Engineering:Aston Martin DB11

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Short description: Grand tourer produced by Aston Martin as a successor to the DB9
Aston Martin DB11 (AM5)
Aston Martin DB11 Volante Free Car Picture - Give Credit Via Link (cropped).jpg
Aston Martin DB11 Volante
Overview
ManufacturerAston Martin
Production2016–2023
Model years2017–2023
AssemblyUnited Kingdom: Gaydon, Warwickshire
Designer
  • Marek Reichman (head of design)
  • Miles Nurnburger (exterior)
  • Matt Hill (interior)[1]
Body and chassis
ClassGrand tourer (S)
Body style
LayoutFront mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
DoorsSwan
Related
Powertrain
Engine
  • 4.0 L Mercedes-AMG M177 twin-turbocharged V8
  • 5.2 L Aston Martin AE31 twin-turbocharged V12
Transmission8-speed ZF 8HP75 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,808 mm (110.6 in)
Length4,739 mm (186.6 in)
Width2,060 mm (81.1 in)
Height1,279 mm (50.4 in)
uk|uk|Kerb|Curb}} weight
  • 1,875 kg (4,134 lb) (V12 coupé)
  • 1,760 kg (3,880 lb) (V8 coupé)
  • 1,870 kg (4,123 lb) (Volante)
Chronology
PredecessorAston Martin DB9
SuccessorAston Martin DB12

The Aston Martin DB11 is a car produced by British marque Aston Martin from 2016 to 2023. A grand tourer,[2] it debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2016 as a replacement to the DB9.[3] It is the first model launched in Aston Martin's 'second century' plan and the company's tie-up with Daimler AG.

Its replacement, the DB12, was announced in May 2023.[4][5]

Design

New design features include new roof strakes that separate the body from the roof, available in black or body colour, and the "Aeroblade" intakes in the front strakes.[6]

The bonnet is a "clam-shell" design made from a single piece of aluminium. The DB11 does not use the older Aston Martin VH platform but makes use of an all-new riveted and adhesive-bonded aluminium platform that shifts the emphasis from extrusions to stampings (including those formed using the innovative Hot Form Quench / HFQ process) to create more cockpit space which would also underpin future Aston Martin models; including the Vantage.[7][8]

Production

During the DB11 coupé premiere, over 1,400 cars were ordered.[9] Production officially started on 28 September 2016.[10] To demonstrate commitment to quality, the CEO of Aston Martin at the time, Andy Palmer, checked the first 1,000 cars himself.[11][12]

Reception

The reaction from the motoring press reviews has been positive, including statements such as "it's a pretty fabulous way to sit behind 600 horsepower" from Car and Driver.[13] Matt Prior of Autocar awarded the DB11 a perfect five stars in his review saying, "If there is a GT car with a better chassis, I have not driven it."[14] Jack Rix of Top Gear Magazine was also positive in his review stating, "A solid start to a future portfolio that will be studded with flashier and faster members than this, but none that are quite so suited to being enjoyed every day, wherever you're heading."[15]

Motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson quoted: "If you're ever in Paris, at a party at 3 am, and suddenly remember you are playing in a tennis tournament in Monte Carlo the next afternoon, this is the car for the job. You'd arrive feeling like you'd just got out of the bath. It's not just a pretty face. This is an extremely good car. Phenomenally good. But there is a price to pay." He did not like the interior of the car he tested.[16]

The car won the prestigious Golden Steering Wheel Award from Axel Springer which crowned it the most beautiful car of 2017.[17]

Variants

DB11 V12

The DB11 V12 is powered by an all-new 5,204 cc (5.2 L; 317.6 cu in) twin-turbocharged V12 engine called the AE31,[18] making it the first turbocharged series-production Aston Martin.[19] The new V12 retains conventional fuel injection and not direct injection because of worries over increased particulate output with DI petrols.[20][21] Aston Martin also decided against a dry-sump lubrication system, instead optimizing a wet-sump design to perform under the high-g loading sustained when owners drive on a track.[22] The engine has a power output of 608 PS (447 kW; 600 hp) at 6,500 rpm and 516 lb⋅ft (700 N⋅m) of torque between 1,500–5,000 rpm. The car is equipped with a rear-mounted 8-speed automatic transmission manufactured by ZF Friedrichshafen. The DB11 accelerates from 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) in 3.8 seconds and can attain a top speed of 322 km/h (200 mph).[23] In a road test conducted by Car and Driver, the DB11 accelerated from 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) in 3.6 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 11.7 seconds at a speed of 201 km/h (125 mph).[24]

In May 2018, Aston Martin unveiled the DB11 AMR—the replacement for the outgoing DB11 V12 which is more potent and performance-oriented than its predecessor. The predecessor DB11 V12 had been in production for only 18 months and it is believed this move was substantially due to the new V8 DB11 performing better than expected, narrowing the performance gap with the V12.[25]

