The Aston Martin DBS V12 was introduced to the public through Casino Royale (2006), a year before it reached production, and it is best known for a single stunt: seven complete barrel rolls at Millbrook Proving Ground, performed by stunt driver Adam Kirley and recognised by Guinness World Records as the most cannon rolls ever completed in a car. The production car that followed used a 5,935 cc naturally aspirated V12 with 510 hp, a rear-mounted six-speed manual transaxle as standard, and a total run of 3,381 units between 2007 and 2012.
Aston Martin DBS Horsepower, 0–60 mph and Top Speed
The DBS used the AM08 engine: an all-alloy 60-degree V12 of 5,935 cc with quad camshafts, 48 valves and a 10.9:1 compression ratio. Output is 517 PS (510 hp / 380 kW) at 6,500 rpm and 570 N·m (420 lb-ft) at 5,750 rpm, with no turbocharging and no electrical assistance.
Aston Martin quoted 0–100 km/h in 4.3 seconds, and Car and Driver measured the same 4.3 seconds to 60 mph, with a quarter mile of 12.6 seconds at 117 mph. Top speed is given as 307 km/h (191 mph) in reference data and as 190 mph by Aston Martin. Kerb weight is 1,695 kg for the manual coupe, rising to 1,765 kg with the Touchtronic 2 automatic and 1,810 kg for the Volante.
| Specification | Aston Martin DBS V12 |
|---|---|
| Engine | AM08 V12, 5,935 cc, 48 valves, 10.9:1, naturally aspirated |
| Power | 517 PS / 510 hp (380 kW) at 6,500 rpm |
| Torque | 570 N·m (420 lb-ft) at 5,750 rpm |
| 0–60 mph | 4.3 s measured; quarter mile 12.6 s at 117 mph |
| Top speed | 307 km/h (191 mph); 190 mph per Aston Martin |
| Transmissions | 6-speed Graziano manual transaxle; 6-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic from 2008 |
| Kerb weight | 1,695 kg manual coupe; 1,765 kg automatic; 1,810 kg Volante |
| Production | 3,381 units: 2,536 coupes and 845 Volantes, 2007–2012 |
| Price new | $268,040 (2009 coupe); $289,174 (2011 coupe) |
The Casino Royale Barrel Roll: Seven Rolls and an Air Cannon
The crash sequence was not achieved by ramp alone. The crew first tested a ramp with weight-matched cars, raising it to 18 inches and then close to two feet. Practice runs were made with BMW 5 Series cars over a 12-inch ramp at 65 mph at Dunsfold. When Adam Kirley hit the full-height ramp at around 75 to 80 mph, the DBS would not roll.
Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould's team then fitted an air cannon powered by pressurised nitrogen, which fired a ram out of the underside of the car at the correct moment to punch against the tarmac and initiate rotation. The result was seven complete barrel rolls on the hill circuit at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, with stunt coordination by Gary Powell. Guinness World Records listed the seven-roll figure as the record for most cannon rolls in a car until it was beaten with 8.5 rolls by Logan Holladay for The Fall Guy, filmed in a Jeep Grand Cherokee on 1 December 2022 at Kurnell, Sydney.
Were the Casino Royale Cars Real DBS Models?
Partly. Five cars were used in total: two hand-built prototype-workshop cars for close-up work, plus three stunt cars. Aston Martin's own account describes two working hero DBS cars delivered to the producers in late April 2006, with three former development DB9s prepared as DBS look-alikes for stunt duty and a prototype manual DB9 supplied for driver practice. The second stunt car carried the nitrogen ram and achieved the seven rolls; a third was used weeks later for a bridging shot.
This is why reference sources appear to disagree. Aston Martin describes the DBS as appearing before entering production, 007.com calls the cars DBS prototypes, and encyclopedic sources state that the cars used were prototypes based on DB9 test vehicles. All three describe the same arrangement from different angles.
In the film itself the car carries a single gadget: a glovebox safe holding a spare pistol, a silencer and a medical kit with a defibrillator. The car is wrecked when Bond swerves to avoid Vesper Lynd.
Quantum of Solace and Quantum Silver
The DBS returned for the pre-credits chase along Lake Garda in Quantum of Solace (2008), finished in a dark metallic grey listed by Aston Martin as Quantum Silver. Bond uses the car to deliver Mr White to M, and it is damaged in the sequence. The film cars were 2009 model-year, German-market-specification production DBS models rather than prototypes.
Quantum Silver became a collectable specification in its own right. Of 354 Quantum Silver coupes built, only 32 were manual 2+0 cars — eight right-hand drive and 24 left-hand drive — a figure that includes the ten cars used for filming.
