Aston Martin DBS

Now owned by a consortium that includes a Kuwaiti investment firm, Aston Martin's latest model is a racier interpretation of the DB9 that packs a 510-horsepower V12 engine. The new James Bond, actor Daniel Craig, drove it in "Casino Royale." Aston Martin designer Marek Reichman likens the DBS to a muscle-bound man in a tuxedo: dashing good looks, with a hint of machismo and heavy helping of performance (i.e., 0-60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds). It rides on a bonded aluminum structure, with aluminum, magnesium alloy, and carbon-fiber composite body panels, all for the sake of weight reduction.

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