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Written by Guy Jenner, HWM CEO, our comprehensive Aston Martin DB11 guide explores the model’s design, engineering, performance and evolution. Whether you’re an owner, enthusiast or considering a purchase, it offers valuable insight into one of Aston Martin’s most significant modern grand tourers.
When the Aston Martin DB11 was unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show in March 2016, it represented far more than the replacement for the DB9. It was the first completely new Aston Martin of the company’s second century, the first production model launched under Chief Executive Andy Palmer and the car entrusted with beginning the most ambitious transformation programme in Aston Martin’s history.
The DB9 had performed an extraordinarily important role. Introduced in 2003, it had taken Aston Martin into the modern Gaydon era and provided the foundation for a family of cars that would eventually include the V8 and V12 Vantage, DBS, Virage, Vanquish and Rapide. Its bonded-aluminium VH architecture proved remarkably adaptable, while its combination of beauty, performance and usability helped Aston Martin reach a much wider audience.
By the middle of the following decade, however, the market had moved on. The DB9 remained elegant and desirable, particularly after its extensive 2013 model-year revision, but its underlying architecture was more than a decade old. Much of Aston Martin’s range was closely related beneath the surface, its infotainment and electrical systems were showing their age, and increasingly sophisticated rivals were investing at a level that a small independent manufacturer found difficult to match.
Aston Martin therefore entered its second century with an enviable brand, a celebrated history and some highly desirable cars, but also with an urgent need to renew its products, technology and business model. DB11 would have to provide the answer.
Aston Martin before DB11
The years preceding the DB11 had produced some of the most charismatic Aston Martins of the modern era. The V12 Vantage, DBS, V12 Zagato, One-77 and Vanquish demonstrated the company’s ability to create cars with enormous character and visual presence. Limited-production models such as the Vantage GT12 and Vulcan further strengthened Aston Martin’s reputation for building exciting and highly collectible special cars.
The core range was nevertheless heavily dependent upon engineering conceived during the early Gaydon period. That continuity gave the cars a strong family identity, but it also meant Aston Martin was attempting to compete with newer rivals using ageing electrical architecture, relatively limited cabin technology and powertrains that had evolved over many years.
The company also faced the familiar challenge that has accompanied Aston Martin through much of its history: developing world-class cars without the financial scale enjoyed by the largest international manufacturers. Creating an entirely new platform, powertrain family and electrical architecture simultaneously required considerable investment. Yet without that investment, Aston Martin risked falling further behind.
The DB11 was therefore being developed at a pivotal moment. It needed to preserve the qualities that customers valued in the DB9 while making a decisive technical leap. It also had to serve as the foundation for a new generation of Aston Martins and demonstrate that the company could become a stronger and more sustainable luxury manufacturer.
The arrival of Andy Palmer
Andy Palmer joined Aston Martin as President and Chief Executive Officer in late 2014. He arrived from Nissan and Infiniti, where he had held a series of senior engineering, product-planning and executive positions and had most recently served as the company’s Chief Planning Officer.
Palmer inherited a business with substantial potential, but also one requiring urgent renewal. His response was the Second Century Plan, announced in early 2015. This was a seven-year strategy intended to transform Aston Martin through a complete replacement of its existing sports-car range, expansion into new market sectors and a more regular programme of high-value limited-production models.
The plan was divided broadly into three stages: stabilisation, strengthening the core product range and expanding the portfolio. It called for every existing sports car to be replaced and for Aston Martin to enter additional segments, most significantly with the DBX. It also included the development of a second manufacturing facility at St Athan in South Wales, a new generation of mid-engined cars and an annual cadence of special models.
The ambition was considerable. Aston Martin was not simply planning another DB grand tourer. It was attempting to broaden its range, modernise its technology, improve quality, strengthen its dealer network and establish a more financially sustainable business, all while retaining the exclusivity and craftsmanship upon which its reputation depended.
Andy has also commented that he found that all of the Aston Martin lineup had a similar look.He wanted a range that even his mother could tell the difference between the models.He did put that to the test later on!
DB11 was the first part of that plan. While much of the car’s development had necessarily begun before Palmer joined the company, it became the first production model launched under his leadership and the figurehead for the strategy he was implementing. Palmer described it at the time as the most important car Aston Martin had launched in recent history and argued that it would return the company to a leading position within the luxury automotive market.
His assessment was understandable. If DB11 succeeded, it would give Aston Martin the credibility and momentum required for the products that followed. If it failed, the remainder of the Second Century Plan would become much more difficult to deliver.
A new technical partnership
One of the most important elements in Aston Martin’s renewal was its technical partnership with Daimler AG. Agreed before Palmer’s arrival, the relationship gave Aston Martin access to modern Mercedes-Benz electrical architecture and infotainment technology, together with Mercedes-AMG V8 engines for future models.
This addressed one of the clearest weaknesses of the previous generation. The VH-era cars possessed distinctive styling, fine materials and charismatic powertrains, but their electronic and infotainment systems increasingly lagged behind those of contemporary competitors. Developing every element independently would have required investment on a scale that was difficult for Aston Martin to justify.
This was the official line but some would argue that the previous Aston Martin infotainment system have evolved across the life of the VH platform car.There is no doubt that an early DB9 or Vantage has a very out of date infotainment system but the final VH cars has Garmin based navigation, sharp graphics and even Apple Car Play for the final cars.
Regardless, the DB11 became the first Aston Martin to demonstrate the benefits of this relationship. Its electrical architecture, switchgear and infotainment system drew upon Daimler technology, bringing a 12-inch digital instrument display, an eight-inch central screen, rotary controller, optional touchpad, 360-degree camera and automatic parking assistance.
The approach required careful judgement. Customers wanted an Aston Martin to feel special and individual, not like a Mercedes-Benz wearing different bodywork. Aston Martin therefore combined selected Daimler systems with its own structure, chassis development, body, interior design and V12 engine. The result was a pragmatic mixture of independent Aston Martin engineering and technology sourced from a much larger manufacturer.
That formula would subsequently underpin the V8-powered DB11 and the next-generation Vantage, but the original DB11 was launched with an engine of Aston Martin’s own design.
A genuinely new Aston Martin
At the heart of the launch car was a new 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 producing 600 bhp and 700 Nm of torque. Known internally as AE31, it was the first turbocharged series-production V12 fitted to an Aston Martin and a major departure from the naturally aspirated engines that had defined the Gaydon era.
The engine was paired with a rear-mounted ZF eight-speed automatic transaxle. With a claimed top speed of 200 mph and acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds, the DB11 was the fastest and most powerful production DB model yet created.
Its significance extended well beyond the engine. Underneath the body was an entirely new bonded-aluminium structure. Although it followed the construction principles Aston Martin had developed with the VH platform, this was not simply a revised DB9 chassis. The new structure was lighter, stronger and more space-efficient, providing greater cabin room and improved packaging while allowing Aston Martin to develop a new suspension layout and electronic architecture.
The DB11 also introduced electric power-assisted steering, adaptive damping with independently selectable chassis modes and more sophisticated electronic control systems. Its GT, Sport and Sport Plus settings allowed the driver to alter the responses of the engine, transmission, steering and dampers, giving the car a much broader range of behaviour than its predecessor.
This breadth was fundamental to the brief. DB11 needed to retain the effortless, long-distance character expected of an Aston Martin grand tourer, but it also had to deliver the performance, technology and dynamic sophistication demanded of a modern luxury sports car.
A new design language
The DB11 was designed under Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer. It retained the long bonnet, low roofline and powerful rear haunches associated with the marque, but introduced a more technical and aerodynamically driven design language.
Some of its ideas had been foreshadowed by the DB10 created for the James Bond film Spectre, although DB11 was a larger and more luxurious grand tourer. Its front-hinged clamshell bonnet, floating roof treatment, dramatic roof strakes and sharply defined rear lights created a clear break from the DB9 without abandoning Aston Martin’s established proportions.
Aerodynamics became part of the car’s visible identity. The Curlicue extracted high-pressure air from the front wheel arches through concealed passages behind the side strakes, helping to reduce front-end lift. At the rear, the AeroBlade drew air through intakes at the base of the C-pillars and directed it through the body before releasing it through a slot in the rear deck. This created the effect of a virtual spoiler while allowing the exterior surfaces to remain relatively clean.
These were not merely decorative descriptions created for a launch campaign. They demonstrated how Aston Martin was trying to combine beauty with increasingly sophisticated aerodynamic management, a subject we will examine more closely in Chapter Two.
Why DB11 and not DB10?
The decision to call the new car DB11 occasionally caused confusion because DB9 had been its direct production predecessor. DB10 had already been used for the small series of specially created cars built for Spectre, none of which formed part of Aston Martin’s normal production range.
Moving directly to DB11 avoided reusing a name already associated with the Bond project and helped underline that this was a new generation. The badge also preserved the connection with the DB lineage established under Sir David Brown while making it clear that the car represented a substantial advance from DB9.
It was an appropriate name for a model carrying so much responsibility. DB11 had to respect the past, replace one of the most successful cars in Aston Martin’s history and establish the technical basis for those that would follow.
The beginning of the product offensive
Production of the DB11 began at Gaydon during 2016, with the first customer deliveries taking place later that year. Aston Martin reported that 1,005 examples had been wholesaled during the final three months of 2016, exceeding its initial target and helping to support a strong order bank for 2017.
The wider business was also beginning to show signs of improvement. Aston Martin’s reported revenue increased from £510.2 million in 2015 to £593.5 million in 2016, while adjusted EBITDA rose by 41 per cent to £101 million. The company remained in an intensive phase of investment and transformation, but DB11 was already contributing to higher revenue and improved margins.
Its introduction was followed by the Mercedes-AMG-powered V8 model, the DB11 Volante and the more focused DB11 AMR. The new-generation Vantage and DBS Superleggera would then continue the renewal of the core sports-car range, while Valkyrie and DBX demonstrated the much broader reach of the Second Century strategy.
Not every part of that plan would ultimately unfold as originally intended, and Aston Martin’s subsequent financial and leadership changes would place Palmer’s strategy under intense scrutiny. Those later developments should not obscure what the DB11 represented at launch. In 2016, it was a bold and necessary attempt to move Aston Martin beyond the engineering constraints of the previous generation and create the foundation for a more ambitious company.
A turning point in Aston Martin history
The DB11 occupies a distinctive position in the marque’s story. The DB9 was the car that established the modern Gaydon era, but DB11 was the car intended to take Aston Martin beyond it. It introduced a new platform, a new V12, turbocharging, Daimler-derived electronics and a new design language in a single model.
It also marked the point at which Aston Martin began to think beyond a closely related family of sports cars. Under the Second Century Plan, the company intended to become a broader luxury business with several distinct model lines, new manufacturing capacity and a more structured programme of limited-production cars.
For owners today, this historical context matters. DB11 is not simply the model between DB9 and DB12. It is the first Aston Martin of a new technical generation and the car upon which an extraordinarily ambitious period of expansion was built.
The original V12, later V8, Volante and AMR each interpreted the DB11 idea differently, but they all began with the same purpose: to create a modern Aston Martin grand tourer capable of carrying one of the world’s most evocative marques into its second century.
The DB11 had to achieve a difficult balance. It needed to move Aston Martin’s design language forward decisively enough to represent a genuinely new generation, while remaining immediately recognisable as an Aston Martin. After more than a decade in which the DB9, Vantage, DBS, Virage and Vanquish had evolved from closely related proportions and design themes, simply refining the established formula would not have been enough.
Under the direction of Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman, the DB11 retained the essential proportions of an Aston Martin grand tourer: a long bonnet, a low roofline, a cabin positioned towards the rear of the car and pronounced rear haunches. Around that familiar foundation, however, it introduced a much more technical style. Airflow influenced the shape of the body, the traditional side strake acquired a genuine aerodynamic function, and the roof and rear bodywork were used to manage air in ways that were largely hidden from view.
The result was a car that looked markedly different from the DB9 without rejecting the visual identity that had made its predecessor so successful.
Moving beyond the DB9
The DB9 was a notably pure design. Its surfaces were relatively simple, its detailing restrained and its proportions beautifully resolved. That purity became one of its greatest strengths, but it also influenced almost every subsequent Aston Martin of the VH era.
The DB11 adopted a more sculptural approach. Its surfaces were more tightly controlled, with deeper sections through the doors, more pronounced wheelarches and stronger contrasts between the upper and lower parts of the body. The grille remained unmistakably Aston Martin, but it was larger and more assertive, while the headlights were slimmer, more technical and swept farther into the front wings.
Although the DB11 was 50 mm longer than the DB9, its wheelbase increased by 65 mm and its front overhang was reduced by 16 mm. The front track grew by 74 mm and the rear by 43 mm, while the overall body was only 28 mm wider. These changes gave the DB11 a more planted stance and allowed the wheels to sit more convincingly within the body. The longer wheelbase also improved cabin packaging and enabled the engine to be positioned farther back in the chassis.
This change in proportion is important because the DB11 did not rely entirely on decorative features to look more modern. Its basic architecture was different. The wheels were pushed outward, the cabin gained more usable space and the body acquired a broader, more muscular relationship with the road.
The clamshell bonnet
One of the DB11’s defining engineering and design features is its enormous front-hinged clamshell bonnet. Aston Martin described it as the largest single-piece aluminium bonnet fitted to a production car. It incorporates the upper surfaces of both front wings, wrapping around the front of the car to create an exceptionally clean form with very few visible shut lines.
Producing such a large and complex aluminium pressing presented a considerable manufacturing challenge. The size and shape of the panel demanded great precision, particularly because even a small variation in alignment would become conspicuous where the bonnet meets the doors, grille, headlights and front bumper.
The bonnet also contributed to pedestrian-impact protection. Its large surface could absorb and dissipate impact energy, reducing the need for the space-consuming deployment systems that might otherwise have compromised the DB11’s low bonnet line and tightly controlled proportions.
The visual benefit is most apparent when the car is viewed from the front or at a three-quarter angle. Conventional bonnet shut lines do not interrupt the upper surfaces of the wings, allowing the sculpted form to flow continuously from the grille towards the windscreen. When opened, the bonnet exposes a panoramic view of the engine and much of the front structure, while also revealing the concealed airflow passages associated with the Curlicue system.
