Frankfurt motor show 2007 - Aston Martin

We may have already seen the DBS in the latest James Bond film, Casino Royale, but nothing quite matches seeing the fastest-ever Aston in the flesh.

Although the new car looks like the DB9 on which it is based, its aggressive shapes also reflect the fact that it has been designed to bridge the gap between the DB9 road car and DBRS9 Le Mans racer.

The DBS introduces a range of new technology into the Aston line-up: carbonfibre body panels, carbon-ceramic brakes, adaptive damping and more sophisticated stability control.

Compared to the DB9, the kerbweight has been cut by around 7% (120kg) thanks to lighter seats, lighter brakes and those carbonfibre panels.

The engine is a tweaked version of the familiar Aston 6.0-litre V12, giving 510bhp, and the car's overall gearing has been lowered.

All that adds up to a 0-62mph time of 4.3 seconds (almost half a second quicker than the standard DB9), and 0-100mph in 9.4sec, while top speed is 191mph.

The DBS stops faster, too, thanks to its carbon-ceramic brakes, which are lighter and less prone to fade, further increasing performance.

Two-stage stability control can be switched between a normal mode for road use and another for track use, which allows the car to slide luridly without spinning.

The DBS goes on sale in the UK in early 2008, priced at £160,000.

Two race-derived special editions complete Aston 's show line-up: the V8 Vantage N400 and the DB9 LM.

The V8 Vantage is a road-going version of the car that competed in this year's Nürburgring 24-hour race.

It's V8 produces 400bhp rather than the standard 380bhp, and the car also features lightweight wheels and uprated springs and dampers to improve handling.

Inside, there's extra leather trim over the standard model.

It is available in black, silver and orange and costs £92,000.

The DB9 LM is another race-derived model, this time celebrating Aston 's GT1 class victory in the Le Mans 24 Hour race this year. Changes from the standard model are purely cosmetic.

It is only available as a coupe with touchtronic transmission and comes with the DB9 sports pack as standard.

Features include silver paint, smoked chrome mesh grilles, red brake callipers, more interior leather and an interior plaque.

It costs £124,000.