Aston Martin DB11 unveiled. Dubai, UAE

Aston Martin’s new DB11 makes Middle Eastern debut

HIGH RES downloadable wallpapers available HERE

This is the ‘DB’ Aston Martin fans have been waiting well over a decade for. Yes, the DB9 was beautiful beyond words and offered an elegance that few other brands could barely dream of, much less muster. Heading into the 2010s though and with seven years already notched up, Aston’s figurehead had lost much of its spit and polish against not only rival manufacturers but also new products within its own ranks, the all-new Rapide and Lagonda to name but two. Its fanbase couldn’t wait forever…

Cue Geneva 2016, when the DB11 made its curtain call to the world, followed swiftly by the Middle Eastern unveil just one month later. No longer just a design tweak here or updated SatNav there. Under the stunning bodywork, there had been some serious work done.

A brand new 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 in particular, which effectively brought Aston’s naturally aspirated run to a bittersweet end. Admittedly in resounding fashion, for those reinforced twelve cylinders boot out 600bhp and 516lb ft of torque, enough for a 0-100kph time of 3.2 seconds and a 322kph top speed. Effectively what you’re looking at here is the most powerful and ‘accelerative’ production DB ever made.

Further evidence of which can be found not only with the lighter and stronger aluminium bonded chassis, revised electric power steering and ‘re-imagined’ double wishbone suspension, but also the bodywork itself. The clamshell bonnet is a particularly cool touch, but additional grooves and Aston’s biggest front grille yet have been fashioned to improve both engine cooling and airflow, both over and through the bodywork. The questionably named ‘Curlicue’ at the front for instance reduces front end lift by releasing high-pressure air from inside the wheel arch, while the equally obscure ‘AirBlade’ acts as a virtual spoiler to duct air through the rear decklid. We won’t know until the new flagship hits the region this summer, but theoretically Aston’s performance capabilities have been given a much-needed spruce. Hardly surprising that more than 1000 orders have already been taken then, though that might also be because, rather nauseatingly, two golf bags can now fit side-by-side in the boot.

Could the DB11 then, as company CEO Dr Andy Palmer maintains, be the most important Aston Martin ever in its 103-year existence? With an eye-watering price tag of $211,195, it’s tempting to think so, but there is slightly more to it than that. Aston’s future collaborations with technical partner Daimler for one, which we expect holds more promise than some swanky new infotainment tech.

Perhaps most significant though is what the DB11 represents for Aston Martin moving forward, the company making no secret of the fact that the newboy marks ‘the launch pad for the next 100 years’. A busy opening period it’s set to be too, with a new Aston expected every nine months until 2020, ‘not all of which will be sports cars’. For those of you who thought the all-electric DBX SUV concept was just a cruel joke…

Technical specifications available on page 2

HIGH RES downloadable wallpapers available HERE