Its forward-hinged operation provides a further connection with earlier Aston Martins, including the DB2, but the scale and execution were thoroughly modern. It became one of the DB11’s most memorable pieces of design theatre and an impressive demonstration of Aston Martin’s expertise in forming aluminium body panels.
An evolution of the Aston Martin grille
The grille remained the visual anchor of the DB11’s nose. It was larger than that of the DB9 and positioned within a more deeply sculpted front bumper, giving the car a stronger road presence. Its familiar outline ensured that, despite the new body language, the car remained recognisably an Aston Martin.
The headlamps were drawn more tightly around the front corners, visually reducing the height of the nose. Their LED signature gave the DB11 a distinctive appearance at night and introduced a more technical character than the simpler lamps of the DB9.
Below the grille, the lower bodywork directed cooling air towards the engine and front brakes while contributing to the management of airflow beneath the car. These functional requirements were integrated without resorting to the collection of separate wings, blades and surface additions increasingly common on high-performance cars.
That restraint was central to the DB11. It was a complex aerodynamic object, but much of that complexity was concealed within the body.
One of the most pleasing elements of the DB11 bonnet is that it has a soft close facility.Most of us hate slamming bonnets.
Curlicue
The side strake has been a recurring feature of Aston Martin design since the DB4, but on the DB11 it became part of an active airflow-management system known as Curlicue.
As a rotating front wheel moves through the air, pressure builds within the wheelarch. If this high-pressure air is allowed to accumulate, it can contribute to aerodynamic lift and turbulence. The DB11’s front wheelarch liners incorporated apertures that allowed this air to escape through concealed channels beneath the clamshell bonnet.
The airflow was then released through openings behind the side strakes. Further air was extracted through discreet vents positioned behind the front wheels. This reduced unwanted front-end lift and improved airflow along the sides of the car.
The wavelike form visible beneath the side strake gave the system its Curlicue name. More importantly, it transformed one of Aston Martin’s most familiar pieces of styling into a functional aerodynamic device. What initially appeared to be a modern interpretation of a traditional side vent was, in reality, part of the car’s high-speed stability package.
The system also demonstrated an important principle behind the DB11’s design. Rather than adding obvious aerodynamic appendages to the exterior, Aston Martin sought to pass air through and around the body while preserving the elegance expected of a DB grand tourer.
The floating roof
The DB11’s roof treatment was among its most distinctive and initially controversial features. Roof strakes ran from the top of the windscreen towards the rear of the car, visually separating the roof panel from the body and creating the impression of a floating canopy.
These strakes could be specified in contrasting finishes, allowing customers to emphasise or subdue the effect. On cars with strongly contrasting roof strakes, the DB11 appeared particularly modern and dramatic. When the strakes and roof were more closely matched to the body colour, the effect became subtler and the car’s traditional proportions came to the fore.
The divided C-pillar treatment was not simply a styling exercise. Openings at the base of each C-pillar formed the intakes for the AeroBlade system, allowing air to enter channels concealed within the rear bodywork.
This was a good example of design and engineering being developed together. The feature created one of the car’s clearest visual signatures while also performing an aerodynamic function that would otherwise have required a more conventional rear spoiler.
The Aston Martin AeroBlade
The AeroBlade was the DB11’s most widely discussed aerodynamic innovation. Aston Martin described it as a virtual spoiler because it used directed airflow to reduce rear lift without requiring a large fixed wing or heavily upswept tail.
Air entered through intakes positioned at the base of the C-pillars. It then travelled through ducts within the rear bodywork and beneath the boot lid before emerging through a narrow outlet in the rear deck. The resulting jet of disturbed air helped control the airflow leaving the car and reduced aerodynamic lift over the rear axle.
At higher speeds, a small deployable Gurney flap rose from the boot lid to increase the effectiveness of the system. Once it was no longer required, it retracted to preserve the clean shape of the rear deck.
The idea was technically sophisticated but also entirely consistent with the role of a DB model. A prominent fixed wing might have been appropriate on a track-focused Aston Martin, but it would have disrupted the elegance of a grand tourer. The AeroBlade allowed the designers to retain a relatively uncluttered rear profile while still providing the stability required of a 200 mph car.
Opening the boot reveals some of the ducting beneath the lid and demonstrates how extensively the airflow system was integrated into the vehicle. This is one of the details that makes the DB11 particularly interesting to explain during a physical walkaround because much of its aerodynamic engineering is easy to overlook when the car is viewed only from the outside.
The rear of the DB11
The rear design represented one of the clearest departures from the DB9. Instead of conventional separate light units, the DB11 used a thin LED graphic that followed the shape of the rear haunches and curved around the edge of the boot opening.
This emphasised the width of the car and created a distinctive lighting signature, particularly at night. The outer sections of the lamps appeared to sit over the rear wheels, reinforcing the muscular form of the haunches, while the central bodywork remained relatively clean.
Aston Martin resisted the temptation to create an excessively heavy rear bumper. The visual mass was concentrated around the wheels and lower diffuser, allowing the upper surface of the tail to remain light enough for the AeroBlade outlet and deployable Gurney flap to work without appearing added or separate.
The treatment divided opinion when early images were released, particularly among those who admired the purity of the DB9. In person, however, the relationship between the lamps, rear haunches and body width was generally more convincing. The DB11 had been designed with a greater degree of three-dimensional sculpting than its predecessor, and some of that form was difficult to communicate in photographs.
V8 and V12 visual differences
When the V8-powered DB11 arrived for the 18.5 model year, Aston Martin introduced several subtle changes to distinguish it from the V12.
The easiest external identification point is the bonnet. The original V12 has four bonnet vents, while the V8 uses two. This difference reflected the cooling and packaging requirements of the two engines but also gave each version a distinct appearance.
The V8 received its own wheel and trim combinations, along with different bonnet-mesh and headlamp-bezel finishes at launch. However, the extensive range of optional wheels, exterior packs and later model-year changes means that these secondary details cannot always be relied upon when identifying a car.
The number of bonnet vents remains the clearest guide:
The AMR introduced a darker and more purposeful treatment, including gloss-black exterior detailing, darkened lamp elements and exposed carbon-fibre components, depending upon specification. Nevertheless, its underlying body remained closely related to that of the original V12 Coupé. The AMR’s visual character came primarily from its finishes, wheels, detailing and more assertive colour combinations rather than a fundamental redesign.
The Volante
Turning the DB11 Coupé into the Volante required more than removing the roof. The Coupé’s floating roof, C-pillar intakes and AeroBlade were central to both its appearance and aerodynamic concept, none of which could be transferred directly to an open car.
The Volante therefore developed its own upper-body design. In place of the Coupé’s roof strakes, it used a waistline and tonneau finisher that wrapped around the rear of the passenger compartment. This was available in bright or dark anodised finishes and performed a similar visual role to the roof strakes by defining the transition between the body and the upper structure.
The windscreen surround could be finished in body colour or gloss black, while the mirror caps also became available in gloss black. These choices allowed customers either to emphasise the open structure or create a more unified appearance.
Aston Martin developed an entirely new K-fold fabric roof with no carry-over from the DB9 Volante. Its compact 260 mm folded stack helped preserve the DB11’s rear profile and prevented the tonneau area from becoming excessively high. With the roof raised, the carefully shaped fabric canopy followed the Coupé’s roofline more closely than might be expected from a traditional soft-top.
The roof incorporated eight layers of insulation to improve acoustic comfort. It opened in 14 seconds and closed in 16 seconds, and could be operated remotely when the key was within two metres of the car. Eight exterior hood colours were originally offered, providing considerably greater scope for personalisation.
Removing the Coupé’s C-pillars meant the Volante could not use the same AeroBlade arrangement. Its aerodynamics were therefore developed separately, taking account of airflow both with the roof raised and lowered. The resulting car remained recognisably a DB11, but the loss of the Coupé’s floating roof and the introduction of the sweeping tonneau gave it a softer and more classical profile.
Colour and personalisation
Colour played an unusually important role in the appearance of the DB11. The roof panel, roof strakes, side strakes, bonnet blades, grille, exterior finishers, wheels, brake calipers and lower bodywork could all be used to alter the character of the car.
A restrained specification could make the DB11 look elegant and relatively traditional. A contrasting roof, dark exterior pack, bright brake calipers and more aggressive wheel design could make the same body appear considerably more sporting. Aston Martin’s designer specifications illustrated this breadth, combining carefully selected exterior colours, interior leathers, veneers and metal finishes into complete themes.
This freedom also created a challenge for customers. The DB11’s design already contained several strong features, and adding contrast to every available element could make the finished car appear visually complicated. Many of the most successful specifications use contrast selectively, highlighting the roof strake or lower bodywork without allowing the individual options to compete with the shape of the car.
This remains relevant in the pre-owned market. Two mechanically identical DB11s can create very different impressions depending upon their paint, roof treatment, brightware, wheels and interior. Specification has a greater influence on the perceived character of a DB11 than it did on many earlier Aston Martins.
A design that has matured
The DB11’s design was deliberately more challenging than that of the DB9. It had more creases, more visible technical thinking and a greater contrast between traditional proportions and modern detailing. Some observers immediately admired the confidence of the new shape, while others preferred the purity and simplicity of its predecessor.
Time has helped the design. As later Aston Martins adopted increasingly assertive grilles, broader bodywork and more overt aerodynamic features, the DB11’s combination of technical detail and relatively restrained proportions became easier to appreciate. It now sits at an interesting point in Aston Martin design history: clearly separated from the VH generation, but less aggressive and digitally influenced than the models that followed.
The car is particularly effective when viewed in motion. Its low nose, long wheelbase, pronounced rear haunches and unbroken clamshell bonnet give it considerable presence, while the roof strakes and rear lighting make it instantly identifiable.
Most importantly, the DB11 demonstrated that Aston Martin could change without losing its identity. It replaced one of the most admired designs in the company’s history, introduced a new visual language and incorporated genuine aerodynamic innovation without allowing function to overwhelm elegance.
That achievement was fundamental to the DB11’s purpose. It did not merely need to look like a new Aston Martin. It needed to show what an Aston Martin of the company’s second century could become.
The interior of the DB11 represented one of the most substantial advances over the DB9. Where the exterior had to evolve Aston Martin’s familiar proportions without losing the marque’s identity, the cabin needed to address a more practical problem. By 2016, the craftsmanship and materials of the previous generation remained special, but its electronic architecture, infotainment, navigation and everyday ergonomics had fallen behind those of newer rivals.
DB11 therefore introduced a completely new interior architecture. It retained the hand-finished leather, distinctive detailing and extensive personalisation expected of an Aston Martin, but combined them with modern displays, Daimler-derived electronics and considerably improved packaging.
The result was not simply a more technologically capable cabin. It changed the way owners interacted with an Aston Martin every day.
A new interior architecture
The DB9 interior was dominated by a relatively upright centre console (known as the ski slope!) and a strong horizontal relationship between the dashboard and doors. DB11 adopted a more sculptural approach, with the dashboard, centre console and door panels flowing into one another through a series of curved surfaces.
The driver sat within a clearly defined cockpit, separated from the passenger by a tall centre console. The transmission buttons and engine start control occupied a prominent position at the top of the dashboard, while the infotainment controller, dynamic-mode switches and stowage were arranged along the central tunnel.
This created a greater sense of enclosure than in the DB9. The windscreen was relatively shallow, the dashboard appeared high and the centre console rose towards the fascia. For some drivers this made the DB11 feel more intimate and sporting; for others, particularly those accustomed to the airier DB9 cabin, it could initially feel less open.
The design also introduced considerably more surface movement. Sweeping leather sections, contrasting colour breaks and deeply sculpted door panels gave the interior a more contemporary character. Depending upon specification, the result could be restrained and elegant or highly dramatic.
This flexibility became one of the defining qualities of the DB11 cabin. The basic architecture remained consistent, but the choice of leather, stitching, perforation, quilting, veneer and metal finish could transform its character.
Daimler technology
The most obvious evidence of Aston Martin’s technical partnership with Daimler was found inside the car. DB11 adopted a new electronic architecture and infotainment system derived from contemporary Mercedes-Benz technology.
In practical terms, this brought an enormous improvement over the system fitted to the later DB9 and Vanquish. Navigation became easier to use, the graphics were clearer, Bluetooth integration was more dependable but it was still not the most modern and advance in class.
A full-colour 12-inch TFT display replaced conventional analogue instruments. Its presentation changed according to the selected driving mode, allowing the car to prioritise different information in GT, Sport and Sport Plus settings. The digital display gave the DB11 a distinctly modern feel when it was introduced and made the previous generation’s instrumentation appear dated almost immediately.
An eight-inch screen was mounted centrally above the dashboard. It was controlled primarily through a rotary controller on the centre console, with an optional touchpad providing handwriting recognition, gesture control and additional menu navigation.The touch pad was very obviously from a Mercedes-Benz and allowed you to write post code and other data instead of using the select wheel.In practice, it sits to the left of you so relies on you being able to use your left hand decisively.
The screen itself was not touch-sensitive. This was consistent with the Mercedes-Benz system upon which it was based, and the rotary controller worked well once familiar. However, owners moving into a DB11 from a newer car may now find the menu structure and graphics less intuitive than modern touchscreen systems.The cars did not have Apple Car Play from the factory, but it is something that can be retrofitted.
This illustrates an interesting feature of DB11 ownership. Its electronic technology was a major leap forward for Aston Martin in 2016, but infotainment systems age much more quickly than leather, aluminium or mechanical engineering. The DB11 cabin still looks special, yet some of its digital technology now identifies the period in which the car was developed.
Aston Martin or Mercedes-Benz?
The Daimler relationship gave Aston Martin access to proven technology that would have been prohibitively expensive to develop independently. Inevitably, it also introduced some components that were recognisable from Mercedes-Benz models.
The column stalk, rotary controller and certain menu structures had clear Daimler origins. This attracted criticism from observers who felt that every visible component in a car of this price should be unique.
In everyday use, however, the improvement in functionality was considerable. The controls were more logical, the navigation more capable and the electronic architecture substantially more modern than that of the DB9. The challenge for Aston Martin was to incorporate these systems without allowing the cabin to feel like a reworked Mercedes-Benz interior.
