James Bond's Aston DBS now available with Touchtronic 2

The range-topping Aston Martin DBS — which made its North American debut in L.A. — is further refined with the addition of the Touchtronic 2, a 6-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission.

The Touchtronic 2 is a revised version of the same ZF automatic transaxle used in the DB9, but with enhancements to accommodate the DBS' 510-bhp 6.0-liter V-12. The gearbox has been reworked to provide more aggressive shifts and increased flexibility to match the wide powerband of the DBS V-12. In addition, the final-drive has been changed from 3.15:1 to 3.46:1 to provide quicker acceleration. This allows the automatic-equipped DBS to match the manual's 0–100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration of 4.3 seconds.

The Touchtronic 2 operates in either a fully automatic or sequential manual shift mode and also has a sport setting, which features even more aggressive upshifts and rev-matching downshifts. The sport mode also remaps the electronic throttle to match the quicker shift strategy.

The DBS also features a new Bang & Olufsen BeoSound system developed specifically for Aston Martin. With a total power output of 1000 watts, the entertainment system delivers a total of 13 channels of sound across 10 speaker locations.

While the DBS was launched as a 2-seater, a new 2+2 configuration has been added to the line in response to customer demand. The two covered rear storage spaces of the standard DBS can be replaced with two small jump seats.