Manual vs Touchtronic 2: The Numbers That Move DBS Values
The six-speed Graziano manual transaxle was standard at launch. The Touchtronic 2 automatic, based on the DB9's ZF transaxle, was introduced in 2008 and became the default specification from the 2010 model year. A model-year census of 2,534 coupes, excluding eight prototype and development cars, records 984 manuals against 1,550 Touchtronic 2 cars; of the manuals, 870 were 2+0 and 114 were 2+2.
The Casino Royale livery combination is a separate subset: 368 cars were built in that specification, of which 269 were manual and 251 are 2+0 manual cars matching the film car layout.
No fetched published source quantifies a manual-versus-automatic premium as a percentage, so any single figure quoted online should be treated as an estimate. The auction evidence shows a very wide gap, but the two cars compared below also differ substantially in mileage and model year, and both factors contribute.
| Car | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 DBS coupe, 6-speed manual, 6k miles (MSRP $268,040) | $200,000 | 21 June 2026, Bring a Trailer |
| 2011 DBS coupe, Touchtronic 2, 34k miles (MSRP $289,174) | $83,007 | 29 April 2026, Bring a Trailer |
DBS Production Numbers and the End of the Line
Total production was 3,381 cars: 2,536 coupes and 845 Volantes. Build ran from 2007 until 2012, when the DBS was replaced by the VH310-generation Vanquish in late summer of that year. Against a DB9 that remained in production far longer, the DBS is the short-run, higher-output car of the VH platform era, and the last Aston Martin flagship offered with a manual gearbox as the launch specification.
Buying a DBS: What to Check
The carbon-ceramic brake system fitted as standard is the largest single cost item, and replacement discs are priced accordingly, so measured disc wear should be documented rather than assumed. The Graziano manual transaxle is the specification that holds value, which makes matching-numbers documentation and clutch history relevant to price. Body panels combine aluminium and composite, so accident repair quality is more consequential than on a conventional steel car. Finally, for cars advertised as Bond specification, the distinction that matters is whether the car is a genuine Casino Royale livery build from the 368-car subset or a later respray.
The comparison point on the Bond side of the collector market is the BMW Z8 from The World Is Not Enough, which is manual-only and therefore has no gearbox premium at all. Full studio photography of this car is in the Batman Garage DBS collection page.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Aston Martin DBS
What Aston Martin did James Bond drive in Casino Royale?
The Aston Martin DBS V12, used a year before the model reached production. Two hand-built prototype-workshop cars handled close-up work and three stunt cars were built, with converted development DB9s standing in for the unreleased DBS.
How many barrel rolls did the Casino Royale Aston Martin do?
Seven complete barrel rolls, performed by Adam Kirley at Millbrook Proving Ground. Guinness World Records listed it as the most cannon rolls in a car until 8.5 rolls were achieved for The Fall Guy in December 2022.
How was the Casino Royale roll achieved?
A ramp alone was not enough. After the car failed to roll at around 75 to 80 mph over an 18-inch ramp, the effects team fitted a nitrogen-powered air cannon that fired a ram out of the car's underside to punch the road surface and start the rotation.
How much horsepower does the Aston Martin DBS V12 have?
510 hp, equal to 517 PS or 380 kW, at 6,500 rpm, from a naturally aspirated 5,935 cc AM08 V12. Peak torque is 570 N·m (420 lb-ft) at 5,750 rpm.
What is the Aston Martin DBS 0–60 mph time?
4.3 seconds, both as the factory claim for 0–100 km/h and as measured by Car and Driver, which also recorded a 12.6-second quarter mile at 117 mph. Top speed is 191 mph.
How many Aston Martin DBS cars were built?
3,381 in total: 2,536 coupes and 845 Volantes, produced between 2007 and 2012.
How rare is a manual Aston Martin DBS?
A census of 2,534 coupes records 984 manuals against 1,550 Touchtronic 2 cars, so manuals are the minority but not a tiny one. The rarer subsets are the 114 manual 2+2 coupes and the 32 manual 2+0 cars finished in Quantum Silver.
How much does an Aston Martin DBS cost today?
Results vary widely by gearbox, mileage and year. A 6,000-mile 2009 manual coupe made $200,000 on Bring a Trailer in June 2026, while a 34,000-mile 2011 Touchtronic 2 coupe sold for $83,007 in April 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Aston Martin DBS (2007)
- Aston Martin — DBS and DBS Volante
- Car and Driver — testing James Bond's cars
- 007.com — Casino Royale's Aston Martin DBS flip
- AstonMartins.com — DBS V12 for 007
- Guinness World Records — most cannon rolls in a car
- Aston 1936 — DBS production numbers
- Bring a Trailer — 2009 Aston Martin DBS manual, $200,000
- Bring a Trailer — 2011 Aston Martin DBS Touchtronic, $83,007