For the most part, the company succeeded. The dashboard architecture, leatherwork, air vents, transmission controls, steering wheel, trim finishes and overall driving position were recognisably Aston Martin. The sourced technology was apparent, but it did not define the whole cabin.
The DB11 therefore marked a change in philosophy. Rather than develop every electronic component independently, Aston Martin concentrated its resources on the areas that gave the car its identity while using proven technology for functions where reliability and usability mattered more than exclusivity of origin.
Starting and selecting gears
The DB11 retained Aston Martin’s familiar dashboard-mounted transmission buttons, with separate controls for Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive positioned prominently above the centre display. This arrangement helped keep the central tunnel free from a conventional gear selector and preserved a recognisable link with the Gaydon-era cars.
The traditional glass Emotional Control Unit used in the DB9, DBS, Rapide and Vanquish was no longer required. DB11 introduced keyless entry and start, with a conventional key that could remain in the driver’s pocket and a dedicated start button in the centre of the transmission controls.
Some owners missed the small piece of theatre created by inserting the glass key into the dashboard. Others appreciated the greater convenience of the keyless system, particularly when using the car regularly. It was another example of DB11 moving away from the rituals of the VH generation in favour of a more modern ownership experience.
Large metal paddles behind the steering wheel allowed manual control of the eight-speed automatic transmission. Their fixed relationship with the steering wheel made them easy to reach, while the shape and cool metal finish provided a satisfying tactile quality that contrasted with the more familiar sourced switchgear.
Seats and driving position
The DB11 offered electrically adjustable front seats with heating and three-position memory as standard. Power-operated side bolsters and ventilation were available depending upon model year and specification, allowing the seats to combine long-distance comfort with greater lateral support when required.
The driving position was lower and more enclosed than in some traditional grand tourers. The long bonnet remained clearly visible, helping the driver place the car, although the width of the body and relatively narrow glass area could take some familiarisation.
Electric adjustment for the steering column, seat and mirrors allowed a broad range of drivers to find a suitable position. The steering wheel itself was offered in different styles and could be finished in colours matched to the cabin. Later specifications also introduced a heated steering wheel.
Seat design varied across the production period. The standard seats emphasised comfort and suited the DB11’s grand-touring role, while more sporting designs and the later Sports Plus Seat gave the cabin a more focused appearance. The DB11 AMR introduced its own combination of leather and Alcantara, together with AMR details and a sports steering wheel.
When assessing a used DB11, the seat specification is worth examining carefully. Ventilation, powered bolsters, contrasting perforation, embroidery and quilting were not universal, and two cars that appear similar externally can have significantly different interior equipment.
Leather grades and trim environments
Aston Martin offered three principal leather grades during the DB11’s earlier production period: Strathmore, Caithness and Balmoral.
Strathmore formed the standard offering, while Caithness and Balmoral provided progressively different grains, softness and finishing. Availability varied according to model year and the chosen interior layout, so the leather grade cannot always be identified reliably from colour alone.
Customers could choose between monotone and duotone environments. In a monotone cabin, the upper and lower areas were closely coordinated. Duotone arrangements allowed different colours to be applied across the dashboard, doors, console and seats, with further variation in whether the seat colour matched the upper or lower environment.
This system offered enormous creative freedom but was also complicated. A complete DB11 specification could involve separate decisions for:
The combinations were almost limitless, particularly once Q by Aston Martin options were included. This allowed customers to create genuinely individual cars, but it also produced some specifications in which too many competing colours and textures were selected.
The most successful DB11 interiors usually have a clear theme. A restrained monotone cabin can emphasise the architecture and quality of the materials, while a carefully judged duotone environment can highlight the flowing relationship between the fascia, console and doors. The condition and coherence of the interior specification can have a meaningful effect on a car’s desirability in the pre-owned market.
Quilting perforation and brogue detailing
The DB11 introduced some particularly elaborate decorative treatments. Nexus quilting used a complex intersecting pattern across the seats and selected trim areas. Celestial perforation created a fine, graduated pattern within the seat centres, while brogue detailing used decorative perforations inspired by traditional leather footwear.
These treatments could be used individually or combined, depending upon the specification. On some cars they added considerable visual interest and showcased the skill of Aston Martin’s trim operation. On others, especially when paired with several contrasting colours, they could make the cabin appear extremely ornate.
Headrests could be embossed or embroidered with the DB11 logo or Aston Martin wings. Customers could also choose fine or coarse contrast stitching, with numerous colours available. Personalised sill plaques provided another opportunity to make an individual car distinctive.
This degree of choice is important when evaluating used examples. Features that appear standard in photographs, such as quilting, embroidered headrests or contrast stitching, were often separately priced options.
Veneers and jewellery packs
The traditional polished wood veneers associated with earlier Aston Martins remained available, but DB11 introduced a wider range of contemporary materials and finishes.
Depending upon model year, options included open-pore woods, piano black, chopped carbon fibre, twill carbon fibre and more unusual finishes such as Carbon Cuprum. Open-pore veneers gave the cabin a natural, tactile quality, while carbon fibre created a more sporting environment.
The trim inlay extended across the fascia and into the doors and centre console. On Volante models, matching veneer could also be fitted to the backs of the front seats, where it became particularly visible with the roof lowered.
Jewellery Packs altered the finish of smaller interior details, including switches, bezels and decorative metalwork. Satin Silver was generally the standard treatment, while Satin Champagne and Dark Chrome offered warmer or more technical alternatives.
These apparently minor choices could have a surprisingly strong effect. Satin Champagne worked particularly well with tan and brown interiors, whereas Dark Chrome suited black, grey and more sporting specifications. As with the exterior, the quality of the overall result depended on coordination rather than simply choosing the most expensive option in each category.
Audio systems
The standard DB11 audio system produced 400 watts. A 700-watt Aston Martin Premium Audio system was available as an upgrade, while the flagship option was the 1,000-watt Bang & Olufsen BeoSound system.
The Bang & Olufsen installation used 13 speakers and included motorised acoustic lenses that rose from the dashboard. These became one of the cabin’s more theatrical details and remain an easily recognisable feature on well-specified cars.
The desirability of the upgraded system depends partly upon how the car will be used. In a Coupé covering long motorway distances, the Bang & Olufsen system can be a worthwhile feature. In a Volante, where roof-down driving introduces considerably more ambient noise, some owners may place less value on ultimate audio quality.
As with much of the DB11 specification, it is worth checking the actual equipment fitted rather than relying upon an advertisement. The appearance of the speaker grilles and dashboard-mounted acoustic lenses provides the clearest confirmation of the Bang & Olufsen system.
Technology and convenience options
The early DB11 offered many desirable features individually or through Technology Packs. Depending upon model year and market, these could include:
The powered armrest is a good illustration of how the specification evolved. It was initially optional on regular-production cars but became standard across the range for the 2019 model year. Blind-spot monitoring and other convenience equipment also became more widely available as the car developed.
Consequently, assumptions based solely on registration year can be misleading. A highly optioned early DB11 may have more equipment than a later car, while a newer example may benefit from changes that were incorporated into the standard specification. The original build record remains the most reliable way to establish how an individual car left the factory.
Space and practicality
The longer wheelbase and more space-efficient bonded-aluminium structure gave the DB11 a noticeably more usable cabin than the DB9. Aston Martin increased front headroom and made much larger gains in rear headroom and legroom. The door apertures were also widened, improving access to both rows of seats.
It remained a 2+2 rather than a genuine four-seater. The rear seats were best suited to children, smaller passengers or occasional use, but they were more credible than those in the DB9. Integrated ISOFIX mountings improved their usefulness for families, and the rear compartment also provided valuable additional luggage space when unoccupied.If you look on the HWM YouTube channel, we have a video covering the practicality of DB11.
The Coupé offered a 270-litre luggage compartment, enough for suitable touring bags rather than large rigid suitcases. You can put four carry on cases in the boot which is good capacity with room for further soft bags on the rear seats.Careful choice of luggage remained important, but the combination of boot and rear-seat space made the DB11 a practical car for two people travelling over long distances.
The Volante required different compromises because its roof and folding mechanism occupied space behind the cabin. Its packaging, roof operation and varying luggage capacity will be examined fully in the dedicated Volante chapter.
How the interior has aged
The DB11 cabin has aged in two different ways. Its fundamental design, leatherwork and material choices remain special. A well-specified and carefully maintained example can still feel appropriately luxurious, and the amount of hand-finished trim separates it from more mass-produced rivals.
The digital technology has dated more quickly although can be improved with Apple Car Play. The central display is relatively small by current standards, its graphics reflect an earlier generation of Mercedes-Benz technology and it does not offer the seamless smartphone-based experience expected in many newer cars. Owners who place great importance on the latest connectivity may find this the most obvious difference between DB11 and DB12.
That does not necessarily make the DB11 interior unsuccessful. Physical buttons remain available for important functions, the rotary controller can be operated without reaching towards the screen, and the cabin is not dominated by a single large display. For some owners, this mixture of digital instrumentation and conventional controls represents a particularly appealing point in interior design.
Condition also makes a significant difference. Light-coloured leather can show dye transfer and wear, piano-black trim marks easily, and highly polished surfaces reveal scratches. Seat bolsters, steering-wheel leather, frequently used switches and the powered armrest should all be examined carefully on a prospective purchase.
A cabin for a new era
Inside the DB11, Aston Martin made one of the clearest breaks from the VH generation. The company combined traditional materials and hand craftsmanship with a new electronic architecture, digital instrumentation and much-improved infotainment.
Not every decision was beyond criticism. Some sourced controls were too recognisable, the specification structure could be bewilderingly complex and the technology has inevitably aged. Nevertheless, the improvement over the DB9 was substantial, particularly in everyday usability, space and connectivity.
The cabin also demonstrated how broadly the DB11 could be interpreted. It could be configured as a restrained traditional grand tourer, a highly contemporary luxury car or a more focused sporting model. That breadth became central to the DB11 range as the original V12 was joined by the V8, Volante and AMR.
The interior therefore fulfilled the same purpose as the exterior and engineering beneath it. It retained enough of Aston Martin’s established character to feel familiar, but made the decisive step required to carry the marque into a new generation.
The first DB11 was launched with an entirely new 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 producing 600 bhp and 700 Nm of torque. It was the most powerful production DB model Aston Martin had built and the first series-production Aston Martin to use a turbocharged engine.
This was a major change of character. The naturally aspirated 5.9-litre V12 used in the DB9, DBS, Rapide and Vanquish had become one of the defining features of the Gaydon era. It delivered its performance progressively, encouraged the driver to use the upper part of the rev range and produced a distinctive mechanical and exhaust note.
The DB11’s new engine had to preserve enough of that personality to feel like an Aston Martin while delivering the power, torque, efficiency and emissions performance required of a new generation. It also had to support a 200 mph grand tourer capable of providing significantly stronger performance without becoming difficult or tiring to use.
The result was an engine with a very different character from its predecessor. The DB11 V12 was smoother, substantially more powerful and capable of delivering immense acceleration from relatively low engine speeds. It did not reproduce the naturally aspirated response or sound of the DB9, but it gave the DB11 the effortless performance expected of Aston Martin’s new flagship.
The AE31 engine
Known internally as AE31, the DB11 V12 was designed by Aston Martin and manufactured at the Aston Martin Engine Plant in Cologne. It shared the basic V12 layout and some manufacturing knowledge with previous Aston Martin engines, but it was not simply a reduced-capacity or turbocharged version of the existing 5.9-litre unit.
The new engine had a capacity of 5,204 cc and used two turbochargers, one serving each bank of six cylinders. Its all-aluminium construction incorporated four overhead camshafts, 48 valves, dual variable camshaft timing and fully CNC-machined combustion chambers. Water-to-air charge cooling controlled the temperature of the compressed intake air, while a 9.3:1 compression ratio was used to balance response, performance and the pressures generated by turbocharging.
Its principal figures were:
The breadth of the torque delivery was as important as the peak figure. The previous DB9 GT produced 547 Nm at 5,500 rpm, whereas the DB11 offered its full 700 Nm from only 1,500 rpm and maintained it across much of the usable rev range. This fundamentally changed the way the car gathered speed.
A DB9 often rewards the driver for allowing the engine to rev and building towards its peak performance. The DB11 V12 can deliver a much stronger surge without needing to change down several gears. On a motorway or fast A-road, relatively small movements of the accelerator can produce very rapid progress.
Aston Martin’s first production turbocharged engine
Moving from natural aspiration to turbocharging was one of the most consequential decisions in the development of the DB11. Turbochargers allowed Aston Martin to increase power and torque while reducing engine capacity and improving measured efficiency, but they also created engineering challenges.
Turbocharging can soften the immediate connection between the accelerator and engine, alter the exhaust note and create significant additional heat. These characteristics mattered particularly to Aston Martin because response and sound had formed such an important part of the previous V12’s appeal.
The AE31 used relatively small turbochargers positioned outside the cylinder banks. Aston Martin’s engineers concentrated on providing progressive boost delivery rather than creating an abrupt step in performance. There is still a perceptible difference from the naturally aspirated cars, particularly at very low engine speeds, but the engine builds torque smoothly and becomes increasingly energetic as the revs rise.
It also retains a willingness to rev that is not always associated with turbocharged grand tourers. Maximum power arrives at 6,500 rpm, so there remains a reason to use the upper part of the engine’s range even though maximum torque is available much earlier.
The sound is deeper and more muted than that of the naturally aspirated 5.9-litre V12. The turbochargers absorb some of the exhaust energy that would otherwise contribute to volume and sharpness, but Aston Martin used an electronically controlled exhaust system to give the engine a stronger voice in Sport and Sport Plus modes.
There is still a clear V12 character, especially as the engine passes through the middle of the rev range, but owners moving directly from a DBS, Vanquish or DB9 GT should expect a different experience rather than a louder and faster version of the same engine.As a road engine, the turbocharged 5.2 is a devastatingly swift and effortless engine for the DB11.
Intelligent bank activation
The AE31 introduced intelligent bank activation to improve fuel efficiency during light-load driving. Under suitable conditions, the engine could temporarily operate on one bank of six cylinders, closing down the other bank when all 12 cylinders were not required.