It has received vast improvements over the outgoing model, such as a power increase to 639 PS (470 kW; 630 hp) from its 5.2-litre AE31 twin-turbocharged V12 engine, revised shift programming for the 8-speed automatic transmission for quicker gear changes, firmer and stiffer rear suspension, improvement in 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) acceleration time to 3.5 seconds and an increased top speed of 335 km/h (208 mph). Other unique features include a more aggressive exhaust note in Sport & Sport+ mode, black roof, dark interior trim and new 3.5 kg lighter, 20-inch forged alloy wheels.[26]

Aston Martin produced a limited run of 100 DB11 AMR Signature Edition cars at the start of production featuring a Stirling Green paint scheme with Lime Green accents; similar to that found on the Vantage GTE race car, black interior trim with lime green stitching and gloss black forged 20-inch alloy wheels. Deliveries began in the summer of 2018.[27]

In July 2021, Aston Martin announced it had dropped the AMR name to the V12-powered DB11 as part of their updated model lineup.[28][29]

DB11 V8

The initial V12 model was joined by an entry-level V8 version in the summer of 2017.[30] Powered by a 4.0-litre Mercedes-Benz M177 twin-turbocharged V8 engine developed by Mercedes-AMG, it results in a 115 kg (254 lb) weight reduction over the V12 variant and a total kerb weight of 1,760 kg (3,880 lb) with 49/51 front/rear weight distribution, in contrast to the DB11 V12's 51/49.[31][32] The V8 engine has a power output of 510 PS (375 kW; 503 hp) and 498 lb⋅ft (675 N⋅m) of torque. The car accelerates to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4 seconds and has a top speed of 301 km/h (187 mph).[33][34] In July 2021, Aston Martin announced an upgrade for the DB11 V8. Power output has increased to 535 PS (393 kW; 528 hp), and the car can accelerate to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 3.9 seconds and has a higher top speed of 309 km/h (192 mph).[28][29]

DB11 Volante

Aston Martin launched a convertible version of the DB11 in 2018 called the DB11 Volante (Italian for Flying). The DB11 Volante has a front/rear weight distribution of 47/53, and shares the same 4.0-litre M177 twin-turbocharged V8 engine with the DB11 V8 coupé albeit with more torque, as the engine has a power output of 510 PS (375 kW; 503 hp) and 513 lb⋅ft (696 N⋅m) of torque.[35] The Volante can accelerate from 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 4.1 seconds before reaching a top speed of 301 km/h (187 mph).[36] Aston Martin announced that they have no plans of fitting their 5.2-litre AE31 twin-turbocharged V12 engine on the Volante as the car already weighs 110 kg (243 lb) more than the V8 coupé due to the myriad of chassis stiffening components, as well as to keep the structural integrity of the Volante intact and stable at high speeds.[37][38]

