Aston lobs AMG-powered DB11
BY TIM NICHOLSON | 28th Jun 2017
The V8-powered version will start to roll into Australian showrooms in the fourth quarter of this year and will be priced from $368,000 plus on-road costs, a drop of $27,000 compared with the V12 variant that went on sale last year.
Under the bonnet of the DB11, the 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 pumps out 375kW at 6000rpm, matching the output of the AMG GT S, while the 675Nm at 2000-5000rpm torque figure is 25Nm less than the German.
The V8 is lighter and more compact than the V12, with the kerb weight dropping by 115kg to 1760kg, and it is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission driving the rear wheels.
At 4.0 seconds, the V8 is only marginally slower from zero to 100km/h than the V12 (3.9s), and it can hit a top speed of 401km/h.
Fuel consumption is rated at about 9.9 litres per 100km, down from 11.4L in the V12, and CO2 emissions are 230g/km.
The pricing places the Aston at $69,000 more than the $299,000 Mercedes-AMG GT S and $23,000 above the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale ($345,000), but under the Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo ($390,300) and the Bentley Continental GT V8 ($402,600).
Aston says there are slight visual tweaks to differentiate it from the V12, including dark headlight bezels, unique alloy wheel designs, a pair of bonnet vents instead of the four on the V12, and it will be offered in a choice of black or titanium metal finish.
Underneath, the front independent double wishbone and rear multi-link suspension set-up matches that of the V12.
The V8 version features 20-inch 10-spoke wheels, full-grain leather interior, electric front seats, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, electronic instrument cluster, keyless entry and start, silver gearshift paddles, cruise control, integrated sat-nav, infotainment system with capacitive switching, Wi-Fi hub, Bluetooth audio and phone streaming.
Aston is also offering a number of options and packages for buyers to spec up their DB11.
Aston Martin officially announced its tie in with Mercedes-AMG back in late 2013 and it is expected to result in more powertrain sharing in the future.
