon to the roof strakes, bonnet vents, side gills, mirrors, sills and bumpers.

All of Aston Martin’s wheel choices look like something from Bob’s Bargain Basement Wheel Warehouse, but the canted-spoke diamond-turned lightweight 21-inchers are somehow the least offensive choice, paired with grey brake calipers because the stoppers aren’t the party-piece this time.

The party really kicks into gear inside with an interior inspired by the best that an era of parachute pants, fingerless gloves, Members Only jackets, leg-warmers and massive shoulder pads had to offer.

Metallic Black leather gets Wham!-ed together (see what I did there) with Fandango Pink (you just know Freddy Mercury would’ve optioned it), with the whole lot set to perfection with Indigo Blue welting, stitching and AM Wings (not the Paul McCartney kind) logos… How’s that for a Motley Crüe?

Of course I ordered the matching four-piece luggage set. No point making a bag-drop if it isn’t going to be done with a pink, black and blue Miami-Vice styled cabin bag, is there?

And as a finishing detail for the ultimate 80s-inspired Superlegwarmer I’ll leave you with the immortal words of Alexis Carrington: “At 6 o'clock, I like to slip out of my shoes and into something more comfortable, like a drink” – sound advice we can all live by. Chin-chin!



Adam 'AK' Morris, Presenter

Can I just start by saying, what a car. I officially put my hand, arm, leg and torso up to shoot this thing when lands Down Under.

I'm no stranger to the Aston Martin configurator, and my go-to colour up until now has been Skyfall Silver for each and every model. But, this new design direction has inspired a broadening of my palette and gone is Mr Bond's signature hue, replaced by Arden Green. It's the perfect blend of Bond with a subtle influence of Aston's take on British Racing Green, and I think it's perfect for this car.

I've tried to stick to a two-colour theme with the exterior so it's 2x2 Twill Carbon Fibre Exterior Body Pack, with smoked rear lights, dark anodised callipers, carbon-fibre roof, mirror caps, bonnet louvres, side louvres, trim inlays, and the gold under bonnet pack with carbon-fibre engine cover.

I'd normally spec the lightest, most track-specific rims but the 21-inch forged Y-spoke wheels in the gloss-black diamond-turned finish are just too gorgeous to pass up.

Inside the carbon-fibre trend continues but to a far lesser extent, with the trim inlay and seat backs in satin carbon, but the colours take a turn for the warmer. Balmoral duotone leather in Obsidian Black and Chancellor Red with contrasting Iced Mocha welting and Chancellor Red carpets set the scene while Satin Silver jewellery bring some light touches to the the warm-dark environment.

A black Alcantara roof lining and steering wheel finish of the interior details and the embossed Aston Martin logos on the seats are just a must.

It's more 'sexy not showy' than 'shaken not stirred' and I love it.



Scott Collie, Journalist

I've nailed it this week. Modesty be damned, this car is my opus, my Mona Lisa. Just look at it!

Aston Martin says the DBS Superleggera is a Super GT, an ethos woven throughout this design. Take the exterior: the carbon roof, vents and mirror caps all scream supercar, as do the red brake calipers.

The deep, Mariana Blue paint and bronze 21-inch forged wheels, on the other hand? They're a classic combination befitting a proper, modern Grand Tourer.

My interior looks a bit like a pair of fancy footy boots, the ones they keep behind a glass cage at Rebel Sport. I realise this isn't an olfactory medium, but just imagine how leathery and delightful this interior would smell in the real world.

The base colour is Obsidian Black, contrasted with Light Argento Metallic inserts and Spicy Red stitching. My seats are finished with a Triaxial Quilt pattern, and they're heated/ventilated for year-round comfort.

Satin-finished chopped carbon adorns the dashboard, while my steering wheel is trimmed in Alcantara for a dash of supercar drama. The car's GT credentials, meanwhile, are reinforced by the BeoSound audio system, perfect for drowning the riff-raff out on a long drive.

