Source: MansoryLow, sleek and yet self-consciously aggressive, the 2008 Aston Martin DBS is the ultimate expression of the contemporary Aston Martin..
With the farewell to the hand-built Vanquish last summer, the DBS has become the corporate face of a newly independent Aston Martin. Sold earlier this year by its former parent Ford to an investment group fronted by David Richards, the chief executive of Prodrive, Aston Martin will now have to make its own way in a world where Audi, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and a clutch of small independent companies are all fighting for the attention of the new group of millionaires across the globe.
The 2008 Aston Martin DBS is the car that Aston CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez describes as "thunder and lightning." Aston Martin must achieve the prestige of Ferrari to survive as an influential manufacturer of sports cars, and that means the DBS must measure up against the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.
A Surprising Start
For the DBS, Aston Martin presents you with a plastic controller topped with a crystal, described as an ECU — Emotion Control Unit. (Well, it'll be stainless steel and a sapphire if you actually pay the $265,000.) It slots into the center of the starter button, which then glows warmly red as the 5,935cc V12 comes to life.
This is the same Ford-designed engine featured in the DB9, still assembled by hand in Cologne, Germany. It's been slightly revised for the DBS, and the changes include a taller 10.9:1 compression ratio and a bypass valve in the intake tract that opens at 5,500 rpm to admit more air into the engine at peak rpm. The upshot of this is a 60-horsepower hike in power from the DB9's 450-hp calibration to 510 hp at 6,500 rpm. The torque output remains unchanged at 420 pound-feet, available at 5,750 rpm.
The deep, rich tone from the V12 engine is instantly familiar, now a signature of Aston Martin. Reach out for the shift lever of the six-speed manual transmission (an automated sequential manual will be available later), and slot into 1st gear. The shift action is heavy, as you would expect from a rear-mounted transaxle required to process so much power, yet it's precise and manageable, while the clutch action is light and linear. The DBS might be powerful, but it's not intimidating.
This is a surprise. Since the DBS's first appearance in Casino Royale, the 2006 James Bond film, and then its official unveiling at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d' Elegance, Dr. Bez has been telling anyone who'll listen that the DBS would be a raw-edged road racer. But you'd never believe it after driving this car, as the use of an active suspension with five-way electronically adjustable dampers delivers a low-speed ride that's dramatically better than that of a DB9. Aston's engineers also quietly admit that they've learned a lot about filtering out unwanted road noise in the marque's all-aluminum chassis, so it's no wonder the DBS improves so much on the DB9.
Delving Deeper
Aston has indulged in some weight-conscious engineering for the DBS. The trunk lid, hood and front fenders are now made from carbon fiber, helping the DBS shave some 176 pounds from the bonded all-aluminum body structure it shares with the DB9, so now it weighs 3,737 pounds. A shorter final-drive ratio of 3.71:1 also accentuates the feeling of speed built into the DBS.
If you look at the raw performance numbers recorded by Aston Martin, the DBS falls a long way short of the Ferrari 599. Whereas the DBS cracks 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.3 seconds on the way to a top speed of 191 mph, the 611-hp Ferrari manages 3.7 seconds to the same benchmark and a top speed of 205 mph. But this is rather like saying that one Bond girl is marginally prettier than another.
In the real world, the DBS feels hugely rapid. Helped by all that torque, the Aston pulls cleanly from very low rpm — 30 mph in 6th gear is no problem — before the revs build with a crescendo of increasing ferocity, making a subtle change in pitch as the bypass intake performs its trick at 5,500 rpm. The rush of power is so smooth and so linear that it's easy to find yourself hitting the rev limiter at 6,800 rpm.
Aston collaborated with Brembo to develop a brake system with ceramic rotors for the DBS. The front rotors measure 15.7 inches and have six-pot calipers, and the 14.2-inch rear rotors use four-pot calipers. The use of the lightweight rotors reduces weight by 26.5 pounds, and they work exceptionally well, providing strong, consistent performance with a pleasing amount of feel.
Getting the Bends
The DBS achieves that neat trick of feeling smaller and nimbler the harder you push it. The steering is much better than a DB9's. It's lighter, more precise and more communicative, allowing you to place the car with greater confidence. Our only criticism is a rattle through the steering column that afflicted all the test cars we tried.
The electronic damper system is controlled by a switch on the center console and offers both Normal and Track modes. The car will then automatically select an appropriate setting from within these parameters. As a result, the DBS can combine a supple low-speed ride with aggressive damping on smooth high-speed surfaces. It works well, but the settings sometimes feel too different, so you end up fidgeting between a setup that's marginally too soft and one that's uncomfortably firm. Might an interim Sport setting solve this problem?
This criticism, though, should not be overstated. The DBS deserves its place in the supercar club.
