When people think about English sports cars, stuff like the Triumph TR6, The Lotus Elan/Elise/Esprit and the MG Sprite comes to mind. We rarely get to hear about cars like the Rocket (A Gordon Murray creation). Though most car enthusiasts are fans of them, we barely get to see cars like the McLaren F1 and the Ariel Atom and it’s easy to forget these amazing cars originally came from England. The idea of traditional British motoring with the top down, wind in your hair and an old carburated engine evoke images of the hills and dales of the English countryside in fall with leaves blowing and clear skies.

This week, though, Jay Leno reviews his recent purchase of a 2009 Aston-Martin DBS. At 3480lbs, it’s a surprisingly light car (less than the new M3 or the C63 AMG) especially considering the fact that it packs a 6.0L V12 that puts out 510HP. With a standard 6-speed transmission (transaxle no-less to keep the weight balanced), it’s a real drivers car so its not like those new sissy-Ferraris with their sequential flappy-paddle gearbox. Let’s be honest though, when buying a car like this, ambiance and class strongly enter into the reasons you consider such a ride. With it’s drop-dead looks and amazing cache, the Aston-Martin is James Bond’s car for a reason. Sleek and mean looking, the DBS has menacing look that people LOVE, yet keeps it’s proportions in such a way that the car still looks like it could raise hell on a road course.

For all those who were fans of the Astons of old, cutting edge suspension technology like double-wishbones all around, electronic dampening and anti-squat/anti-dive management sound more like they should be on a Ferrari or BMW than a “proper English drivers car.” However, the tour-de-force of technology, driver’s interaction and experience, racy interior and real race-cred from the motorsports program means this is one of the most sought after sports cars in the world. Check out what Jay has to say about the car below (and don’t forget to turn it up when he lays the hammer down):

And some sweet desktop porn to keep you distracted from work:

In the past 3 months there has been quite a bit of hemming and hawing about if there was going to be a NBC Top Gear, who are going to be the hosts, then back to no show, then if Jay Leno would be a possible host when he left the Tonight Show, then when he said he wouldn’t, how even he admitted that the show could be lame. For those of us who really care about Top Gear, it was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster. Now that we know the show will be around NBC in the coming months and the fact that Adam Carolla, Eric Strommer and Tanner Foust, we’re starting to get more details about the show strait from Carolla’s mouth. According to Carolla:

• The NBC adaptation will follow the BBC format: guest segment, stunt, test drive and, yes, the Stig (casting for that crucial role is still pending).

• The premiere episode will feature a race from Las Vegas to San Francisco, ending in a “mammoth stunt.” (NBC isn’t insisting on copycat stunts or episodes, a la Season One of The Office.)

• Carolla is pushing for an on-air drive of the just-unveiled BMW M1 Homage concept as soon as it’s available, as well as the Aston Martin DBS (though that would be a reprisal of a Clarkson drive).

• Clarkson and Carolla recently met face-to-face, but Carolla promises to focus more on improv than the heavily-prepared Clarkson.

• Officials from Top Gear in England, who are producing the show, along with “everyone involved,” have assured Carolla that he will be able to speak his mind on any car “without fear of reprisal” from advertisers, which he fully plans to do.”

The format looks great, as it’s based on the UK version. However, the unique content is really great to hear. At the very least, even if the show doesn’t live up to the UK version, at least we’ll have some unique shows that aren’t just a carbon copy of what Jeremy Clarkson and the rest of the British team has done.

Source: Popular Mechanics