Aston Martin DBS (2006)

The modern DBS brought a famous Aston Martin badge back as the brand’s harder-edged flagship, sitting above the DB9 and giving the V12 grand-tourer formula a more dramatic character. Its carbon-fibre body panels, wider stance and sharper styling were intended to make it feel less like a gentleman’s express and more like a genuine performance flagship.

The car also became closely linked with the James Bond era of Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, giving it a cultural presence beyond its production numbers. It remains a good example of Aston Martin’s mid-2000s identity: hand-built, elegant, muscular and proudly analogue, especially when specified with the manual gearbox.