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"As the center console accepts the jeweled key of the DBS Volante Carbon Edition, the driver is greeted by Bang &amp;amp;amp; Olufsen tweeters that slowly rise, periscope-like, from the corners of the dash. Firing up the V-12 is its throaty hello. Once the initial exhaust burble mellows, you&amp;#039;re further welcomed by a cabin filled with hand-stitched leather, billet aluminum adornments and the Carbon Edition-specific carbon-fiber inserts on the center dash, magnesium shift paddles and doorsills. I start to see why the Carbon Edition stickers out at $306,879. Start driving the Aston, however, and the light steering and compliant ride are not quite as expected\u2014they are out of character with the pugnacious styling of this British brawler.        2012 Aston Martin DBS Volante Carbon Edition    Don&amp;#039;t get me wrong, the 510 bhp and 420 lb.-ft. of torque from the 5.9-liter V-12, while not record-breaking, are impressive, delivered through the rear-mounted Touchtronic 2 automatic transaxle. Hold the DBS Volante Carbon Edition in any of its six gears past 5000 rpm and the engine rewards you with a primal roar that will make mere mortals cower\u2014a raucous bellow best appreciated with the top down. While the engine&amp;#039;s acoustics easily top the list as my favorite aspect of the car, I came to appreciate the practicality, aka &amp;quot;softness,&amp;quot; of the DBS Carbon Edition cruising budget-impacted urban roads\u2014or in my case, downtown Los Angeles. Leave the suspension in its normal setting and the car is Godiva smooth, cracked asphalt and all. Stiffen the settings, and the Carbon Edition tackles cloverleaf onramps with the best of them.        2012 Aston Martin DBS Volante Carbon Edition    The Ceramic Grey exterior is a new Carbon Edition color. The gloss black wheels, black grille and carbon-fiber mirror housings and taillights\u2014also Carbon Edition exclusives\u2014add purposeful bling. Despite the extra flair, this is not the car to have if you want to get noticed at every intersection. An Aston is an automobile for sophisticated types tired of high-strung, overly ostentatious Lamborghinis. And the Carbon Edition is a fantastic GT for the sophisticated looking for something that&amp;#039;s a little extra special. Lord forbid you pull up into the country club next to another &amp;quot;regular&amp;quot; DBS Volante.        2012 Aston Martin DBS Volante Carbon Edition    So do the aesthetic differences in the Carbon Edition warrant the extra cost? If you have to ask, then no. Which is why I probably should&amp;#039;ve kept that question to myself. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a18093/2012-aston-martin-dbs-volante-carbon-edition/>