I've specced a battery conditioner and snow chains. As a skier, the idea of taking a DBS Superleggera to the Swiss Alps is pretty close to heaven.

Please direct all compliments to the comments section, where my manager will collate and forward them on to me for response.



Rob Margeit, Culture and Lifestyle Editor

I like my supercars subtle, not outlandish. That's why I've opted for Scintilla Silver sitting on 21-inch gloss-black wheels.

A hint of colour is provided by the yellow brake calipers. After all, everyone needs a bit of colour in their life.

To complement the austere exterior, I've ticked the box for smoked tail-lights as opposed to the more traditional red.

The Duotone interior is finished in Phantom Grey and Ivory with Aston Martin Wings embroidered into the seats as opposed to the standard DBS logo.

I've lashed out big bucks for a carbon-fibre steering wheel. Not so visible are a host of carbon-fibre inlays and trims just because.



Dave Harding, PR Manager

For the exterior, I went with the Selene Bronze. It’s a little different and very premium without screaming 'look at me'.

The Duotone satin Y-spoke wheels accent the body colour without adding too much visual weight. Brake calipers were left in dark anodised guise to keep with the sublime palette.

To ensure this vehicle’s performance heritage is not lost, gloss twill carbon-fibre is used for the roof, mirror caps and exterior trims.

I continued the subdued theme with the interior – the architecture itself screams something special and doesn’t need to be overplayed.

I used a contrast of Dark and Ice Mocha leather to create a rich environment with carbon-fibre twill again used extensively for the trim and accents to ensure the true purpose of this vehicle is clearly evident.



Mandy Turner, Road Tester & Podcast Host

Damn, this is one sexy car. I have to say the rear end of the Superleggera is the best behind I've seen on an Aston Martin. I could look at it all day.

Like the previous Aston Martin configurator challenge we did, there are so many options, so I tried to make it as simple as possible.

From first glance, Ocellus Teal won me over for the exterior paint. It's not exactly a desirable name, but look at it. Just look at it. I've colour matched the roof, roof strake, and mirror caps too.

I'm guessing most of my colleagues went for black alloy wheels, so I went for the silver-spoked rims. And I think most would've decided on smoked tail-lights, so the red tail-lights were ticked.

Inside, I have gone for a duotone environment with Pure Black and Copper Tan Metallic caithness leather – even the name sounds swish. I fiddled around with red and yellow brake callipers, but they didn't match with the exterior paint, so I went for some inconspicuous grey ones.

I can't believe you can option tyre cushions. I mean, who would buy them? Me, that's who. Because if you can afford this car, you can afford tyre cushions.

This car is simply stunning. No doubt it will be look even more stunning in person.



Nick, Commenter

As much as I enjoyed the Bentley Continental GT from our “Landed Gent” Harrington, for the truly suave among us you can’t go past the Aston Martin, and the pinnacle is the successor to the Vanquish, the new DBS Superleggera.

I’ve gone with Concours Blue which, for me, is sophisticated yet menacing. Keeping it off the ground are a set of 21-inch ‘Y’-spoke wheels in Duotone Gloss Black and Satin Black, with the brake calipers in ‘Dark Anodised’.

The rest of the exterior has been left as standard, with just the right mix of black and carbon-fibre. I’ve selected the ‘Gold Underbonnet Pack’ for a bit of flash when showing off the engine, because… well, why not?

The blue hue continues inside with a 'Duotone' mix of Aurora Blue/Light Argento Metallic finished off with the DBS logo on the seats. The tone is completed with the headlining finished in ‘Arctic Blue’, rounded out with a Piano Black inlay with Dark Chrome “jewellery pack”, which is a strange name considering there aren’t actually any jewels…

I’ve also optioned the B&O BeoSound audio system for when I'm not listening to that glorious twin-turbo V12.

Accessory-wise, I’ve just gone with the 4-piece leather colour-matched luggage set because when you have a car like this, you may as well do it properly.


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