Photo: Guido ten Brink / SB-Medien
We've always imagined that the hardest job for a designer is to draw the next generation of an iconic model. And we're not talking about Volkswagen Golf type of iconic, but really special cars that only people with an acquired taste buy.
There is probably a constant battle going on between every designer's natural tendency to leave their mark, and the pressure that comes with working on something with such a rich history. There is a very fine margin between changing too much about that car and coming up with something that looks like you've been playing Solitaire the whole time you were supposed to work. And this margin, this tiny interval that allows so little room for error, is where these designers need to place their products.
If you have already browsed through the gallery or followed the subject yesterday when the DB11 had its official debut, then you've already noticed that Aston Martin nailed it perfectly with this 11th installment of its iconic series. The car is beautiful, and that's a word we often use too easily. It's not the case here.
It all starts with that emblematic front grille, the one element that, together with the shape of the headlights, is what defines an Aston Martin the most. The DB11 has incredibly short overhangs, as a sports car should, and the side profile is dominated by that brilliant side vent that seems to emerge from the front wheel arch and extend back, just clipping the door as well. Whoever came up with that, deserves a medal.
The interior makes no departure from the exterior theme: elegant sportiness. The dashboard is a bit too cluttered for our taste (and there's a distinct Mercedes-Benz feel to it), but the seats look magnificent, and the cocoon sensation that you'd expect from a car that promises to meld you with the road is there. But just take another good look at those seats...
The only complaint we have has to do with the car's rear - more precisely, the taillights. They do well to capture the Aston Martin essence, but they might just be a little too thin, don't you think? They're a bit lost there and don't provide the kind of visual weight you'd expect from the rear optic blocks. But other than that, they're very neatly integrated into the play of creases and surfaces, so perhaps it's time to say "what the hell do we know about design, anyway?" and just shut up and let the images speak for themselves.
If you have already browsed through the gallery or followed the subject yesterday when the DB11 had its official debut, then you've already noticed that Aston Martin nailed it perfectly with this 11th installment of its iconic series. The car is beautiful, and that's a word we often use too easily. It's not the case here.
It all starts with that emblematic front grille, the one element that, together with the shape of the headlights, is what defines an Aston Martin the most. The DB11 has incredibly short overhangs, as a sports car should, and the side profile is dominated by that brilliant side vent that seems to emerge from the front wheel arch and extend back, just clipping the door as well. Whoever came up with that, deserves a medal.
The interior makes no departure from the exterior theme: elegant sportiness. The dashboard is a bit too cluttered for our taste (and there's a distinct Mercedes-Benz feel to it), but the seats look magnificent, and the cocoon sensation that you'd expect from a car that promises to meld you with the road is there. But just take another good look at those seats...
The only complaint we have has to do with the car's rear - more precisely, the taillights. They do well to capture the Aston Martin essence, but they might just be a little too thin, don't you think? They're a bit lost there and don't provide the kind of visual weight you'd expect from the rear optic blocks. But other than that, they're very neatly integrated into the play of creases and surfaces, so perhaps it's time to say "what the hell do we know about design, anyway?" and just shut up and let the images speak for themselves.
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