Speaking at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Aston Martin’s CEO Ulrich Bez said that he will stay on as the company’s CEO until 2016. Bez had been scheduled to step down as CEO in 2012, but shareholders have convinced him to stay on.

Aston Martin said it will commemorate Bez”s 10th year as Chief Executive of the company by unveiling the DBS UB-2010 edition, with a limited run of 40 DBS units comprising 20 Coupes and 20 Volantes.

Capitalising on the new Works Service Tailored competencies, each DBS UB-2010 has been specified personally by Dr. Bez and features a unique “˜Azurite Black” paint finish, a metallic bronze leather with woven leather seat inserts and a “˜Cryptic Titan” facia finish. Each car will get a “˜UB-2010″ sill plaque signed by Dr. Bez together with a final inspection plate after Dr. Bez has signed-off each of the 40 cars personally.

Prices will be confirmed at a later date.

- By: Omar Rana

For those of you that admire Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, you probably knew that yesterday was the premiere of Top Gear Series 14. We’ve just found some YouTube videos cover a segment of the show where the Top Gear crew drives the Aston Martin DBS Volante, Ferrari California and the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder through Romania.

We recommend watching these videos right away since YouTube might yank them after BBC gives them a call.

Click through for the videos.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

- By: Kap Shah

When the Aston Martin DBS Volante made its debut at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Aston released only a couple of studio shots. In between, the Aston Martin Rapide and the Aston Martin Cygnet, the folks at Gaydon have found a little time to take some real-life shots of the DBS Volante.

Refresher: Power comes from the same 6.0L V12 from the DBS Coupe producing 510-hp and a maximum torque of 420 lb-ft. 0 to 62 mph time of 4.3 seconds with a top speed of 191 mph. The engine can be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or the Touchtronic 2 6-speed gearbox with electronic shift-by-wire control system. The motorized retractable fabric roof comes down in 14 seconds and can be activated at speeds of up to 30 mph at the touch of a button.

Check out the full high-res gallery after the jump.

Aston Martin DBS Volante:

- By: Omar Rana

Sitting there at the Aston Martin display being overshadowed by the new One-77 is the Aston Martin DBS Volante.

Completing that DBS lineup the Aston Martin DBS Volante features an electric fabric roof that comes down in just 14 seconds and can be operated at speed of up to 30 mph. Of course, that means keeping an easy force on the accelerator which gives the 510-hp 6.0L V12 the ability to push the DBS Volante from 0 to 62 mph in 4.3 seconds. Power is transferred to the wheels by a 6-speed manual or Aston’s new Touchtronic 2 6-speed transmission.

Deliveries for the Aston Martin DBS Volante will begin in the third-quarter of 2009. It will make its U.S. debut at the 2009 New York Auto Show.

Aston Martin DBS Volante:

Joining the Aston Martin V12 Vantage and the Lagonda Concept at Geneva next week will be the new Aston Martin DBS Volante, which will complete the DBS lineup.

Power comes from the same 6.0L V12 from the DBS Coupe making a total of 510-hp with a maximum torque of 420 lb-ft. That allows for a 0 to 62 mph time of 4.3 seconds with a top speed of 191 mph. The DBS Volante can be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or the Touchtronic 2 6-speed gearbox with electronic shift-by-wire control system. The motorised retractable fabric roof comes down in 14 seconds and can be activated at speeds of up to 30 mph at the touch of a button.

The Aston Martin DBS Volante will be built at the company’s Gaydon headquarters with deliveries to begin in the third-quarter of 2009. Pricing information will be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show next week.

Click through for the massive press release.

Aston Martin DBS Volante:

Press Release:

Aston Martin DBS Volante: Fusing Open Top Motoring With the Ultimate Luxury Sports Car

    – The ultimate open air motoring experience
    – Lightweight fabric hood preserving DBS’s purity of lines and beauty
    – Class leading handling characteristics and torsional strength
    – At home in the town or city as on country roads

Aston Martin will premiere the DBS Volante at the Geneva Auto Salon on the 3rd March 2009. Completing the DBS line-up, the new Volante will afford customers the combination of the DBS’s already-established benchmark sports car characteristics with all the thrills of open-air motoring.

Broadening the DBS’s character, the DBS Volante will appeal to drivers who wish to combine the excitement of driving a finely-tuned sports car with the invigorating feeling of being open to the elements. This juxtaposition of ultimate performance and openness stirs the senses on any drive whether an exhilarating jaunt on favoured roads or cruising on lengthy journeys. ‘Volante’, meaning ‘moving with light rapidity’, perfectly defines the performance potential and the dynamic characteristics of the DBS Volante.

Featuring a motorised retractable fabric roof, the DBS’s beautiful profile is preserved whether up or down. When the roof is closed, it provides a warm comfortable ambience and when open, it neatly disappears behind the new tonneau cover at the touch of a button.

Aston Martin’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “The DBS Volante delivers the utmost relaxed driving experience with the hood up or down. It combines engineering excellence with design perfection.

“The DBS Volante offers a subtle mix of power and performance. Adding to this, the fine craftsmanship ““ it is an unparalleled ownership and driving experience.” Conceived as a Volante from the outset, Aston Martin engineers opted for a fabric hood to closely follow the silhouette of the DBS coupe and due to its lightweight properties, minimise overall weight gain. Fully retractable in only 14 seconds and at up to speeds of 30 mph (48 km/h), the roof will automatically stow under the newly sculpted tonneau, maintaining the DBS Volante’s perfect form ““ hood up or down.

