Aston Martin DBS / DBS Volante V12 2007-2012: bringing out the naturally aspirated V12, the complete guide

The Aston Martin naturally aspirated V12: one of the most beautiful voices in motoring

The naturally aspirated V12 in your DBS V12 2007-2012 is universally regarded as one of the finest sounds ever produced: twelve cylinders, a silky then howling climb through the revs and a mechanical refinement from another era. These engines will never be built again, and their values reflect it. The elegant factory exhaust remains calibrated for grand touring discretion: the V12 has much more to offer.

The Rog exhaust reveals it: the high harmonics are freed, the crescendo becomes unforgettable, and the valves give you back hushed refinement on demand. On a naturally aspirated V12, it is the modification that changes everything.

What makes up the exhaust on your Aston Martin DBS / DBS Volante V12

An exhaust system is best understood in two parts. Here is what each one does, and what Rog replaces.

The figures for your Aston Martin DBS / DBS Volante V12

What an exhaust changes straight away is the sound, the engine's breathing and the weight at the rear. For more power, add an ECU remap.

Published factory and Stage 2 figures.

With or without an ECU remap, the exhaust fits and works. But it is an ECU remap at an approved tuning centre that truly unleashes your Aston Martin DBS / DBS Volante V12, and that is what we recommend.

Let's be honest, it is our trademark: on a naturally aspirated V12, the measurable gains from an exhaust remain modest. What changes is the breathing, the response and, above all, an entirely new dimension of sound. You do not modify an Aston V12 for lap times: you do it for what you hear.

Configuring your exhaust, step by step

3 choices, in the same order as the product page configurator.

1. 1

   Step 1 of 3: Material: stainless steel or titanium

   Titanium costs more than stainless steel; the price of each version is shown on the product page, in your currency.

   304 stainless steel

   Weight

   Baseline

   Sound

   Full and rounded

   Durable, corrosion-resistant, with a rounded, full sound: the most popular option.

   Titanium

   Weight

   Around 40% lighter

   Sound

   Metallic, crystal-clear

   For the same design, it weighs around 40% less than stainless steel. A more metallic note at high revs and a look all of its own, from brushed to blued.

   Both materials age well: 304 stainless steel copes with winter and salt, and titanium does not rust. Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes.

2. 2

   Step 2 of 3: Front section: manifolds and catalytic converter

   Optional: the manifolds on your Aston Martin DBS / DBS Volante V12, with the catalytic converter. Sound rating out of 10, valves open: the factory exhaust sits at 3.

   Cat-back only

   Included

   7/10

   Factory emissions control

   Nothing changes at the front: the cat-back alone is already enough to change the car.

   200-cell sports catalytic converter

   8/10

   Road use and inspection

   The everyday compromise: emissions control is still there, and breathing improves noticeably.

   100-cell sports catalytic converter

   9/10

   Inspection: depends on local rules

   One step further: more flow, a more aggressive sound, reduced emissions control.

   Decat

   10/10

   Track use

   Everything unleashed: maximum flow and unrestrained sound, for the track.

   Sound intensity, on a scale of 0 to 10

   1. 10/10Decat manifolds + Rog cat-back
   2. 9/10100-cell sports catalytic converter + Rog cat-back
   3. 8/10200-cell sports catalytic converter + Rog cat-back
   4. 7/10Rog cat-back only, factory catalytic converter retained
   5. 3/10Factory exhaust, for comparison

   Valves open. With the valves closed, every configuration becomes discreet again.

   What about the engine warning light? With a sports cat, it can come on with some engines: the sensor placed after the catalytic converter measures a different level of emissions control from the original. It is not a mechanical failure, but a warning light should never be masked or cleared without dealing with its cause: the right answer is a catalytic converter suited to the engine, with a map by a tuner who takes it into account. The decat version, for track use only, almost always triggers it. If this happens to you, write to us and we will point you in the right direction. Passing vehicle inspection with a sports exhaust.

3. 3

   Step 3 of 3: Valves: Rog remote or factory control

   Two ways to control the valves on your Aston Martin DBS / DBS Volante V12.

   Rog remote

   

   The simplest solution: a control unit in the boot and a remote, open or closed at the press of a button, whatever mode you are in. A question while fitting? We will get back to you.

   Factory control

   • Only for vehicles fitted with factory valves
   • Controlled by the drive modes

   Does your vehicle have factory valves? The exhaust keeps their existing control: the drive modes operate the valves, as before, with no added electronics.

   On a long journey, what matters is the absence of drone at a steady speed. With the valves closed, the exhaust keeps the cabin calm; the show is still there whenever you ask for it. More about exhaust drone.

The Rog sound signature on the V12

The Aston naturally aspirated V12 has a voice the whole world recognises: silky when cruising, screaming and crystalline through the revs. Our exhaust frees the high harmonics the factory system holds back, and turns every climb through the revs into an event. With the valves closed, the grand touring refinement is intact.

From order to fitting

1. Configuration

   You choose the options for your Aston Martin DBS / DBS Volante V12 and enter its VIN, found in box E of the registration document or at the base of the windscreen.

2. Check

   We confirm compatibility with your car before we build it.

3. Manufacturing

   Made to order, for your Aston Martin DBS / DBS Volante V12.

4. Delivery

   Free, insured delivery, with tracking sent on dispatch.

5. Fitting

   Clamps and gaskets, no welding: two hours on average at the garage of your choice.

20 working days from order confirmation to delivery

Warranty

3 years, parts and workmanship, from the date of purchase

Payment

Card, PayPal or bank transfer

Installation

At the garage of your choice

What about the manufacturer's warranty? In Europe, fitting a part from another brand is not enough on its own to void it; the manufacturer has to prove the link between that part and the fault. Our article on the manufacturer's warranty.

Our recommendations for your Aston Martin DBS / DBS Volante V12

• Daily driving

  • Stainless
  • Cat-back only
  • Rog remote

  Your Aston Martin DBS / DBS Volante V12 stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you choose.

  View this configuration

• Fast road

  • Titanium
  • 200-cell manifolds
  • ECU remap

  For great roads: more voice and more response, while staying road-friendly.

  View this configuration

• Track

  • Titanium
  • Decat manifolds
  • Stage 2

  The most extreme configuration, for track use only.

  View this configuration

These profiles are starting points. The right choice is often made in a few messages.

Aston Martin DBS / DBS Volante V12: your questions

Further reading

• All Aston Martin exhaust systems
• Aston Martin DB11 V12 5.2
• Aston Martin DB11 / DB11 Volante V8 4.0
• Aston Martin DB12 / DB12 Volante V8 4.0
• Exhaust diameter: bigger does not mean more powerful
• How to pass vehicle inspection with a modified exhaust
• Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes
• The 28 brands we cover