The 2017 Aston Martin DB11 is, hands down, the coolest grand tourer with a fixed roof money can buy. Priced from $214,820 in its most basic specification, the price can get out of control the more boxes you tick from the broad options list.
As Doug DeMuro explains in his video of a DB11 worth no less than $254,084, $2,270 buys you the Underbonnet Jewellery Pack. Pardon the British English, but don’t forget that the DB11 is built in the UK. The Underbonnet Jewellery Pack, then, transforms the engine bay into a place where opulence reigns.
Those $2,270 are spent on gold trim for the Aston Martin wings badge sitting on top of the 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12, plus gold-plated hood insulation, oil filler cap, and dipstick plaque. The pictured DB11 also boasts something called Dark Chrome Jewellery Pack, which brings a dark-ish chrome finish to the horn ring, steering wheel switches and surrounds, and the paddle shifters.
Another quirk that makes DB11 ownership special is the hood. Instead of forcing it to close like any other hood, there’s a soft close mechanism built into it. Yup, it works in the same way as in an expensive BMW or a Rolls-Royce. Something that isn’t great about the DB11 is the room for the rear passengers. Simply put, there’s none. Mind you, that’s not a big problem.
What’s strikingly stupid about the DB11 is how frustrating the interior door handles are to use. That’s because some designer thought that it would be great for the handles to face the front, not the rear of the car. As for the B&O speakers that rise from the dashboard, heck, even an Audi A6 can do that.
Another nuisance is the haptic touch panel used to control the volume. What was wrong with a knob? Doesn’t Aston Martin know that the haptic-based Cadillac CUE is one of the most cussed infotainment systems out there?
Nevertheless, Doug’s verdict on the DB11 speaks for itself: “It’s amazing.”
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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