The system alternated between the two banks to manage temperatures and prevent one side of the engine from remaining inactive for an extended period. When the driver requested more performance, all 12 cylinders returned to operation.
In normal use the change was designed to be unobtrusive. The driver was not expected to manage it manually, and the system would only operate when engine load, speed and temperature allowed. It was accompanied by automatic stop-start, another feature that would have seemed unlikely in an Aston Martin V12 only a few years earlier.
These systems demonstrated how much the priorities surrounding high-performance engines had changed. The DB11 still had a 200 mph top speed and 600 bhp, but it also had to reduce fuel consumption and emissions during the standardised test cycle. Aston Martin could no longer rely solely upon increasing the capacity and output of its existing naturally aspirated engine.
Eight-speed rear transaxle
The V12 was connected to an eight-speed ZF automatic transaxle mounted at the rear of the car. Power travelled from the engine through an aluminium torque tube containing a carbon-fibre propeller shaft before reaching the gearbox and mechanical limited-slip differential.
Mounting the transmission at the rear helped distribute mass along the wheelbase and contributed to a quoted weight distribution of 51 per cent front and 49 per cent rear. The engine was also positioned behind the front axle line, giving the DB11 a front-mid-engined layout despite the visual length of its bonnet.
The ZF transmission was related to the eight-speed unit already used in the later Vanquish, but its behaviour was integrated with the DB11’s new electronic architecture and driver modes. It could operate as a smooth automatic in GT mode or respond more assertively in Sport and Sport Plus. Large metal paddles allowed the driver to select gears manually.
The transmission suited the broad torque delivery of the turbocharged engine. Eight ratios allowed the car to remain relaxed at motorway speeds while keeping the engine within its strongest operating range when rapid acceleration was required. Changes were quick and generally smooth, although it was never intended to imitate the abrupt character of a racing transmission or dual-clutch gearbox.
The original V12’s final-drive ratio was 2.703:1. Launch control was also included, helping the car achieve its quoted 3.9-second acceleration time from 0 to 62 mph.
Chassis and suspension
The first V12 DB11 used independent double-wishbone front suspension and a multi-link arrangement at the rear. Coil springs, anti-roll bars and adaptive Bilstein dampers were fitted at both ends.
The dampers offered three settings:
A button on the steering wheel allowed the driver to change the chassis setting independently from the powertrain mode. This meant the car could combine a more responsive engine and gearbox with the softer suspension setting, or firmer damping with the more relaxed powertrain calibration.
This separation was useful on British roads, where a driver might want sharper throttle response without making the ride unnecessarily firm. In practice, GT remained the most suitable damping mode for a large proportion of road driving. Sport added greater body control, while Sport Plus was most appropriate on smoother and more demanding roads.
The DB11 also introduced electric power-assisted steering in place of the hydraulic system used by the DB9. The steering had a 13:1 ratio and required 2.4 turns from lock to lock. It was accurate and relatively quick, although some drivers felt it transmitted less texture than the best hydraulic Aston Martin systems.
A mechanical limited-slip differential worked with Dynamic Torque Vectoring, which could apply braking force to an individual rear wheel to help control the car’s line. The car also incorporated Dynamic Stability Control, traction control, Positive Torque Control and the usual anti-lock and electronic brake-force systems.
The brakes used 400 mm ventilated two-piece steel front discs with six-piston calipers and 360 mm ventilated co-cast rear discs with four-piston calipers. Carbon-ceramic brakes were not part of the original DB11 V12 specification.
How the original V12 drives
The most striking feature of the first DB11 V12 is the ease with which it generates speed. The engine does not need to be worked hard to make the car feel extremely fast. Its broad torque curve, closely spaced gearbox ratios and strong traction allow it to accelerate with little apparent effort.
In GT mode, the transmission selects higher gears early, the exhaust remains relatively subdued and the adaptive dampers allow the car to cover long distances comfortably. The DB11 feels like a proper grand tourer rather than a sports car made artificially compliant for motorway use.
Selecting Sport sharpens the accelerator, encourages the gearbox to hold lower ratios and gives the exhaust a stronger presence. Sport Plus makes the responses more immediate again and reduces the intervention of the stability systems, but it also exposes how quickly 700 Nm can overcome the rear tyres if conditions are poor.
The original V12 is not a lightweight car. Aston Martin quoted a dry weight of 1,770 kg, while the EU kerb figure was approximately 1,875 kg. Its width and long bonnet are always apparent on narrow roads, and it does not shrink around the driver in the manner of a smaller sports car.
Nevertheless, its balance is better than the size and engine layout might suggest. Placing the engine behind the front axle and the transmission at the rear helps the car change direction without feeling excessively nose-heavy. The steering is accurate, the front axle responds cleanly and the rear of the car can be progressively brought into play through the accelerator.
The chassis tuning of the first V12 attracted some criticism at launch. Several testers felt that the car could lose composure over difficult surfaces when driven quickly, particularly where bumps, crests and direction changes arrived together. There was also a view that the body and powertrain were capable of more than the original damper and transmission calibrations consistently allowed.
These criticisms should be kept in proportion. The original DB11 was not an unsuccessful car dynamically, and on the type of fast, flowing road for which it was designed it could be exceptionally capable. However, the later AMR’s revised dampers, suspension hardware, rear subframe bushes, anti-roll bar and transmission calibration demonstrated that Aston Martin also saw room for development.These improvements were created by chassis Guru Matt Becker and his team.
For some owners, the gentler character of the original V12 is part of its appeal. It is less overtly sporting than the AMR and feels closer to the traditional idea of an Aston Martin grand tourer. The later car is sharper and more controlled, but the original can be the more relaxed companion.
The Launch Edition
The first customer DB11s were offered as 17MY Launch Edition cars. The Launch Edition was not mechanically more powerful than the regular V12 that followed, but it carried a substantially enhanced standard specification intended to present the new model at its best.
The official UK price list gave the DB11 Launch Edition a recommended retail price of £167,015 including VAT. By comparison, the regular 17.5MY DB11 V12 was subsequently listed at £157,900.
Launch Edition standard equipment included several features that became optional on the regular-production car:
The Launch Edition remained highly configurable. Customers could select alternative paint, leather, carpets, stitching, jewellery finishes, veneers and wheel designs, so not every Launch Edition looks alike. Nexus quilting, Celestial perforation, brogue detailing, embroidered headrests, ventilated seats and numerous other details remained optional rather than being fitted universally.
This is important in today’s market because the term “Launch Edition” is sometimes used loosely for any early DB11. A 2016-built or early-registered car is not automatically a Launch Edition. The factory build specification, original invoice and model designation provide stronger evidence than colour, wheels or registration date alone.
Likewise, the presence of Bang & Olufsen audio, directional wheels or V12 side badges does not independently prove Launch Edition status because these features could also be ordered on other cars. The combination of the original model code, documentation and correct specification is what matters.
The Launch Edition occupies an interesting place in the DB11 story. It represents the car exactly as Aston Martin wanted it presented at the beginning of production and usually combines the original 600 bhp V12 with a particularly generous specification. Whether that eventually gives it a meaningful collector premium will depend heavily upon originality, colour combination, condition and provenance.
The CEO Edition cars
Alongside the Launch Edition, Aston Martin produced a small group of very highly specified early cars commonly referred to as CEO Editions or CEO cars. Aston Martin’s own later product material refers to the completion of the “Launch/CEO Edition cars”, confirming that the company treated them as a distinct part of the initial DB11 programme.
The description requires some care because the CEO Edition was not publicised in the same way as a conventional numbered limited-production model. There is no widely available factory record establishing a definitive production total, and the term is now applied inconsistently in the used-car market.
The CEO cars were personally signed off by Andy Palmer and were specified to demonstrate the breadth of equipment and personalisation available on DB11. They were effectively showcase cars, generally carrying exceptionally high specifications and combinations selected to present the new model at its most ambitious.
Features associated with documented CEO cars can include:
The exact specification can vary, so there is no single visual checklist that authenticates every CEO Edition. Some were built in relatively traditional colour combinations, while others were deliberately more adventurous. Later modifications, including the AMR power upgrade offered through Aston Martin, can further complicate the description of an individual car.
Andy Palmer’s own DB11 should also be distinguished from the broader group. His personal car was a uniquely specified Q Commission example finished in Signature Golden Saffron with extensive carbon-fibre content and a bespoke interior. That car has sometimes been advertised as the definitive CEO or Launch Edition, but its personal provenance and one-off specification make it different from the other CEO cars.
For anyone buying a car described as a CEO Edition, documentation is essential. Ideally, the history should include a factory build sheet, original sales documentation or written confirmation from Aston Martin or an authorised dealer. A high specification alone is not sufficient evidence, particularly because a normal Launch Edition could also be ordered with a large number of options.
A genuine and well-documented CEO car is an intriguing part of DB11 history. It connects directly with the model’s launch, Andy Palmer’s leadership and Aston Martin’s effort to demonstrate a new level of personalisation. However, rarity claims should be treated cautiously unless supported by factory evidence.
From Launch Edition to regular production
The Launch Edition order programme began during 2016. The regular non-Launch Edition V12 followed for 17.5MY, with the order load date shown in Aston Martin’s internal product timeline as 30 January 2017. Further 18MY and 18.5MY iterations followed during 2017.
Mechanically, the original 600 bhp V12 remained broadly unchanged through this period. The most significant differences concerned standard equipment, exterior finishes, wheel availability, option packages and the growing Q by Aston Martin offer.
The regular-production car had a lower starting price and less equipment as standard, allowing customers to build a DB11 around their own priorities. Items such as the Bang & Olufsen audio system, directional wheels, powered armrest, touchpad and V12 side badges could add substantially to the final price.
As a result, there can be more variation among early DB11s than the simple distinction between Launch Edition and non-Launch Edition suggests. A carefully specified regular car may be just as desirable to use, while a genuine Launch or CEO car may carry greater historical interest. The original factory record remains the best guide.
Living with the V12
The AE31 engine needs to be understood as a modern, high-output turbocharged V12 rather than simply another version of the long-serving Aston Martin 5.9-litre engine. Correct servicing, suitable oil, cooling-system condition and battery health all matter.
Owners should allow the engine and its fluids to warm fully before using large throttle openings. After sustained high-speed or demanding driving, a gentler final period allows temperatures to stabilise before the engine is switched off. The car’s cooling and lubrication systems are designed to manage turbocharger heat, but sympathetic operation remains sensible.
The DB11 is also sensitive to battery condition. A low-voltage event can generate apparently unrelated warning messages across the car’s many electronic modules. A suitable battery conditioner is valuable for cars that are not used regularly, although regular driving remains preferable to prolonged storage.
Tyres deserve particular attention. The original Bridgestone S007 tyres were developed specifically for the DB11, with 255/40 ZR20 tyres at the front and 295/35 ZR20 at the rear. Age, temperature and tread condition have a major effect on how safely the car can deploy its torque. A low-mileage example may still require replacement tyres if the originals have hardened with age.
The V12 also places considerable demand on the braking and cooling systems. A pre-purchase inspection should include the radiators, charge-cooling circuit, hoses, fluid condition, undertrays, brakes, tyres and evidence of previous software updates or factory campaigns.
These subjects will be covered in greater detail in the buying and ownership chapter, but they are particularly relevant to the earliest cars. The DB11 introduced a new engine, platform and electronic architecture simultaneously, making a complete service history and knowledgeable maintenance more important than mileage alone.
The character of the original car
The original 600 bhp DB11 V12 has sometimes been overshadowed by the later AMR, which brought greater power, revised dynamics and a more overtly sporting identity. That should not diminish the significance or appeal of the launch car.
You can bet an AMR power upgrade for the original DB11 V12.It lifts the power to 630bhp and gives a more characterful noise to match.The dynamic set up is not touch.It is a well priced upgrade so do get in touch if you are interested.
It was the DB11 in its first and arguably purest form: a powerful, refined and technically ambitious grand tourer built around an Aston Martin-designed V12. It delivered the effortless performance promised by its 700 Nm torque figure, yet retained enough smoothness and restraint to cover long distances without becoming tiring.
The Launch Editions capture the beginning of production with an unusually generous specification, while the documented CEO cars add a rarer and more personal connection to the leadership and ambitions surrounding the model’s introduction.
The original V12 also established the reference point against which every later DB11 would be judged. The V8 would offer less weight and a more agile character. The AMR would sharpen the V12 and raise its performance. The Volante would reinterpret the DB11 as an open grand tourer. Each derivative broadened or refined the idea, but the fundamental combination of new structure, rear transaxle and twin-turbocharged power began here.
For an owner who values historical importance, relaxed high-speed ability and the presence of Aston Martin’s own V12, the original DB11 remains one of the most interesting cars in the range.
When the DB11 was launched in 2016, its new 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 was central to the car’s identity. It was Aston Martin’s own engine, the most powerful fitted to a production DB model at that point and an emphatic statement of intent for the company’s second century.
Barely a year later, Aston Martin introduced a second DB11 with a very different powertrain. The new model used a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 supplied by Mercedes-AMG, making it the first production Aston Martin to benefit from the engine element of the technical partnership agreed with Daimler.
It would have been easy to view the V8 simply as a less expensive and more economical version of the V12. That description misses much of its significance. The V8 was 115 kg lighter, its engine sat lower and farther back in the chassis, and Aston Martin comprehensively revised the suspension and electronic systems to exploit the resulting change in balance.
The V8 therefore became as much a chassis programme as an engine programme. Its development coincided with the arrival at Aston Martin of one of Britain’s most highly regarded chassis engineers, Matt Becker. His influence would be felt across the company’s new generation of cars, beginning with DB11 and becoming increasingly apparent as the range developed.
The outcome was not a junior DB11, but a distinct interpretation of the car. The V12 remained the more traditional grand tourer, with greater power, greater status and the unmistakable appeal of twelve cylinders. The V8 revealed a lighter, more agile and more overtly sporting side to the DB11.
The V8-powered DB11 was announced in June 2017 and introduced for the 18.5 model year, with customer deliveries beginning during the final quarter of that year.
