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Despite images of Aston Martin’s new flagship leaking around the Internet days before this morning’s reveal in Geneva, everyone still waited with bated breath as the countdown to the reveal began — that’s the power and awe a new Aston DB model carries. As soon as the world got a small taste we just needed more, and the Aston Martin DB11 does not disappoint.
“This is not only the most important car that Aston Martin has launched in recent history,” says Aston Martin Chief Executive Andy Palmer, “but also in its 103-year existence.” New DB models always dictate the styling of next-generation Aston Martins; the DB11 debuts the new design language for the “Second Century” series production for the brand. Aston’s design department went to great lengths keep the silhouette as clean and sleek as possible, but even the finer details add to the overall stunning character. Sitting on a longer wheelbase, the DB11’s all-new V12 gets pushed farther back, deleting the high, bulging hood of the last generation and giving it a long, sleek appearance. The hood itself is a front-hinged clamshell style that negates the need for panel-gap lines, keeping the top surface clean and unbroken. Again, it’s all in the details.
Under that clamshell hood sits the brand-new 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12. It may be down in size from the old V12, but Ian Minards, director of product development, defends the move: “In downsizing, we want the emissions and we want the economy, but more than those, we want the torque.” And with 516 lb-ft from a lowly 1,500 RPM, they got it. The 0-60 sprint happens in 3.9 seconds, and with 600 horsepower, the new DB11 will hit 200 mph, making it the most powerful, quickest-accelerating and fastest Aston Martin DB in company history. But with all that power, Aston utilized a cylinder-bank deactivation system, so when you’re not kicking the accelerator through the firewall, the engine turns into a 2.6-liter inline-six to save fuel.
Aston’s “most important car” goes on sale in the US at the end of 2016 and starts at $211,995.