The Aesthetics
In many ways, the DBS's appearance is proving its most controversial aspect. According to Marek Reichmann, the car's designer, "The DBS is the evolution of the DB9 into a true performance car. It's like taking an athlete who's already good at what they do and sticking them in the gym for even longer, getting them really toned. It's about conveying the passion of power."
To convey this passion, Reichmann has lowered and widened the DB9's silhouette and added all manner of swoops, scoops and slashes, including a large rear aero diffuser. Most, no doubt, have an aerodynamic benefit and they give the car a more aggressive attitude, but the overall effect has — whisper it — a whiff of the aftermarket. You can't help thinking this is how an upmarket tuner might have reinterpreted the DB9. For a company that has stated its desire to make art cars with an understated elegance, the DBS is a surprising volte-face.
Within the cabin, the swooping curves of the fascia are instantly familiar from the V8 Vantage and DB9, but the switchgear on the center console is new. Simple rotary knobs, silver buttons and a joystick replace the chaotic control ergonomics of the DB9, although the multifarious buttons still require some acclimatization before you know what they're about.
In Europe, customers are offered handsome and immensely comfortable sport seats made from carbon fiber that weigh 10 pounds less than the standard items. But they can't accommodate an occupant sensor and therefore fall afoul of U.S. airbag regulations. Instead, North America must make do with the standard chairs, which are bulky enough to consume precious cabin space, especially for tall drivers.
The DBS is designed strictly for two, with the cubbies behind the front seats supplementing the useful trunk. If you want to increase the car's practicality further, you can even order a bespoke saddle that straddles the transmission tunnel and houses all manner of modern detritus. Nice.
Up to the Challenge?
About a thousand or so people have preordered the $265,000 2008 Aston Martin DBS, so it's already a success, a measure of the dramatic increase in sales the company has experienced over the last few years.
The DBS is also the best car that Aston Martin makes (alongside the V8 Vantage, of course): intriguing, capable and charismatic. This augurs well for the company's future. But the question lies in just how far the present Aston Martin formula can take the company in its bid for ongoing desirability against companies like Ferrari.
The 2008 Aston Martin DBS is some kind of high-water mark in the company's fortunes so far, yet we'll all be watching to see if the company can continue its remarkable resurgence without the financial support of Ford.
Source: Edmunds
We turned up at Lydd on a typical Lydd day, sub-zero temperatures and gale force winds expecting to be testing an over-hyped and over-engineered lump. We heard the rumours that the XR50 Rotary eats ICC karts for breakfast and bangs out about 48hp, and frankly we doubted it...... but what we encountered was simply a life changing experience. The Aixro XR50 kart puts you in a whole different universe! Hit play on the video and enjoy....
When you first see the XR50 the only clue you get to its neck braking performance is the big fat chain and front brakes 'a la' ICC karts, without the gearbox.
Alan Dove is our kart tester here, and he still hasn't got over his test in the XR50, here's what he had to say.
"The Aixro XR50 Rotary is simply the best kart engine I have ever driven. It’s crazy mental good. Forget about your TKM’s, Rotax Max’s, Bilands, ICC's or whatever you drive, the Aixro XR50 Wankel Kart engine has to be the future. It’s awesome, and on a completely new level of kart driving experience. "
"I got two sessions in the kart, and they were the best two sessions of karting I have ever done in my life. I didn’t push it very hard and it was freezing cold, but I saw the light people…THE LIGHT. The engine just kept pulling from zero upwards and then some more. Its just kept on accelerating on and on and that’s why it needed front brakes. Even though in the second session the engine wasn’t running as sweet as the first due to the freezing cold conditions, it still had enough power to blow me away."
"I just couldn’t believe that an engine of that size could deliver that much power, and furthermore it was relatively quiet. I am now struggling to think of why I would drive any other kart engine. It is just that good. It’s surely as quick as a Formula A, and I reckon it would compete with an ICC, and it hasn't even got a gearbox! It's just straight, uninterupted power."
"When you’re driving, its like your right foot is connected with the road. The engine responds immediately to every movement of the accelerator. There’s no delay in power delivery, and no dip in the power curve. There is just so much power to play with. You'd have to be highly skilled to go quick."
"I had a few sessions in a Biland kart also to warm up, which was kindly donated by Kai Attwood, who also organised the day... so a big thanks to Kai!. The Biland felt so slow compared to the Aixro XR50 Rotary Kart Engine. I thought the Biland was great the first time I drove it for karting1.co.uk, but now the Biland just seems on a lower par."
" I have never driven a kart with front brakes so I didn’t really know how hard to push it. I would be exiting a tight corner thinking - ‘Alan, you’re the man on the edge’, and as I am exiting the corner I would find I was only at half throttle. The engine had a whole lot more grunt there for me. I just couldn’t believe there was so much more power to come. There was me thinking I was well quick on the exits, and in fact the engine was hardly breaking a sweat. I wish I could have this engine for longer to realise its full, or more realistically, near-full potential."
