Aston Martin DB11 Review
Either Q has outdone himself, or there may be a little bit of Spectre involvement
By Shahzad Sheikh
Click below now to watch my Aston Martin DB11 Review
‘Two-thousand and eighteen Aston Martin, model designation, DB11…’
Q was talking, Bond was listening, but his attention was firmly set upon the long, low and wide projectile before him. He let his gaze glide long the voluptuous line of the bonnet, back to the enticing kink over the rear wheel arch and back into an ample yet pert bottom.
‘Now this is the V8 model, a twin-turbo producing 503bhp and 513lb ft. This one’s actually over 100kg lighter than the V12. It has a top speed of 301kph and a rest to 100kph acceleration time of…
Bond had already moved nearer to the car and was gently running his fingers along the fender, connecting with the car, feeling into the side intake gills. Airflow around the car was also directed into an intake duct behind the rear window and then channelled out through the ‘virtual’ air spoiler slot at the back.
‘Four seconds Q, yes, I know,’ interjected Bond. ‘New design, new platform, I dare say Marek Reichman’s best work so far.’
‘And of course all the usual Q-Department extras. Do try to bring it back in one-piece 007.’
Bond raised an eyebrow. There were perks to being on Her Majesty’s Secret Service, but his finely honed senses sent a shiver down his spine, and he jerked his hand suddenly away from the car. It wasn’t just that this Aston was all-new, there was something different about it, something slightly awry.
A few days later Q’s fingernail on his right forefinger buzzed. He stuck it in his ear and an ocular implant revealed a secure call from 007.
‘Q! Something’s wrong… I mean, well actually nothing’s wrong. That’s the thing. Nothing’s gone wrong with this car. I’ve been involved in five car chases already so far and the engine and gearbox and are still both fine. I suspect something…’
‘What are you suggesting 007?’
‘I suspect infiltration. I think Spectre is involved!’
Okay, okay…. enough of this nonsense. It’s not Spectre that’s involved, it’s Mercedes. In fact under the bonnet is the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 from the Mercedes AMG GT. Mercedes now owns 5% of Aston Martin by the way and is supplying the electronics as well as the drivetrain in some cases.
But don’t go thinking that this is a cheaper version of the GT or GT S (closer in power) because at AED785,000 ($214k) the British sports-GT is about a Mustang GT’s worth more expensive.
However, as good looking at the AMG GT is, the Aston is undeniably more alluring, with some real flair in both its design and functionality. It’s got a real presence about it, and stands out on Dubai streets as rather more exclusive than its key rivals.
Inside it’s sumptuous and opulent and brings back a touch of class. You almost don’t noticed the Mercedes-sourced infotainment and controls.
But here’s the real surprise – you look at this ostentatious and expensive car and you may feel it’s an intimidating beast of a thing that might be temperamental around town and squeezing into more proletariat multi-storey and shopping mall car parks. In fact it’s extraordinarily easy to manoeuvre, park and guide through city streets.
And you can either thrust through traffic like a man on a secret mission or cruise around like a Prince with too much leisure time on his hands – or a Princess with too much on hers for that matter.
Get keen on the driving part of it though and it’s a delightful and satisfying steer. It sounds amazing – maybe not quite traditional Aston, but then AMG motors normally sound pretty awesome anyway, and a little bit of tuning has made it palatable to MI6 tastes too.
The performance is plentiful, the brakes are great, the steering is well judged and the ride is just right. The ZF gearbox is beyond reproach.
So I tried to find the usual Aston idiosyncrasies of things not working, warning lights, hiccups, hesitations and a general feel of ‘sorry old chap, dicky-ticker and all that, I’m afraid I’m gonna have to let you down!’
Nah, this thing is solid and feels it. I could find picky little things to raise issue with for sure, but overall… well put it this way: I’ve been so totally seduced by the charm, charisma and now at last an inspired confidence in its competence, not to mention it’s surprisingly usable nature, that I’ll forgive its foibles and just allow myself to live out Bond fantasies and enjoy the specialness of such a deliciously desirable machine.
Here’s the real surprise, and hence the clincher – several days after giving the car back, I was still thinking about it and genuinely missed driving and riding about in it.