Aston Martin described the objective internally as creating a DB11 with improved efficiency and reduced ownership costs, thereby broadening the car’s appeal and market penetration. This was particularly important in countries where taxation was influenced heavily by engine capacity.It should be pointed out that the tax benefits were the a largest benefit.Actual running costs ended up being relatively similar.They are both relatively sensible cars to run for this level of vehicle.
The commercial logic was clear. A 4.0-litre engine made DB11 more accessible in markets where the 5.2-litre V12 attracted substantial registration charges and annual taxes. It also allowed Aston Martin to offer the car at a lower price. At launch, the UK recommended retail price of the V8 Coupé started at £144,900, compared with £157,900 for the regular-production V12.
The difference was not great enough to turn DB11 into a fundamentally cheaper car. This remained a hand-built Aston Martin with essentially the same body, cabin, craftsmanship and available equipment. Instead, customers were being offered a choice between two characters.
Aston Martin described the V12 as “The Definitive GT” and the V8 as “The Sports GT”. Those concise descriptions remain useful when comparing them today.
The V8’s introduction marked an important moment in Aston Martin history. Although the DB11 already used Daimler-sourced electrical architecture and infotainment systems, the V8 model was the first production Aston Martin powered by an engine supplied through the Mercedes-AMG partnership.
The underlying 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 was already highly regarded for its compact dimensions, strong torque delivery and ability to produce considerable power without the size or weight of a twelve-cylinder engine.
There was understandable concern among some enthusiasts that using an engine associated with Mercedes-AMG might dilute Aston Martin’s identity. The company was acutely aware of this. Its engineers were given considerable freedom to adapt the power unit specifically for DB11 rather than simply installing it in the form used by Mercedes-AMG.
Aston Martin developed its own air-intake system, exhaust, wet sump, engine mounts, Bosch ECU software, throttle mapping and powertrain calibration. The sound of the engine was also tuned to meet Aston Martin’s requirements.
These changes mattered. Throttle response, torque delivery, exhaust character and the way an engine interacts with an automatic transmission all contribute to the personality of a car. Two vehicles can use engines from the same family and feel quite different from behind the wheel.
The V8 DB11 was therefore not simply an AMG-engined car carrying Aston Martin badges. Its engine had AMG origins, but its installation, calibration and dynamic integration were undertaken by Aston Martin.
In its original form, the V8 produced 503 bhp, equivalent to 510 PS, and 675 Nm of torque. This compared with 600 bhp and 700 Nm from the contemporary V12.
The difference in peak power was considerable, but the difference in torque was much smaller. The V8 produced only 25 Nm less than the twelve-cylinder engine, giving it the strong and immediate mid-range performance required of a grand tourer.
Aston Martin quoted acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in 4.0 seconds, only one tenth of a second behind the original V12. Its maximum speed was 187 mph rather than 200 mph.Frankly, it was only getting into three figure speeds where the V12 would really pull away.
On the road, this meant the V8 rarely felt like the lesser-performing car. The V12 had a deeper reserve of power at higher speeds and delivered its performance with greater effortlessness, but the V8 remained exceptionally fast. Its more energetic delivery and lower mass sometimes made it feel more responsive in ordinary driving, particularly on a winding road.
The V8 also retained the rear-mounted ZF eight-speed automatic transaxle. This preserved one of the DB11’s important engineering principles, with the gearbox placed at the rear of the car to help distribute weight between the two axles.
Matt Becker joined Aston Martin in January 2015, having spent more than 26 years at Lotus. He had started there as a 16-year-old apprentice and eventually became responsible for the company’s vehicle dynamics, contributing to cars including the Elise, Exige and Evora.
Lotus had built its reputation around steering response, ride quality, balance and the ability to make relatively light cars feel connected to the driver. Becker arrived at Aston Martin as the company was preparing to launch an entirely new generation of models, beginning with DB11.
The timing was significant. The original V12 DB11 programme was already well advanced when Becker joined, so it would be wrong to attribute the creation of the entire car to him. However, he became an important figure in the final development of its dynamic character and in the subsequent evolution of the range.
Becker’s approach was not based upon making every car as stiff or aggressive as possible. He argued that handling and ride comfort did not need to be opposing qualities. A car could control its body movements, respond accurately and give the driver confidence without punishing its occupants on imperfect roads.
That philosophy was particularly relevant to DB11. This was not intended to be an uncompromising track car. It needed to travel great distances comfortably, remain composed at very high speeds and still feel agile and rewarding on a difficult road.
The new bonded-aluminium platform, electric power-assisted steering and electronically controlled adaptive dampers provided a wider range of tuning possibilities than Aston Martin had enjoyed with earlier VH-platform cars. Steering assistance and damper behaviour could be calibrated for different speeds and driving modes, allowing the engineers to create genuine separation between GT, Sport and Sport Plus.
Becker described the objectives in terms of composure, balance, linearity and connection. Together, those qualities give a driver confidence. The intention was not to create artificial sharpness, but to make the car’s responses intuitive and predictable.
The original DB11 was the beginning of that process. The V8 provided an opportunity to take it further.Firstly, installing the V8 was not simply a matter of creating different mountings and connecting it to the existing transmission.
Aston Martin designed a new, slimmer wet sump which allowed the engine to be positioned lower in the chassis than in its Mercedes-AMG applications. New engine mounts were also developed specifically for DB11.
Lowering the engine reduced the centre of gravity, while the more compact dimensions of the V8 allowed its mass to be concentrated farther back within the wheelbase. Both changes helped the car respond more readily when turning into a corner.
The bespoke wet sump also reduced parasitic losses within the engine, contributing to improved efficiency. At launch, Aston Martin quoted combined fuel economy of 28.5 mpg and CO₂ emissions of 230 g/km under the test system then in use.
More important to the character of the car was the reduction in weight.Aston Martin quoted a weight saving of 115 kg compared with the original V12 DB11. At launch, the company gave the V8 a kerb weight of 1,760 kg, against 1,875 kg for the V12.
Most of that reduction occurred at the front of the car. Removing weight is beneficial in almost any performance car, but removing it from over the front axle has a particularly noticeable effect upon steering response and agility.
The V8 turned into corners with greater immediacy and felt more willing to change direction. Its nose appeared lighter, while the car required less effort to place accurately on a demanding road. The V12 was hardly cumbersome, but its character was more deliberate and substantial.
The lighter and more compact engine altered the behaviour of the entire car. Becker and Aston Martin’s dynamics team therefore retuned the chassis rather than simply transferring the V12 settings to the new model.
Changes were made to the suspension geometry, bushes, springs, dampers and anti-roll bars. The electronic stability programme was also recalibrated to suit the V8’s different weight distribution and more sporting brief.
This is an important point when considering the two models. The V8 did not merely feel different because it had a smaller engine. Aston Martin deliberately tuned its chassis to create that difference.
The V12 emphasised breadth of ability, high-speed stability and effortless grand-touring performance. The V8 placed greater emphasis on agility and driver involvement while retaining the ride comfort expected of a DB11.
The V8 presented the chassis team with an opportunity. Its lower mass and more favourable concentration of weight provided a stronger starting point for the more sporting interpretation of DB11 that Aston Martin wanted to create.
It would have been possible to make the springs and dampers substantially firmer and produce an immediately obvious difference during a short demonstration drive. That was not the objective. The V8 still needed to fulfil the fundamental DB11 role as a comfortable and refined grand tourer.
Instead, the alterations were intended to make the car’s responses cleaner and more accurate. Reduced mass over the front axle helped the steering, while changes to the suspension and stability-control calibration allowed the chassis to exploit the more compact engine without making the car nervous or uncomfortable.
This reflects Becker’s broader philosophy. A chassis should not need exaggerated stiffness to feel sporting. Body control, steering accuracy and predictable responses allow a driver to use a car’s performance with confidence, while carefully judged compliance keeps the tyres in contact with an imperfect road.
The three-stage adaptive damping system was particularly important. GT mode could preserve the supple ride required for long journeys, while Sport and Sport Plus progressively increased control and response when the driver wanted to use more of the car’s performance.
Engine and chassis development also had to work together. Throttle response, gearbox behaviour and stability-control intervention influence how a rear-wheel-drive car behaves just as much as springs and dampers. The V8’s software was therefore calibrated as part of the complete dynamic package rather than treated as a separate powertrain exercise.
The work undertaken on the V8 also contributed to the continuing development of the DB11 family. Becker and his team would later apply similar principles to the DB11 AMR, sharpening the V12 car’s responses without sacrificing the supple ride and touring ability that remained essential to the model.
The V8’s character becomes most apparent on the type of road where the driver can use the chassis rather than the top end of the engine’s performance.There is less weight pressing upon the front tyres, the steering feels more alert and the car responds more quickly to direction changes. The compact V8 also makes the DB11 feel slightly smaller from the driver’s seat than its exterior dimensions suggest.
Its engine possesses a more urgent, harder-edged character than the V12. The exhaust note is unmistakably that of a V8, with a deep bass at lower engine speeds and a more aggressive sound as the revs rise. The V12 is smoother and more complex in tone, while the V8 is more direct and muscular.
Neither character is inherently better. They appeal to different priorities.
On a long motorway journey, the V12 has a sense of effortlessness that suits the traditional conception of an Aston Martin grand tourer. Its power delivery feels abundant and unhurried, and the presence of a twelve-cylinder engine carries significance of its own.
On a country road, the V8’s lighter nose and more agile chassis can make it the more engaging car. It feels keen to work with the driver and possesses more than enough performance for almost any realistic situation.
For many owners, the V8 became the most balanced DB11 in the range. It combined genuine supercar performance with improved efficiency, a lower purchase price and the full DB11 cabin and touring capability.
How to identify a V8 DB11
Aston Martin deliberately kept the visual differences between the two engines relatively subtle. The V8 shared the same fundamental body and was not intended to look like a lower-ranking derivative.
The easiest identifying feature on early cars is the bonnet.
The original V12 has four bonnet vents, two on either side. The V8 has a pair of vents, one towards each outer edge of the bonnet. The V8 vents used mesh rather than the separate bonnet blades available on the V12, with titanium-finish mesh fitted as standard and black mesh offered as an alternative.
The V8 also received dark internal headlamp bezels, while the V12 used a brighter finish. A model-specific non-directional ten-spoke silver wheel was standard on the V8, although the considerable range of optional wheels means this cannot be relied upon when identifying a car today.
The difference between two and four bonnet vents remains the quickest visual guide, although owners could access additional finishes through Q by Aston Martin and later accessory changes can sometimes blur the distinction.
From 18.5MY, both engines also received the separate Aston Martin script beneath the rear wings badge. Blind Spot Monitoring became available as an option, while additional trim inlays and Designer Specifications expanded the already extensive personalisation possibilities.
The V8 did not receive a simplified cabin. Aston Martin offered essentially the same standard equipment levels, leather choices, trim combinations, option packs and Designer Specifications available on the V12.
This was important to the positioning of the car. The engine choice was intended to determine character and performance, not the perceived quality of the ownership experience.
A V8 could therefore be configured as a restrained and traditional grand tourer or as a much more contemporary sporting car. Caithness leather, Celestial perforation, Nexus quilting, brogue detailing, colour-keyed steering wheels, premium audio and the available carbon-fibre finishes were not reserved for the V12.
Technology Packs could add features such as powered centre-armrest stowage, the infotainment touchpad and upgraded audio. The more comprehensive pack included the Bang & Olufsen system, powered seat-bolster adjustment, automatic parking assistance and, in relevant markets, a garage-door opener.
Q by Aston Martin further widened the possibilities. The Q Collection offered predefined materials and finishes through the normal ordering process, while Q Commission allowed more individual requests to be considered. Q Commission V8 orders were held back during the initial launch period, but became available once production had settled.
As a result, engine size alone tells very little about the desirability or original cost of an individual DB11. A carefully specified V8 can be considerably more appealing than a sparsely equipped V12, and the quality and coherence of the original specification remain important when assessing used cars.
The 22MY power increase
The most significant later change to the V8 engine arrived for the 2022 model year.
Power increased by 25 PS, from 510 PS to 535 PS. In British horsepower, the figure rose from 503 bhp to 528 bhp, an increase of 25 bhp. Torque remained unchanged at 675 Nm.
Aston Martin’s final technical material quoted a maximum speed of 192 mph, up from the original 187 mph. The 0 to 62 mph time remained around four seconds, depending upon body style and the precise specification quoted.
The additional power did not fundamentally alter the personality of the V8, but it strengthened its performance at higher speeds and reduced the numerical gap between it and the twelve-cylinder models.
For 22MY, DB11 also adopted Aston Martin’s revised configuration system. Customers selected from Create, Accelerate and Inspire interior environments, with each providing a different combination of materials, colours and sporting or luxury character. New wheel designs and exterior packages were introduced, together with the option of the more heavily bolstered Sports Plus seat.
These later cars can therefore feel and look quite different from an early 18.5MY V8, despite sharing the same basic engine and chassis concept.
V8 or V12?
This is one of the most frequent questions asked by prospective DB11 owners, and there is no universal answer.
The V12 is the model most closely connected to the original DB11 story. It was the launch engine, it was developed by Aston Martin, and its combination of twelve cylinders and a 200 mph maximum speed gave the new car considerable status. For collectors and traditionalists, those qualities are important.
The V8 is lighter, more agile and generally less costly to buy and run. It gives away surprisingly little in real-world performance and can feel more responsive on the roads where most owners will actually use the car.
The decision therefore depends less upon which engine is objectively superior and more upon what the owner wants from a DB11.
Someone seeking the most traditional grand-touring experience, the effortless power of twelve cylinders and the engine most closely associated with the car’s launch may naturally favour the V12.
Someone who values steering response, agility, a more sporting exhaust note and greater everyday efficiency may find the V8 more rewarding.
Specification also matters. The condition, colour combination, service history and optional equipment of an individual car can be more important than the number of cylinders. We would always recommend driving both before making a decision because their personalities are more distinct than the small difference in acceleration figures might suggest.
The HWM view
The arrival of the V8 could easily have weakened the DB11 by making the range feel confused or by creating an obvious hierarchy between the two engines. In practice, it did the opposite.
The V8 demonstrated the adaptability of the DB11’s bonded-aluminium platform and gave the car a character that the original V12 did not attempt to provide. It made DB11 more responsive without sacrificing its ability to cover long distances in comfort, and it brought the car to customers and markets for whom the V12 was difficult to justify.
