This is the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera. And while you may not immediately associate that very Italian term with this British manufacturer, the iconic DB5 proudly displayed the nameplate on its bonnet, too.

While based on the DB11, the DBS Superleggera is an entirely different beast. The 5.2-litre twin turbo V12 which debuted in the DB11 is employed here, but heavily tweaked to produce over 715bhp (725PS, 541kW) and a gearbox-troubling 900Nm of torque. The suspension has been thoroughly overhauled and the downforce generated increases to around 240kg.

Those figures and the efforts to reduce the car’s weight by 70kg means the DBS has the same torque-to-weight ratio as the rather loony Aston Martin Vulcan. The torque output is so monumental that Aston were forced to ask ZF to help out and create a new 8-speed gearbox specifically for the DBS. And even still, the drivetrain engineers still had to electronically limit the torque output in first and second gear to protect the transmission.

In this video, we drive the car at the international launch held in July in the beautiful Berchtesgaden region of Germany.