Aston Martin has taken a confident step into the era of turbocharging. First, the British GT-maker developed its own twin-turbo V12 for the DB11 and is now testing a V8 version as well.
The fact that Aston is using AMG engines is hardly surprising. After all, we can't forget where all those 4.7-liter Vantage engines came from. The uninitiated might be concerned that downsizing will kill the spirit of the company, but anything derived from the awesome AMG GT is bound to be good.
No, the DB11 V8 is not as fast down the Nurburgring as the AMG GT R that we saw a day ago. However, nobody expects it to. But, the sound delivered out of those large exhaust pipes is crucial. And we are pleased to say that it's no big deal, on par with the Bentley GT V8.
The two cars share their displacement and coupe configuration. However, they couldn't be more different from a design point of view. Aston says the DB11 is their most important car ever, probably because the brand is has been struggling for many years.
The DB11 also features a new platform, new electric power steering, and new multi-link suspension system. Anybody who says zero-lag turbo engines exist is a fool because that's not how forced induction works. However, you can make a turbo system with predictable levels of lag, so when it takes a quarter of a second to kick in every time, your brain doesn't notice it.
The DB11 is not a supercar, as even the twin-turbo V12 model makes only 600 horsepower. But, if you want a coupe that will take you from Paris to Rome in style and total comfort, this might be it.
Thanks to the deal with Mercedes, some of the interior components will also be from the Germans. These includes the rotor for the navigation or the wind switches. But that's hardly a bad thing, especially considering that the old model had buttons from Volvo and Ford.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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