It also proved that an Aston Martin could use an externally supplied engine without losing its identity. That lesson became increasingly important as the same engine family went on to play a central role in the next-generation Vantage, DBX and later Aston Martin models.
Matt Becker’s contribution is an important part of that story. His arrival brought decades of specialist knowledge in ride, handling and steering at precisely the point when Aston Martin was moving to a new platform, electronic architecture and generation of adaptive chassis technology.
The V8 DB11 demonstrated the value of that expertise particularly clearly. The lighter engine created an opportunity, but weight reduction alone would not have produced such a coherent car. It was the integration of the engine, suspension, steering, transmission and electronic systems that gave the V8 its distinctive character.
The V12 will always possess a special place in the DB11 story. Its engine is more exotic, its performance more effortless and its connection to the launch of Aston Martin’s Second Century Plan more direct.
The V8, however, may be the more surprising car. It is the lighter and more agile interpretation, shaped during an important new period in Aston Martin’s chassis development and engineered with sufficient care to possess a distinct personality of its own.It ended up out-selling the V12 variant by a huge margin.
An open Aston Martin has always offered a different kind of appeal. The Coupé may be the more structurally pure expression of a sports car, but the Volante brings the engine, exhaust, landscape and weather into the driving experience in a way that no fixed-roof car can reproduce.
Aston Martin unveiled the DB11 Volante in October 2017, with the first customer deliveries following during the first quarter of 2018. Officially introduced for the 2019 model year, it completed the original DB11 family alongside the V8 and V12 Coupés.
It was more than a DB11 with its roof removed. Aston Martin created a completely new folding hood, strengthened the bonded-aluminium structure, revised the rear suspension, reworked the aerodynamics and redesigned much of the body behind the windscreen.
The result was a notably elegant open grand tourer. With the roof raised, it retained the flowing profile expected of a DB11. With it lowered, the Volante acquired a character of its own, placing greater emphasis on theatre, sound and the pleasure of open-air travel.
The Volante name first appeared publicly at the 1965 London Motor Show on the model now commonly known as the Short Chassis Volante. It used the remaining DB5 chassis as Aston Martin moved towards the DB6, and only 37 examples were built.
Volante is derived from the Italian word associated with flying, making it an appropriate name for Aston Martin’s open cars. Over the following decades it would be applied to convertible versions of the DB6, V8, Virage, DB7, DB9 and other models.
The name came to represent more than the absence of a fixed roof. A Volante was expected to retain the performance, craftsmanship and long-distance ability of the equivalent Coupé while introducing a more relaxed and sensory dimension.
That was the challenge facing the DB11 programme. The new car needed to be an elegant convertible, but it also had to meet modern expectations for structural rigidity, refinement, luggage capacity, roof durability and high-speed stability.
Aston Martin therefore described the DB11 Volante as its “Open-top GT”. That title distinguished it from the “Sports GT” character of the V8 Coupé and the “Definitive GT” positioning of the original V12.
Unlike the DB9 Volante, the DB11 Volante was offered exclusively with the 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8. Aston Martin never produced a regular-production V12 version.This occasionally surprises buyers because twelve-cylinder engines had traditionally played an important role in Aston Martin’s flagship convertibles. The original DB11 had also been launched with the company’s 5.2-litre V12, making a V12 Volante appear an obvious extension of the range.
The decision to use the V8 was nevertheless logical. The Mercedes-AMG-derived engine was considerably lighter and more compact than the V12. As we explored in Chapter Five, it could also be mounted lower and farther back within the chassis.This offset the slight weight penalty of the bigger engine.By this point, the V8 Coupe was also outselling the V12 by a considerable margin.
A convertible already requires additional structural reinforcement and a complete folding-roof mechanism. Beginning with the lighter V8 powertrain helped Aston Martin contain the Volante’s overall weight and preserve the sporting balance it wanted for the car.
The decision also gave the DB11 range a clearer structure. The V12 Coupé represented the most powerful and traditional grand tourer, while the V8 was used to create both the more agile Coupé and the open Volante.
The Volante initially produced 503 bhp, or 510 PS, together with 675 Nm of torque. Drive was sent through the same rear-mounted ZF eight-speed automatic transaxle used by the Coupé.Aston Martin quoted a maximum speed of 187 mph and acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds. That made it only one tenth of a second slower than the contemporary V8 Coupé, despite the additional weight of its structure and roof mechanism.
These figures made clear that the Volante was not a leisurely touring derivative. It remained an extremely fast car, with performance close to the original V12 DB11 and more than sufficient for its role as a luxury open grand tourer.
Creating a convertible inevitably presents structural challenges. In a Coupé, the roof contributes to the strength of the body by linking the front and rear sections of the car. Removing that fixed connection can allow the structure to twist and flex unless stiffness is restored elsewhere.
Simply adding large amounts of reinforcement would solve part of the problem, but it would also increase weight. Additional mass can reduce steering response, impair ride quality and place greater loads on the brakes, suspension and tyres.
Aston Martin used the DB11’s bonded-aluminium architecture as the starting point for a structure designed specifically around the Volante. The company stated that the resulting structure was 26 kg lighter and five per cent stiffer than that of the DB9 Volante it replaced.
The comparison with the previous model is important. The DB11 Volante was not as light as the V8 Coupé, but its underlying structure represented a substantial advance over Aston Martin’s previous open grand tourer.
The internal factory material also recorded an improvement in torsional stiffness of 6.5 kNm per degree compared with the DB9 Volante. Greater torsional rigidity gave the suspension a more stable platform from which to work, reducing the need to compensate for unwanted movement within the body.
This contributes not only to handling but also to refinement. A rigid structure is generally less prone to the vibration, scuttle shake, squeaks and rattles that can affect open cars. It also allows the doors, roof seals and interior components to remain more consistently aligned over time.
The DB11 Volante had an EU kerb weight of approximately 1,870 kg. This was around 110 kg more than the contemporary V8 Coupé and broadly comparable with the weight of the original V12 Coupé.Its distribution was also more rear-biased, at approximately 47 per cent front and 53 per cent rear. Aston Martin accounted for this with revisions to the rear suspension and dedicated tuning for the braking system.
The K-fold roof
The defining piece of engineering was the entirely new fabric roof. Aston Martin described it as a K-fold system, with no carryover from the DB9 Volante mechanism.
The roof needed to satisfy several competing requirements. It had to create an elegant profile when raised, fold into a very small space when lowered, provide proper acoustic and thermal insulation, retain useful luggage capacity and remain reliable through years of use.
Its construction incorporated eight layers of insulation and acoustic material. This allowed the Volante to feel remarkably close to a Coupé when the roof was raised, reducing wind noise and protecting the cabin from extremes of temperature.
Aston Martin retained a fabric hood rather than adopting a folding metal roof. This saved weight and space while preserving the appearance traditionally associated with a Volante. It also allowed the roof to fold into a stack only 260 mm high.
That exceptionally compact folded height was crucial to the shape of the car. A taller mechanism would have required a raised rear deck, disturbing the clean line flowing from the cabin towards the tail. By packaging the hood into a shallow space, Aston Martin’s designers could create a low and smoothly sculpted rear profile.
The roof takes 14 seconds to lower and 16 seconds to raise. It can be operated while the car is moving at speeds of up to 31 mph, even in a headwind of the same speed.
It can also be controlled remotely using the key, provided the driver remains within approximately two metres of the vehicle. Holding the unlock button opens the roof and lowers the windows, while holding the lock button closes the roof and raises the windows.
The short operating time is particularly useful in Britain, where the weather can change quickly. The ability to raise or lower the roof without bringing the car to a complete stop also makes owners far more likely to use it regularly.
A folding roof is among the most mechanically complex systems fitted to a convertible. It must move a large fabric and metal structure through a precise sequence while controlling the header rail, tensioning bows, rear cover, windows and locking mechanism.Nevertheless, they have so far proven reliable.
Aston Martin therefore subjected the DB11 Volante roof to more than 100,000 opening and closing cycles during development. Its accelerated life-cycle test compressed the equivalent of ten years’ operation into approximately one month.The mechanism was tested in climatic chambers and subsequently validated using development cars in conditions ranging from the heat of Death Valley to simulated Arctic environments.
Engineers also tested its resistance to water, wind and vibration. Water-ingress testing included conditions intended to replicate an extreme monsoon, while prototype mechanisms were subjected to repeated vibration to identify potential squeaks and rattles before production began.
The roof was also operated under dynamic loads, including while the car was being driven into a headwind and through a slalom. This was important because the forces acting upon a large fabric roof can change substantially when the vehicle is moving.
No convertible roof is entirely maintenance-free as it ages, and correct operation remains important. The development programme nevertheless demonstrates how much engineering effort was devoted to making the Volante a usable all-weather car rather than an occasional fair-weather special.
Packaging the roof without making the DB11 impractical required a variable luggage-compartment arrangement.A manually operated divider separates the luggage from the area occupied by the folded hood. When the divider is lowered, sufficient space is reserved for the roof and the mechanism is permitted to operate. If it remains in the raised position, the car prevents the roof from opening and displays a warning to the driver.
This avoids the danger of the folding roof coming into contact with luggage placed too high in the boot.With the roof raised, the divider can be lifted to increase the available luggage space. Factory figures gave a capacity of approximately 206 litres with the roof up and 169 litres with it lowered.
The Volante therefore loses 64 litres of capacity compared with the Coupé, but it offers more luggage room than the DB9 Volante it replaced. Aston Martin claimed an improvement of approximately 20 per cent with the roof raised.
The shape of the compartment is more important than the raw figure might suggest. With the roof up, Aston Martin stated that two golf bags could be accommodated without their drivers. With the roof lowered, space remained for a single golf bag.
For a couple travelling with soft bags, the Volante remains perfectly capable of undertaking the long journeys for which a DB model is intended. As with most convertibles, sensible packing becomes more important if the roof is to remain available during the trip.
The DB11 Volante retained the Coupé’s front-hinged clamshell bonnet, grille, Curlicue front-wheelarch airflow management and slim LED lights. Behind the windscreen, however, it required a different visual treatment.The Coupé’s roof strakes and C-pillars were replaced by the fabric hood, a new rear deck and a tonneau cover concealing the folded mechanism.
A waistline and tonneau finisher wrapped around the rear of the passenger compartment. This was effectively the Volante’s equivalent of the Coupé’s roof strake and could be specified in bright or dark anodised finishes.
The windscreen surround was body-coloured as standard, with gloss black available as an alternative. These choices could change the appearance of the car considerably. A bright tonneau finisher emphasised the sweeping line around the cabin, while dark finishes produced a more contemporary and sporting look.
At the car’s launch, the roof was offered in colours including Obsidian Black, Bordeaux Red, Black Silver and Grey Silver, with the palette subsequently expanding through the wider model-year offering.Choosing the hood colour was particularly important because it affected the Volante’s appearance almost as much as the paint. A black or dark silver hood could create a restrained and sporting character, while Bordeaux Red offered a more traditional and luxurious combination.
New forged Y-spoke wheels were also introduced with the Volante and offered in silver, gloss black and champagne diamond-turned finishes. These became available across the wider DB11 range, but their introduction was closely associated with the open car.
The DB11 Coupé used its C-pillars as part of the AeroBlade system. Air entered ducts at the base of the pillars, travelled through the body and emerged from a slot in the rear deck to create the effect of a virtual spoiler.That arrangement could not be transferred directly to the Volante because it had no fixed C-pillars through which to channel the airflow.
The Volante retained the Curlicue system at the front, extracting high-pressure air from the wheelarches through the side strakes to reduce lift. At the rear, aerodynamic stability depended more heavily upon the small active spoiler integrated into the decklid.
This spoiler deploys automatically when required and retracts when it is no longer needed, preserving the clean rear profile at lower speeds. Although Aston Martin continued to use the AeroBlade name in its Volante material, its operation was different from the complete C-duct and virtual-spoiler arrangement fitted to the Coupé.
The distinction matters because the rear bodywork of the Volante was not simply a reshaped version of the Coupé. Its aerodynamics had to be reconsidered around the absence of a fixed roof and the different airflow passing over the open cabin.
Removing the roof changes how an interior is experienced. Materials and colours that appear relatively discreet within a Coupé become much more visible when the cabin is open.Aston Martin used the Volante’s introduction to broaden the DB11’s interior choices. For the first time on the model, customers could specify veneer panels on the backs of the front seats, matching the material selected for the fascia and door trim.
These seat-back panels were available in open-pore woods, Piano Black and carbon fibre. With the roof lowered, they became a particularly visible part of the cabin and helped the interior feel properly finished from every angle.
The Volante otherwise offered the same extensive choice of leather grades, stitching, perforation, quilting and trim environments as the Coupé. Monotone and duotone combinations could be created using Strathmore, Caithness or Balmoral leather, depending upon the selected layout.
The 19MY introduction also brought a heated steering wheel, which was an especially appropriate option for the Volante. It could warm the rim to approximately 36°C in two and a half minutes, extending the period in which open-air driving remained comfortable.
Rear ISOFIX mounting points were standard, making DB11 Volante the first Aston Martin convertible to offer them. The powered centre armrest also became standard across the DB11 range for 19MY.
A factory wind deflector was available as an option. It fitted across the rear seating area and reduced airflow through the cabin when the roof was lowered. The design was lighter and more compact than the DB9 Volante version and could be folded into a protective case for storage in the boot.
The trade-off is that the deflector occupies the rear seats when installed. Owners intending to carry occasional rear passengers need to choose between passenger space and the best possible control of cabin turbulence.
Aston Martin created an exclusive Designer Specification called Open Aura for the Volante.It combined Pearl Blonde exterior paint with an Atlantic Blue hood, bright tonneau detailing and silver diamond-turned wheels. Inside, Blue Haze and Coral Sand leather was paired with Celestial perforation, Nexus quilting, brogue detailing and Dyed Tamo Ash open-pore veneer.
The specification demonstrated how different the Volante could look when colour and material were used confidently. Rather than attempting to imitate a dark and sporting Coupé, Open Aura embraced the car’s more relaxed and luxurious character.
