Aston Martin DB 11 V8 is the result of an exemplary collaboration
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Aston Martin DB 11 V8 is the result of an exemplary collaboration

In the process of transformation, the car, also driven by undercover agent James Bond, received a new price that is tens of thousands of euros lower than before, and at the same time is slightly more economical, although these two features are not quite at the top of the list about an athlete worth 185.000 euros. (without Slovenian taxes).

When Aston boss Andy Palmer unveiled the new DB11 a year ago, it quickly became clear he couldn't avoid using superlatives. “We are witnessing the most beautiful Gran Turisim in the world and the most important car of the last 104 years at Aston,” he said at the time.

Aston Martin DB 11 V8 is the result of an exemplary collaboration

This 2+ (almost) 2-seater GT (there was indeed more space in the rear seats than its predecessor, but still not enough for two adults), has a starting price of 185.000 euros in Germany and is the first car of the new generation. Aston Martin cars had to return the brand to the status it had, and at the same time restore its competitiveness with the help of embedded technologies. The DB11, however, is the best way Aston has said "Hello, we're back!". In fact, it's not just the DB11, but a range of new vehicles that will hit the market soon (and a little longer). period. These are, for example, the new Vantage and Vanquish (coming next year) and, of course, the long-awaited SUV based on the DBX concept (2019). “It is very important for Aston to lay the foundation for success in the second century, and DB11 is the key to this future,” says Palmer. Last but not least, Aston Martin is the last independent British car manufacturer (Mini and Rolls Royce are owned by BMW, Jaguar and Land Rover are in the hands of industrial giant Tata, and Volkswagen blood flows through the veins of Bentley) with a majority stake. the owners were divided between a bank in Dubai and private investors in Italy. The two parties have raised enough capital to finance the development and production of four models, while the three upcoming models to go on sale in 2022 will already need to be funded through the sale of the DB11, Vanquish, Vantage and DBX. models.

Aston Martin DB 11 V8 is the result of an exemplary collaboration

On the other hand, "independent" in this case does not mean "perfect" on the part of the German industry, which, ironically, came to the rescue of the endangered British car industry and allowed it to be in better shape than ever before. In a process that resulted in an 11% stake in Aston Martin, Mercedes first "borrowed" the electronic systems from the DB8, and now the excellent four-liter V12 with the AMG label, which is a great better alternative to the 12-cylinder. – except, of course, when VXNUMX is important under the hood – for example, when enrolling in a prestigious country or golf club.

By all accounts, the DB11 is a real Aston, “shocked, not crazy,” to borrow the words of the most famous secret agent when ordering his favorite cocktail. Key features of the new DB11 have already been announced in the DB10 driven by James Bond in the 2015 film Spectre. The design team led by Marek Reichman used most of the classic elements, such as the famous grille (even larger than before), a hood that “wraps” it and attaches to the front, and a compact rear, and also adds some freshness, for example, LED headlights, the first in the history of the legendary British brand. Some of the details differ from the V12 version: the front grille looks a bit more menacing, as do the headlights, it's slightly darker, the lid has two of the four holes smaller, and a few minor changes to the interior. door trim and center console. Unfortunately, the most annoying elements of the V12 version still remain: too wide A-pillars and small rear-view mirrors, lack of storage space, lack of lateral support on the seats, as well as overly rigid head restraints and some used materials that simply do not fit in car worth more than 200 thousand euros. But many Aston Martin enthusiasts won't see the above comments as flaws, but as signs of character.

Aston Martin DB 11 V8 is the result of an exemplary collaboration

Inside, there is no shortage of classic Aston design elements: the center console merges with the instrument panel and transmission, and at the top flows into both screens that form the car's infotainment system - 12 inches in front. driver is designed for sensors, plates.

If we focus on vehicle dynamics, we come to a point where the benefits of Mercedes components and the AMG V-63 really come to the fore. The technology is closely related to the AMG GT technology and the current 5,2 AMG models. Compared to the 12 horsepower 608-liter V100 engine, which is currently the only powertrain, fewer cylinders also mean less weight. The engine is 115 kg lighter and the total vehicle weight is 51 kg lighter. The distribution of weight has also changed slightly: if earlier it was distributed in a ratio of 49 percent in the front and 2 percent in the rear, now the opposite is true. Although the difference is only 11% (which could theoretically mean the difference between winning and losing), the car seems much more balanced around corners, and the front feels lighter and more precise, also because the steering mechanism is driven by the new settings. faster and straighter. The DB8 VXNUMX gets stiffer shocks and a few other minor chassis changes aimed primarily at better traction on the rear wheels.

Improved precision, less body lean, more continuous power distribution, the vehicle's center of gravity is closer to its center, which allows the driver with any rear-wheel drive to feel what is happening with the car faster, as well as a lower engine position and better engine vibration damping (also due to for less engine weight)) ultimately leads to the fact that the DB11 V8 is actually a better alternative compared to the more powerful version of the V12. Although the ZF transmission is not exactly the best on the market, with the same gear ratio as the version with a more powerful engine, it works faster, and at the same time it is more pleasant to drive in manual mode due to shorter shift lever travel. on the steering wheel. In short – to ensure faster response in sport mode – so does the brake pedal travel, whether the car is equipped with conventional or (smaller and lighter optional) ceramic brake discs.

Aston Martin DB 11 V8 is the result of an exemplary collaboration

The DB11 V8 can also be placed next to the more powerful DB11 V12 in terms of performance. The V8 engine with two turbines (one on each side) runs only a tenth of a second slower than the V100 (that is, exactly 12 seconds) due to its lower weight - up to 4 kilometers per hour. The V8 easily exceeds 300 kilometers per hour, but the final speed is a little lower than 320 kilometers per hour, as far as the version with the V12 engine can handle. However, the smaller engine is fully comparable to the larger mid-range engine thanks to only 25 Nm of lower torque (which is still 675 Nm), and the differences between the two under normal use (where “normal” is only a matter of perception) the driver will hardly notice - acceleration and final speed in the end are just two rather abstract indicators. In the process of adapting the engine to the car, or as former Lotus engineer chief engineer Matt Becker likes to say, "amazement," they changed the lubrication system, tweaked the acceleration electronics, and redesigned the exhaust system (for a slightly more distinctive engine sound). The dot on the i, which contributes to sportier driving dynamics overall, is the three electronics tuning options: GT, Sport and Sport Plus, the difference between which is now slightly larger. Consumption? Approximately 15 liters per 100 kilometers is a figure that is definitely not important for a potential buyer.

 Interviewed by: Joaquim Oliveira Photo: Aston Martin

Aston Martin DB 11 V8 is the result of an exemplary collaboration

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