"The kart itself handled OK.. And to be quite honest, I didn't really have time to think about the handling. What I did get from the handling regarding the engine is that the engine is pretty light (17kg) and more like a 2-stroke kart engine, rather than a 4-stroke. But we weren't testing the kart, we just wanted to put our foot down and go!"
You can really tell that someone who understands real karting built this engine. And it’s designer Paul A. Woelfle from Nova Racing – was there at the circuit with us. This is the man behind the karting careers of H-H Frentzen, and Nick Heidfield. He knows his stuff, and it was fun to hear his karting stories about Senna, Schumacher etc… He has been there, and he is still doing it! Paul A. Woelfle is a kart engine genius, put simply! He has created something that is on par with Einstein discovering the ‘Theory of Relativity’.
Paul A. Woelfle, and his Aixro XR50 Wankel kart engine encompass what karting is about for me – passion with balls!
With the CIK wanting to introduce 4/ stroke engines in the ‘not so far off’ future, I think karters should really consider the benefits of kart engines like the Aixro XR50. The emissions are extremely low, they’re very quiet, and unlike a normal 4-stroke engine the Aixro XR50 is designed to take the heavy loads of braking in a kart.
I would be happy to see this breed of Wankel kart engine take over after 2-stroke kart engines are gone. That’s how excited I am about this engine.
What more can I say– the engine produces around 48hp, has r
ebuild intervals of a standard 4-sroke kart engine (once in a blue moon), and stupidly quick with a perfect power band. It’s just so much fun to experience. The Aixro XR50 Wankel Kart Engine is truly out of this world, and one of the finest kart engines ever made!
And if you want confidence in your product, each engine is bench tested before it's sent to you!
The future is bright, the future is Wankel!
Source: Karting1
Walker Rracing - UK importer of Arrow Karts - kindly allowed me to test their Arrow DD2. Before the test, I had heard rumors flying around which speculated that the DD2 is as quick as an ICC. This would make it nearly as fast as an Aixro XR50. I have to say I was very doubtful, even though I had seen the DD2 look very fast in tests. In reality, I would say on the same tyres, it’s nearer FA 100cc pace than an ICC and the awesome Aixro XR50.
I must admit having two gears is a little odd, and at times I was reaching for a third, and a fourth gear (that's what happens when you play computer games with a steering wheel too much). The power in first gear is really good. It's not brutal like you might expect. It's a little forgiving, but there is definitely some serious grunt there. Once you click into second gear there isn't the same pure full on power you get in first gear. The engine doesn't pull quite so impressively as say something like the Aixro. The actual top end is pretty good. But getting there sometimes feels like a little struggle depending on gearing. Once you get in the flow though, with the two gears, it is enjoyable. It is fast, and if I had more time to set the gearing how I would like, I am sure it could go quicker. Overall, the straight-line speed of a DD2 is very good, but truthfully, it isn't Aixro fast.
The engine has balance gears, just like the Rotax MAX. Even though they do improve reliability, the lack of vibration from the engine does take something away from the driving experience for me. You just don't get the same feedback from the motor like you would a 100cc, or 125cc gearbox. For want of a better word, it makes the engine feel a little soft and detached. But if you like long-life engines the DD2 fits that criteria..
The engine pretty much sounds like a MAX with two gears. The exhaust produces slightly more presence than the MAX one but it doesn't really get the adrenalin flowing like a screaming 100cc 2-stroke. That is understandable though, as long engine life is a priority for Rotax, and it seems, the karting world.
Overall the actual driving experience was good fun. There was power there underneath your foot when you wanted it, unlike a MAX where it feels like an eternity for the powervalve to kick in. The DD2 is a little heavy, but it is a vast improvement over the MAX in terms of the driving experience and fun factor.
The one major problem that I found with the DD2, and Rotax design, is the ill thought out paddle shifts. You have to take your hand off the wheel, use your thumb, and push down hard to make sure that the gear goes in. This is really awkward to do. A simple re-think on how to change gear is needed. Just flipping them over, and making them a little easier to get to would be a simple enough change – F1 styley - and it would make it much more fun to drive.
Evaluating the handling was very difficult indeed. In fact, I committed a serious Bandicrime. I was running on a deflated left rear tire at around 4-5psi. The Arrow DD2 chassis I was testing felt like it had some potential to handle superbly. It turned left really well, but right handers weren't so easy.
With constant claims from Rotax that the DD2 is the 'Revolution in Karting', 'The Future', and 'New Age' I would admit that the Rotax marketing machine is impressive. Although I don't think it quite lives up to the tags Rotax brand it with, the DD2 does bring some really cool new ideas to the table, and they all do their job pretty well and don't feel too 'gimmicky'. However, costing around £4300+Vat it is directly competing with ICC's, and Wankel karts.Although the DD2 doesn't produce the same kind of insane performance that the ICC and Wankel karts deliver, it certainly out performs a Rotax Max, and is definately worth a look at if you are a MAX driver looking for some more pace and excitement.
