Aston Martin DB11
- Brand: Aston Martin
- Body Type: Coupe
The Aston Martin DB11 is a grand tourer produced by British luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin since 2016. It debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2016 as a replacement to the DB9. It is the first model launched in Aston Martin’s ’second century’ plan and the company’s tie-up with Daimler AG.
Aston Martin’s gone through something of a challenging period since the DB11’s launch back in 2016. Stagnant sales, over-expenditure, a disastrous floating on the stock market and a revolving door of CEOs have dominated the news cycle, landing the iconic brand once again into a situation it would rather not be in. And yet throughout this tricky time, and the ones it’s been through before, there’s always been a constant. The traditional 2+2 GT.
Aston Martin’s DB11 doesn’t stray far from the proven recipe, offering a choice of either V8 or V12 engines, both now turbocharged and mated to an automatic transmission powering the rear wheels. There’s also an open-top Volante variant, but all channel the same undeniable ‘Britishness’ that has come to define Aston Martin as much as its tedious James Bond link.
Being at the core of the Aston Martin range, it’s surrounded by the smaller and more aggressive Vantage, flagship DBS Superleggera and the DBX SUV, yet Aston’s future path looks set to upend this tradition, and with mid-engined supercars, EVs and a closer relationship than ever to its F1 operations.
So is the DB11 still a relevant model in Aston’s range, or is it the Grand Tourer itself that’s at risk of extinction? Performance saloons and estates, and even the occasional SUV strike a fine compromise to arguably greater effect today, leaving the traditional GT car with just one ace up its sleeve.