References

  1. Gallina, Eric (13 March 2017). "Meet the Designers: An In-Depth Look at Design of the Aston Martin DB11". Form Trends. https://www.formtrends.com/in-depth-look-aston-martin-db11-design/. 
  2. Prince, Max (October 2016). "Aston's Eleven". Road & Track 68 (3): 76–79. 
  3. Ingram, Richard (2 March 2016). "New Aston Martin DB11: price, specs and video". Auto Express. http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/aston-martin/db11/90946/stunning-all-new-aston-martin-db11-boasts-600bhp-v12-and-fresh-design. 
  4. "Aston Martin DB11 Successor Gets a Much-Needed Interior Update" (in en-US). 2023-05-15. https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a43891763/aston-martin-new-db-car-may-24/. 
  5. Gnaticov, Cristian (2023-05-28). "Aston Martin DB11 vs. DB12: No Revolution, Just Evolution" (in en). https://www.autoevolution.com/news/aston-martin-db11-vs-db12-no-revolution-just-evolution-215633.html. 
  6. "Aston Martin DB11: new 600bhp twin-turbo GT officially revealed". CAR Magazine. 2 March 2016. https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-events/geneva/2016/aston-martin-db11-the-new-v12-sports-car-in-pictures/. 
  7. Duff, Mike (1 March 2016). "2017 Aston Martin DB11 Revealed!". Car and Driver. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/2017-aston-martin-db11-official-photos-and-info-news. 
  8. Robinson, Aaron (4 August 2016). "2017 Aston Martin DB11". Car and Driver. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-aston-martin-db11-first-drive-review. 
  9. "Aston Martin DB11 already has over 1,400 pre-orders". Autoblog.com. 2016-03-31. http://www.autoblog.com/2016/03/31/aston-martin-db11-pre-orders-report/. 
  10. "Aston Martin DB11". carwow.co.uk. https://www.carwow.co.uk/aston-martin/db11. 
  11. "Aston Martin DB11 – first 1000 cars to be personally inspected by CEO". Autocar. 14 July 2016. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/aston-martin-db11-%E2%80%93-first-1000-cars-be-personally-inspected-ceo. 
  12. "Inspecting the first Aston Martin DB11s with CEO Andy Palmer". Autocar. 3 December 2016. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/inspecting-first-aston-martin-db11s-ceo-andy-palmer. 
  13. "Car and Driver, August, 2016". Caranddriver.com. 2016-08-04. http://www.caranddriver.com/aston-martin/db11/. 
  14. "Autocar, August, 2016". Autocar.co.uk. http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/aston-martin/db11/first-drives/2016-aston-martin-db11-review/. 
  15. "TopGear, August, 2016". Topgear.com. 2016-08-05. http://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/db11/first-drive/. 
  16. "The Sunday Times, 19th December, 2016". Driving.co.uk. 19 December 2016. http://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/clarkson/clarkson-review-2016-aston-martin-db11//. 
  17. "Aston Martin DB11 wins the prestigious Golden Steering Wheel Award". Aston Martin. https://www.astonmartin.com/en/live/news/2017/11/08/aston-martin-db11-wins-the-prestigious-golden-steering-wheel-award. 
  18. Petrany, Mate (22 June 2016). "Aston Martin Has Started Building its New Twin-Turbo V12s". Road and Track. https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technology/news/a29656/aston-martins-new-twin-turbo-v12s-are-off-the-line/. 
  19. Burt, Matt (2 March 2016). "Aston Martin DB11 video analysis: full tech details, prices and exclusive pics". Autocar. http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-geneva-motor-show/aston-martin-db11-video-analysis-full-tech-details-prices-and. 
  20. Rendell, Julian (21 June 2016). "Aston Martin DB11: first all-new V12 engine built". Autocar. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/aston-martin-db11-first-all-new-v12-engine-built. 
  21. Radu, Vlad (27 October 2020). "Aston Martin's Second-Generation V12 Engine Under Inspection". Autoevolution. https://www.autoevolution.com/news/aston-martin-s-second-generation-v12-engine-under-inspection-150680.html. 
  22. Meiners, Jens (4 May 2016). "Aston Martin Details Its New, Twin-Turbo V-12—Hear It Roar". Car and Driver. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15348786/aston-martin-details-its-new-twin-turbo-v-12-hear-it-roar/. 
  23. Lieberman, Jonny (16 March 2017). "2017 Aston Martin DB11 First Test Review: Desire On Four Wheels". http://www.motortrend.com/cars/aston-martin/db11/2017/2017-aston-martin-db11-first-test-review/. 
  24. Quiroga, Tony (August 2017). "2017 Aston Martin DB11". https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-aston-martin-db11-test-review. 
  25. "Aston Martin DB11 AMR 2018 review". Autocar. 30 May 2018. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/aston-martin/db11/first-drives/aston-martin-db11-amr-2018-review. 
  26. Perkins, Chris (11 May 2018). "The Aston Martin DB11 AMR Has 630 HP to Rip Across Country With". Road and Track. https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/future-cars/a20651222/2019-aston-martin-db11-amr-specs-photos-info/. 
  27. Marriage, Ollie (30 May 2018). "Aston Martin DB11 AMR review: new V12 GT tested". Top Gear. https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/db11/first-drive-0. 
  28. 28.0 28.1 "Aston Martin launches new configurator for updated 2021 line-up". Autocar. 21 July 2021. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/aston-martin-launches-new-configurator-updated-2021-line. 
  29. 29.0 29.1 "2022 Aston Martin Updates Include More Power for DB11, Name Changes". Car and Driver. 21 July 2021. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a37093894/aston-martin-2022-changes-revealed/. 
  30. Wiseman, Ed (28 June 2017). "V8 advantage – Aston Martin launches 'more affordable' V8 DB11 grand tourer". The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/news/v8-advantage-aston-martin-launches-affordable-v8-db11-grand/. 
  31. Woodward, Lyn (8 January 2018). "2018 Aston Martin DB11 V8: Driving the Lighter Aston Fantastic". http://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/17472/2018-aston-martin-db11-v8-test-drive-review-driving-the-lighter-aston-fantastic. 
  32. Barry, Ben (27 September 2017). "Aston Martin DB11 V8 (2017) review". https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/aston-martin/aston-martin-db11-v8-2017-review/. 
  33. Brodie, James (28 June 2017). "Aston Martin DB11 V8 revealed with 503bhp AMG powertrain". http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/aston-martin/db11/99939/aston-martin-db11-v8-revealed-with-503bhp-amg-powertrain. 
  34. Duff, Mike (September 2017). "2018 Aston Martin DB11 V-8". https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2018-aston-martin-db11-v-8-first-drive-review. 
  35. Jurnecka, Rory (18 February 2018). "First Drive: 2019 Aston Martin DB11 Volante". http://www.automobilemag.com/news/2019-aston-martin-db11-volante-review-first-drive/. 
  36. Barry, Ben (19 February 2018). "Aston Martin DB11 Volante review: V8 power without the roof". https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/aston-martin/aston-martin-db11-volante-review-2018/. 
  37. Wasef, Basem (20 February 2018). "2018 Aston Martin DB11 Volante First Drive Review". https://www.autoblog.com/2018/02/20/2018-aston-martin-db11-volante-review-first-drive/. 
  38. Gnaticov, Cristian (10 April 2018). "Aston Martin DB11 Volante: Is It An All-Star Athlete?". https://www.carscoops.com/2018/04/aston-martin-db11-volante-star-athlete/. 

External links