Power is provided by Aston Martin’s hand-built all alloy 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque with a top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 4.3 seconds. The nature of the V12, and in particular the torque available at all engine speeds, serves to provide effortless driving in all situations.

Aston Martin’s 16th convertible in 95 years, the DBS Volante draws on the marque’s extensive experience in designing iconic ‘Volantes’ and is a 2+2 featuring two occasional rear seats, ideal for young people or extra luggage. In standard specification, the DBS has a rear-mounted six-speed manual gearbox, while an automatic six-speed ‘Touchtronic’ option is also available. As with the coupe, the Volante is offered with carbon ceramic brakes as standard providing exceptional stopping power. Benefitting from materials derived from the motorsport and aerospace industries, the bonnet, front wings and boot lid are made from carbon fibre all helping to reduce weight.

The DBS Volante also comes with Bang & Olufsen’s renowned ‘BeoSound DBS’ in-car entertainment system, featuring 13 speakers as standard equipment. The BeoSound DBS has been expertly tuned by Bang & Olufsen’s Tonmeisters and Aston Martin’s acoustic engineers specifically for the Volante resulting in a system that senses when the roof has been retracted and adjusts the sound stage to compensate for extra wind noise, providing an unrivalled automotive audio experience.

The DBS Volante will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire with customer deliveries expected to commence during quarter three 2009 and prices will be confirmed at the Geneva Auto Salon.

Aston Martin DBS Volante Specifications:

Body

    – Two-door convertible body style with 2+2 seating
    – Bonded aluminium VH structure
    – Aluminium, magnesium alloy and carbon-fibre composite body
    – Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams
    – High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps (main beam)
    – LED rear lamps and side repeaters

Engine

    – All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve, 5935 cc V12
    – Compression ratio 10.9:1
    – Front-mid mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
    – Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
    – Max power: 380 kW (510 bhp / 517 PS) at 6500 rpm
    – Max torque: 570 Nm (420 lb.ft) at 5750 rpm
    – Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.3 seconds
    – Max speed: 307 km/h (191 mph)

Transmission

    – Rear-mid mounted, six-speed manual gearbox. Rear-mid mounted ‘Touchtronic 2′ six-speed gearbox with electronic shift-by-wire control system
    – Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
    – Limited-slip differential
    – Final-drive ratio 3.71:1 (manual) 3.46:1 (Touchtronic)

Wheels and Tyres

    – Front: 8.5” x 20” Pirelli P Zero 245/35
    – Rear: 11” x 20” Pirelli P Zero 295/30
Steering

    – Rack and pinion, Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering, 3.0 turns lock-to-lock
    – Column tilt and reach adjustment

Suspension

    – Front: Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
    – Rear: Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
    – Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with Track mode

Brakes

    – Front: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 398 mm diameter with six-piston callipers
    – Rear: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 360 mm diameter with four-piston callipers
    – Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Track mode
    – Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
    – Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
    – Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
    – Traction control

Dimensions

Length:

4721 mm (185.9”)

Wheelbase:

2740 mm (107.9”)

Width:

1905 mm (75”) (exc. Mirrors)
2060 mm (81.1”) (inc. Mirrors)

Fuel tank capacity:

78 litres (17.2 Imp.galls, 20.5 US galls)

Height:

1280 mm (50.4”)

Weight:

1810 kg

Interior

    – Full grain leather interior
    – Matrix alloy facia trim and Iridium Silver centre console surround
    – Carbon fibre door trims and door pulls
    – Auto-dimming rear-view mirror & garage door opener (USA & Canada only)
    – Sports seats with electric adjustment
    – Memory seats & exterior mirrors (three positions)
    – Dual-stage driver/passenger front airbags
    – Side airbags
    – Heated seats
    – Heated rear screen
    – Automatic temperature control
    – Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
    – Trip computer
    – LED map lights
    – Cruise control
    – Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system1,2
    – Bluetooth telephone preparation1
    – Powerfold exterior mirrors
    – Front and rear parking sensors
    – Tyre-pressure monitoring1
    – Alarm and immobiliser
    – Remote-control central door locking and boot release
    – Wind deflector
    – Battery disconnect switch
    – Battery conditioner1
    – Tracking device3 (UK only)
    – Boot-mounted umbrella
    – Lamy pen and pen holder (Touchtronic only)

In-Car Entertainment

    – Bang & Olufsen BeoSound DBS sound system
    – Integrated Apple iPod® connector
    – USB connector with Waveform Audio Format (WAF), Windows Media Player (WMA) and MPEG (MP3) audio file compatibility
    – 3.5 mm auxiliary input socket

Options

    – 20” 20-spoke alloy wheels with graphite finish
    – 20″ 10-spoke diamond-turned alloy wheels
    – 20″ 10-spoke diamond-turned alloy wheels with graphite finish
    – Satellite radio system (USA only)
    – Piano Black facia trim and centre console surround
    – Personalised sill plaques
    – Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror1
    – Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror with garage door opener (Europe only)
    – Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)
    – Tracking device1,3
    – First-aid kit
    – Ashtray and cigar lighter
-1 Not available in all markets
-2 Includes Traffic Messaging Channel (TMC) in Continental Europe
-3 Complies with UK Thatcham Category 5 requirements. Excludes subscription. Standard in UK.