A second new Designer Specification, Twilight Tour, took a darker approach. Ultramarine Black paint, an Atlantic Blue hood, dark anodised exterior finishes and gloss-black wheels were combined with an Aurora Blue interior.
These factory combinations are useful references when assessing used cars because they show how carefully the exterior paint, hood, tonneau finish, wheels and cabin materials could be coordinated.
The Volante does not feel identical to the V8 Coupé. Its additional weight and more rear-biased distribution can be detected, particularly during rapid changes of direction. The Coupé remains the more agile and structurally direct car.
That does not mean the Volante feels imprecise. Its improved rigidity over the DB9 Volante, combined with adaptive damping and dedicated suspension tuning, gives it impressive composure for a convertible of its size and weight.
The front suspension retained the double-wishbone arrangement used by the Coupé, with a multi-link system at the rear. GT, Sport and Sport Plus damper settings allowed the driver to adjust the balance between ride comfort and body control.
The brake master cylinder and assistance were recalibrated specifically for the Volante, helping to preserve an appropriate pedal response despite its different mass and weight distribution.
In GT mode, the Volante settles naturally into its intended role. The ride is comfortable, the eight-speed transmission shifts unobtrusively and the raised roof provides enough insulation for long motorway journeys.
Lowering the roof changes the experience. The V8 exhaust becomes far more prominent, particularly in Sport and Sport Plus, while the sense of speed and connection with the surroundings increases considerably.
This is where the V8 engine suits the car especially well. Its deep, muscular exhaust note is an important part of the Volante’s appeal, while its strong mid-range torque means meaningful performance is available without needing to chase the upper end of the rev range.
The DB11 Volante is consequently at its best when driven quickly but fluently. It has the performance to be exciting and the chassis to remain controlled, but its real pleasure comes from combining that ability with an open cabin and a long journey.
The Volante received the same V8 power increase as the Coupé for the 2022 model year.Output rose from 503 to 528 bhp, or from 510 to 535 PS, while torque remained at 675 Nm. The final factory specification quoted a maximum speed of 192 mph, increased from the original 187 mph.
Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph remained quoted at approximately 4.1 seconds. The additional power was most noticeable at higher speeds rather than producing a dramatic change from a standing start.The 22MY cars also gained the revised Create, Accelerate and Inspire interior environments, new wheel choices, exterior packages and the option of the more supportive Sports Plus seats.
These later cars are the most powerful regular-production DB11 Volantes, but the essential character of the model changed very little. From the beginning, it had been designed around the V8 and possessed sufficient performance for its open grand-touring role.
The absence of a V12 version has inevitably encouraged speculation about what such a car might have been like.Aston Martin never suggested that a V12 DB11 Volante was technically impossible. The bonded-aluminium platform was strong and adaptable, and the original Coupé demonstrated that the larger engine could be accommodated within the car.
The more relevant issue was the complete product. The V12 was heavier, particularly over the front axle, while the Volante already carried the additional mass of its strengthening and folding roof. Combining both would have produced a heavier car and potentially moved it farther away from the agile character Aston Martin wanted.
There was also a question of range positioning. The V8 offered performance close to the original V12 while delivering lower emissions, improved efficiency and broader international appeal. It allowed Aston Martin to create a coherent Volante without needing to engineer, homologate and manufacture a second low-volume derivative.
Some customers will always prefer the idea and sound of a V12 convertible. The V8 nevertheless suited the engineering priorities of the DB11 Volante particularly well, and the car does not feel deficient in either speed or occasion.
The HWM view
The DB11 Volante is one of the most elegant cars in the DB11 family. Its proportions work particularly well with the roof lowered, while the shallow folded hood allows the rear bodywork to remain clean and uncluttered.
It also represents a significant improvement over the DB9 Volante in several practical areas. The structure is stiffer, the roof is more sophisticated, the boot is larger and the cabin provides better insulation when the hood is raised.
The V8-only decision should not be regarded as a compromise. The lighter and more compact engine helped Aston Martin offset the unavoidable mass of the convertible structure, while its torque delivery and exhaust character are extremely well suited to open-air driving.
As with any DB11, specification has a major influence upon desirability. The relationship between paint, hood colour, tonneau finish, wheels and interior is especially important on a Volante because so much of the cabin becomes visible with the roof lowered.
A wind deflector, heated steering wheel, upgraded audio and carefully selected seat ventilation can also make a meaningful difference to how the car is used. These options may matter more to an owner than some of the purely decorative additions.
The Coupé remains the choice for someone seeking the most direct and structurally focused DB11. The Volante offers something different. It preserves almost all of the car’s performance and long-distance capability while adding an experience that cannot be reproduced by a fixed roof.
That combination of elegance, speed, craftsmanship and sensory involvement is precisely what the Volante name has represented for more than half a century.As you will see if you do some research, reviews from the motoring press were always exceptional.
In May 2018, less than two years after the first DB11 reached customers, Aston Martin introduced a significantly revised version of its V12 grand tourer. Named the DB11 AMR, it offered more power, greater performance, a more responsive transmission, revised suspension and a more assertive design treatment.
The AMR did not sit above the existing V12 as a separate limited-production model. It directly replaced it. From the 19.5 model year, the DB11 AMR became the only twelve-cylinder DB11 and the flagship of the range.
This distinction is important. Although its name and appearance suggested a special edition, the regular DB11 AMR was a series-production model. Only the separate AMR Signature Edition, finished in Stirling Green with Lime detailing, was limited to 100 cars worldwide.
The transformation was more substantial than a power increase and a collection of carbon-fibre parts. Aston Martin revised the engine, transmission, exhaust, suspension, damper hardware and electronic control systems. The objective was to reveal more of the V12 car’s sporting character while preserving the comfort, refinement and long-distance ability that had defined the original DB11.
In many respects, the AMR was the car the original V12 developed into once Aston Martin had gained two years of experience with the new platform.
What did AMR mean?
AMR stands for Aston Martin Racing. The name was introduced as a performance identity at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show and drew inspiration from the company’s successful endurance-racing programme.
The idea was to create more focused versions of Aston Martin’s road cars, using a mixture of additional performance, chassis development, reduced weight and motorsport-influenced design.
There were two broad levels of AMR product. Road-going AMR models retained the comfort and usability expected of an Aston Martin while introducing sharper responses and more distinctive styling. The more extreme AMR Pro cars were intended primarily for circuit use and could incorporate far more substantial aerodynamic, chassis and weight-saving changes.
The DB11 AMR belonged firmly to the first category.There was never an AMR Pro version of the DB11. It was not intended to become an uncompromising track car. Such a transformation would have conflicted with the DB11’s fundamental purpose as a high-performance grand tourer.
Instead, Aston Martin described the AMR as offering a more vivid driving experience without damaging the supple ride and effortless continent-crossing ability of the original car.
That was a difficult balance to achieve. Increasing spring and damper rates can make a car feel more immediate during a short demonstration drive, but excessive stiffness would have reduced the DB11’s ability to travel quickly and comfortably over real roads.
The AMR programme therefore concentrated upon control, response and communication rather than attempting to turn DB11 into a larger version of the Vantage.
The DB11 AMR was revealed on 11 May 2018 at the opening of Aston Martin’s AMR Performance Centre at the Nürburgring.Production began later that month, with the model officially introduced for 19.5MY. It replaced the 600 bhp V12 rather than appearing alongside it, while the V8 Coupé and Volante continued unchanged.
This simplified the DB11 range into three distinct derivatives:
The repositioning also answered a challenge created by the arrival of the V8. The lighter car had been praised for its agility and steering response, demonstrating that the DB11 platform possessed a more sporting side than the original V12 had fully revealed.
Aston Martin’s response was not to make the V12 imitate the V8. The AMR retained the greater mass, power delivery and high-speed authority of the twelve-cylinder model, but its chassis and transmission were refined to make it feel more connected and responsive.The company increased its exclusivity through a more distinctive standard specification, ensuring that the flagship could be identified visually as well as mechanically.
The AMR retained Aston Martin’s 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged AE31 V12, but maximum power increased by 30 bhp, from 600 to 630 bhp. In metric terms, the output rose from 608 to 639 PS.Peak torque remained unchanged at 700 Nm, available from just 1,500 rpm. The increase was therefore concentrated towards the upper part of the engine’s operating range rather than intended to alter its already considerable low-speed pulling power.
Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph improved from 3.9 to 3.7 seconds, while the 0 to 60 mph time fell from 3.7 to 3.5 seconds. Maximum speed increased by eight miles per hour, from 200 to 208 mph.That made the AMR the fastest regular-production model in Aston Martin’s range at the time of its introduction and one of the world’s fastest grand tourers.
The 208 mph figure was more than a marketing statistic. It emphasised the V12 DB11’s position as the high-speed flagship, distinguishing it from the lighter V8 and taking the car beyond the symbolic 200 mph threshold already achieved by the launch model.The engine retained the key features of the original AE31, including all-alloy construction, four overhead camshafts, 48 valves, dual variable camshaft timing, water-to-air charge cooling, cylinder-bank deactivation and stop-start.
There was no increase in torque and no fundamental change to the character of the engine. The AMR still delivered its performance through a broad, sustained surge rather than the more immediate and muscular response of the V8.
What changed was the intensity. The additional power, revised transmission response and more vocal exhaust encouraged the driver to use the upper part of the rev range more frequently.It also had added exhaust crackle whilst going up and down the gears.
The AMR retained the rear-mounted ZF eight-speed automatic transaxle, connected to the engine through an alloy torque tube and carbon-fibre propeller shaft.Aston Martin revised the transmission’s shift calibration to improve both response and the way the gearbox interacted with the V12. Faster and more decisive changes helped the engine feel more immediate, particularly in Sport and Sport Plus modes.
The calibration also contributed to the improved acceleration figure. The additional 30 bhp was important, but the reduction in the 0 to 62 mph time resulted from the way the entire powertrain worked together rather than from engine output alone.
In GT mode, the transmission remained smooth and unobtrusive. This was central to the AMR brief because the car still needed to operate as a refined automatic grand tourer in traffic and on long motorway journeys.Selecting Sport or Sport Plus brought more assertive shifts, stronger engine braking and a greater willingness to hold lower gears. The difference between the modes felt more purposeful, giving the driver a wider range of behaviour without compromising the car’s everyday usability.
The original turbocharged V12 was exceptionally powerful, but some drivers felt that it lacked the vocal drama of Aston Martin’s earlier naturally aspirated engines.Turbochargers inevitably absorb and alter some of the exhaust energy that would otherwise contribute to the sound. Recreating the sharpness and complexity of a naturally aspirated V12 was therefore neither realistic nor necessarily desirable.
For the AMR, Aston Martin introduced a more characterful exhaust calibration. In Sport and Sport Plus, the engine became more vocal and expressive, allowing more of the V12’s character into the cabin.The distinction between modes remained important. GT mode preserved the subdued and refined behaviour expected during a long journey, while the more aggressive settings allowed the car to sound and feel more animated when the driver wanted it to.
The AMR did not suddenly sound like a Vanquish S or V12 Vantage. Its voice remained deeper and more muted by the twin turbochargers, but the revised tune gave the engine a greater sense of occasion.
As discussed in Chapter Five, Matt Becker joined Aston Martin in 2015 after more than 26 years at Lotus. His influence was increasingly apparent as Aston Martin developed the second-century range, and the DB11 AMR became an important demonstration of his team’s approach.
The AMR chassis programme was led by Becker as Aston Martin’s Chief Engineer. Its objective was to create a greater sense of connection without sacrificing the supple ride that made DB11 such an effective grand tourer.
This was not achieved through a single change. Aston Martin revised several parts of the chassis, including:
These changes allowed the suspension and electronic systems to operate more cohesively. Firmer or more precisely controlled mounting points reduced unwanted movement, while the revised anti-roll bar and damper settings improved body control.
The recalibrated stability and traction systems were equally important. Electronic intervention can significantly influence the character of a powerful rear-wheel-drive car, particularly one delivering 700 Nm from low engine speeds.
By adjusting when and how the systems intervened, Aston Martin could give the driver a clearer sense of the chassis while retaining the safety and stability required of a 208 mph grand tourer.
The result was a V12 DB11 that responded more accurately to steering inputs and felt more controlled through a sequence of corners. It did not possess the lighter front-end response of the V8, but the AMR’s movements were more disciplined and its connection with the driver more immediate than in the launch car.
Crucially, Aston Martin did not abandon ride quality. The AMR retained the three-stage adaptive damping system with GT, Sport and Sport Plus settings. In GT mode it remained composed and comfortable over long distances, while the firmer modes introduced greater control when the road demanded it.
This balance is central to understanding the AMR. It was not the hardest or most aggressive DB11. It was the most developed interpretation of the original V12 concept.
Despite its improved performance, the AMR did not introduce carbon-ceramic brakes or an electronically controlled differential.It retained the mechanical limited-slip differential and Dynamic Torque Vectoring by braking used by the previous V12. The final-drive ratio also remained 2.703:1.
Braking continued to be provided by large steel discs. At the front were 400 mm two-piece ventilated discs with six-piston calipers, while the rear used 360 mm co-cast ventilated discs with four-piston calipers.The steering retained its 13:1 ratio and 2.4 turns from lock to lock. Front suspension remained by double wishbones, with a multi-link arrangement at the rear.
This continuity reinforces the nature of the AMR programme. Aston Martin did not replace the DB11’s mechanical architecture. It refined the existing car through detailed changes to its calibration, suspension components and powertrain.
Weight remained broadly unchanged. Factory material quoted 1,770 kg as the published dry weight and approximately 1,870 kg under the European kerb-weight standard, with a 51:49 front-to-rear distribution.
The standard DB11 AMR received a new 20-inch forged alloy wheel finished in silver without diamond turning.The forged construction offered a more purposeful appearance and reduced unsprung mass compared with a conventional cast wheel. Lower unsprung weight assists the suspension in controlling the movement of each wheel and can benefit both ride quality and response.
The standard wheels measured 9 inches wide at the front and 11 inches at the rear. They were fitted with Bridgestone S007 tyres measuring 255/40 ZR20 at the front and 295/35 ZR20 at the rear.Gloss-black and textured-black versions of the forged AMR wheel were also available. Later in the model’s life, additional lattice-style AMR wheels were introduced through the Studio Collection.
Because many DB11s have subsequently had their wheels refinished or changed, the original wheel style and finish are worth checking when examining an AMR today.
Aston Martin gave the AMR a significantly more assertive standard appearance than the V12 it replaced.
Gloss-black finishes were applied to the front splitter, side sills, rear diffuser, mirror caps, roof panel and roof strake. The grille and exhaust finishers received a dark treatment, while the headlamp bezels were darkened and the rear lights smoked.
Gloss 2x2 twill carbon fibre was used for the bonnet blades and side strakes. These details created a visual connection with the wider AMR family without requiring the customer to specify a long list of individual options.
The treatment worked particularly well on lighter body colours, where the black roof and lower bodywork created a clear contrast. On dark paint, the same features gave the car a more understated and almost monochromatic appearance.
Not every buyer wanted an overtly sporting DB11, and the regular AMR could still be personalised extensively. Alternative wheels, brake-caliper colours, bright finishes and a wide selection of paints remained available.
This flexibility meant that an AMR did not have to look like the green and lime launch car. Many were ordered in subtle metallic colours with restrained interiors, creating a car closer in spirit to a traditional gentleman’s grand tourer.
Other standard features included:
A coloured leather centre strap could be specified through the seats, with a matching welt around the head restraint. AMR Lime provided the strongest connection with the racing-inspired exterior palette, although more restrained combinations were possible.
A carbon-fibre and Alcantara steering wheel was available, together with alternative leather colours, quilting, perforation, brogue detailing and seat ventilation.
The cabin remained unmistakably that of a DB11. The AMR changes did not remove its leather craftsmanship, 2+2 seating or grand-touring equipment. Instead, they gave the interior a more technical character and helped distinguish the flagship from the V8.
The AMR Signature Edition
At launch, Aston Martin offered the DB11 AMR Signature Edition, limited to 100 examples worldwide.
This was a genuine fixed-specification limited edition and should not be confused with the regular-production AMR. Its visual treatment used the colours most strongly associated with Aston Martin Racing.
The exterior combined Stirling Green paint with an AMR Lime stripe running over the clamshell bonnet and roof, accompanied by additional lime pinstriping. The brake calipers were also painted AMR Lime.
Gloss carbon fibre was used extensively for the:
The Signature Edition used 20-inch forged AMR wheels in textured black, together with dark grille and exhaust finishes and smoked rear lights.
Inside, Dark Knight Caithness leather was combined with Dark Knight Alcantara. AMR Lime appeared on the seat centre strap, head-restraint welt and contrast stitching, while the head restraints carried AMR embroidery in Galena Silver.
Satin carbon-fibre trim, matching carbon-fibre seat-back veneers, Satin Dark Chrome jewellery, the Bang & Olufsen audio system and the Technology Pack Plus completed the fixed specification.
The UK price was £201,995, compared with £174,995 for the standard DB11 AMR. The difference reflected both the limited production and the considerable amount of Q carbon fibre and optional equipment included as standard.
The Signature Edition is the most immediately recognisable DB11 AMR and the only launch version whose production was formally restricted to 100 cars worldwide.
Aston Martin also created three AMR Designer Specifications based around Mariana Blue, Onyx Black and China Grey.Unlike the Signature Edition, these were not fixed-number limited editions. They were coordinated design combinations that customers could select as an alternative to creating a specification from the full range of individual options.
The three specifications combined dark exterior detailing with Caithness leather, Pure Black Alcantara and AMR Lime accents. They demonstrated how the AMR identity could be expressed without using the complete Stirling Green and Lime racing treatment.
This distinction is useful in the used market. A car described as an “AMR edition” may simply be a regular DB11 AMR built to one of the Designer Specifications. Unless it is one of the 100 Stirling Green Signature Edition cars, the AMR itself was not a numerically limited model.
For the 2021 model year, Aston Martin introduced an AMR Studio Collection.This grouped a selection of performance-inspired visual and luxury options into a single package. It also introduced items that could not be ordered independently, giving Studio Collection cars a recognisable identity.
The package included a new 20-inch lattice-style forged AMR wheel in textured black. Its design had previously appeared on the Vantage and Rapide AMR models and was different from the simpler forged wheel introduced with the DB11 AMR in 2018.
An extended AMR graphics package added pinstriping to the front splitter, side sills, rear diffuser and side strakes. A coloured outline around the Aston Martin grille, described internally as “lipstick”, was also introduced.
The graphics could be specified in AMR Lime or the more restrained Silver Argento Nürburgring, with the brake calipers matched to the selected colour.Carbon fibre was used for the splitter, diffuser, sills, roof panel, roof strake and mirror caps. Inside, the package included the AMR trim split, coloured seat-centre strap and a carbon-fibre or colour-keyed sports steering wheel.
The Studio Collection was not a separate mechanical derivative. It did not add power or alter the chassis settings. Its importance lies in the concentration of exclusive design content and the relatively distinctive specification it created late in the AMR’s production life.
For the 2022 model year, Aston Martin discontinued the AMR name on DB11.The company’s internal product bulletin explained that, with Aston Martin’s return to Formula One, the AMR model would no longer be offered on the DB11 Coupé. The range returned to the simpler DB11 V12 name.
This did not mean the mechanical AMR package disappeared. The renamed V12 retained the AMR’s 639 PS output, 700 Nm of torque, 3.7-second acceleration figure, 208 mph maximum speed and developed chassis specification.
The change was principally one of naming, range positioning and standard equipment. A 22MY or later DB11 V12 is therefore mechanically descended from the AMR rather than representing a return to the original 600 bhp launch car.
This creates three distinct phases in the twelve-cylinder DB11 story:
The detailed model-year changes will be examined in Chapter Eight, but the naming distinction is important when comparing cars advertised for sale.
Original V12 or AMR?
The original V12 and the AMR offer subtly different interpretations of the same car.
The launch model has historical importance as the first DB11 and the car that began Aston Martin’s Second Century Plan. Its bright exterior detailing and less overtly sporting presentation can also suit buyers who prefer a traditional grand tourer.
The AMR is faster, more responsive and more developed. Its transmission, chassis and electronic systems benefit from the experience gained during the first two years of DB11 production, while its standard specification is generally richer and more distinctive.
Aston Martin itself suggested at the AMR’s launch that the replacement helped consolidate the original V12 cars as future collectibles. That may prove correct, particularly for unusually well-specified Launch Editions, CEO cars and early examples in important colours.
The AMR has its own appeal. It represents the most complete factory development of the V12 DB11 before the AMR name was removed, and the 100 Signature Edition cars have clear rarity.
Condition, history and specification remain crucial. A carefully maintained original V12 in an exceptional colour combination can be more desirable than a poorly specified or neglected AMR. Equally, an AMR with the right options offers one of the strongest combinations of performance, rarity and usability in the DB11 range.
The HWM view
The DB11 AMR is sometimes misunderstood as a cosmetic edition. The carbon fibre, dark trim and AMR badging are certainly prominent, but the most important changes are those that cannot be seen.
The revised damper hardware, bushes, anti-roll bar, electronic calibration and transmission strategy make the car feel more cohesive. It remains recognisably a V12 DB11, but its responses are cleaner and the relationship between the engine, gearbox and chassis is more convincing.
Matt Becker and the dynamics team avoided turning it into an uncomfortable or excessively aggressive car. That restraint was important. A DB11 should remain capable of crossing countries in comfort, even when it carries Aston Martin Racing branding.It definitely has some of that Becker magic.
The AMR also gave the twelve-cylinder car a clearer identity after the arrival of the V8. The V8 remained the lighter and more agile option, but the AMR restored the V12’s position as the faster, more exclusive and more visually distinctive flagship.And swift it is.The AMR is something of a Q car.It looks like a beautiful, fast GT but not something capable of 208mph.This will be hugely appealing to some.
The 100 Signature Edition cars possess the clearest collector credentials, but the regular AMR should not be overlooked. It was produced for a relatively short period under that name, has the full 630 bhp engine specification and represents a meaningful stage in the technical development of the DB11.
For an owner who wants the scale, sound and effortless performance of the V12, but with sharper responses than the original car, the DB11 AMR may be the most compelling version of all.
Understanding the evolution of the DB11 requires more than looking at the year shown on a registration document. Aston Martin introduced changes according to model year rather than calendar year, and production frequently moved into a new model year several months before the corresponding January.
A car registered in late 2017, for example, could be an 18MY or an 18.5MY car. Similarly, a DB11 first registered during 2022 might have been built to 22MY or 23MY specification.
The registration date can therefore provide only a starting point. The vehicle identification number, original factory build record and specification sheet are more reliable ways of establishing exactly what a car is.
This matters because DB11 changed considerably during its production life. The original 600 bhp V12 was joined by the lighter V8, the Volante completed the body range, the V12 evolved into the 630 bhp AMR and the final cars received revised power outputs, equipment structures and naming.
Some model-year revisions were mechanical and transformed the character of the car. Others concerned colours, trim, wheels and option packaging. This chapter separates those major developments from the smaller specification changes.
2017 model year: Launch Edition
The first customer DB11s were produced during 2016 as 2017 model-year cars.
All were powered by Aston Martin’s new 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12, producing 600 bhp and 700 Nm. The engine was paired with a rear-mounted ZF eight-speed automatic transaxle, giving a quoted 0 to 62 mph time of 3.9 seconds and a maximum speed of 200 mph.
The earliest cars were generally built as Launch Editions. This was not a numbered limited edition, but a highly specified launch configuration intended to establish the new model in the market and simplify the early production process.
The Launch Edition carried a UK recommended retail price of £167,015 and included a substantial amount of equipment as standard. Typical features included:
The bright roof strakes could be changed to gloss black at no additional cost, while the bonnet blades could also be specified in a dark finish.
Although Launch Edition cars followed a defined equipment strategy, customers still had considerable freedom over paint, leather and other decorative choices. They should not all be assumed to have an identical specification.
A small group of CEO Edition cars was also produced during the original V12 launch phase. As discussed in Chapter Four, these were specially commissioned and personally signed off under Andy Palmer’s leadership rather than presented as a conventional numbered public edition.
The term CEO Edition is sometimes used loosely in advertisements, so the factory build record is important. Andy Palmer’s own Q-commissioned Golden Saffron DB11 was a unique personal car and should not be confused with the wider group of CEO cars.
2017.5 model year: regular-production V12
Once the Launch and CEO Edition programmes were complete, DB11 moved into regular V12 production.
The 17.5MY car retained the same 600 bhp engine, 700 Nm torque output and fundamental mechanical specification. The major change concerned how customers could configure and price the car.
The regular-production UK price was £157,900, below that of the Launch Edition. Equipment previously bundled into the launch specification could be selected individually or through option packages, allowing customers to create a less expensive DB11 or spend considerably more through Q by Aston Martin.
This was also the point at which the normal Q Commission process became more widely available for V12 orders. Customers were no longer restricted by the need to maintain the consistency required during the launch phase.
A 17.5MY DB11 can therefore look relatively simple or exceptionally elaborate. Some cars were ordered close to the Launch Edition specification, while others used unusual Q colours, carbon-fibre components or highly personalised interiors.
Mechanically, it remained the original V12 DB11. The distinction between 17MY and 17.5MY is principally one of launch status, standard equipment, pricing and personalisation.
2018 model year: consolidation
The full 18MY V12 represented a period of consolidation rather than a major mechanical revision.
The engine, transmission, performance and chassis remained fundamentally unchanged. Aston Martin continued to refine production quality and expanded the choices available through the core range and Q by Aston Martin, but there was no equivalent to the later introduction of the V8 or AMR.
This is useful when assessing an 18MY car. It should not be assumed to have a significant performance advantage over a 17.5MY example simply because it belongs to a later model year.
Condition, build history, specification and evidence of any factory or dealer updates are likely to matter more than the model-year difference alone.
2018.5 model year: arrival of the V8
The 18.5 model year brought the first major expansion of the DB11 range.
Aston Martin introduced the 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 supplied by Mercedes-AMG and substantially adapted for the DB11. It produced 503 bhp and 675 Nm, giving a 0 to 62 mph time of 4.0 seconds and a maximum speed of 187 mph.
The V8 was approximately 115 kg lighter than the contemporary V12. Its more compact engine could be mounted lower and farther back, while Aston Martin revised the suspension geometry, bushes, anti-roll bars, springs, dampers and electronic stability-control calibration.
As a result, the V8 possessed a noticeably lighter and more agile character. Aston Martin positioned it as “The Sports GT”, while the V12 remained “The Definitive GT”.
The V8 can be identified most easily by its two bonnet vents. The V12 has four vents and could be specified with separate bonnet blades, while the V8 used a pair of outer mesh vents.
Other original V8 identifiers included:
The introduction of 18.5MY also brought changes across the wider DB11 range. Blind Spot Monitoring became available as an option on both engines, and Aston Martin introduced a separate script badge beneath the rear wings badge.
Additional trim-inlay choices and Designer Specifications were offered, while the interior jewellery and hardware selections were consolidated into a simpler Jewellery Pack.
It is therefore possible to find an 18.5MY V12 carrying the later rear script and interior choices even though its engine and performance remain those of the original launch model.
2019 model year: arrival of the Volante
The DB11 Volante joined the range for 19MY, powered exclusively by the 4.0-litre V8.
Its engine continued to produce 503 bhp and 675 Nm. Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph took 4.1 seconds, with the same 187 mph maximum speed as the V8 Coupé.
The Volante introduced an entirely new eight-layer K-fold fabric roof. It could be opened in 14 seconds and closed in 16 seconds, including while the car was travelling at speeds of up to 31 mph.
The Volante was not the only change made for 19MY. Aston Martin revised equipment and personalisation across the DB11 range.
The powered centre-armrest stowage compartment became standard on every derivative, replacing the manually operated arrangement. V12 side badges also became standard on the twelve-cylinder Coupé, although they could be deleted at no cost.
A hands-free boot-release function was fitted as standard unless the car was ordered with the Q carbon-fibre rear diffuser, which was incompatible with the sensor.
The standard interior trim inlay changed from Light Ash open-pore wood to a leather-wrapped finish matched to the cabin. Light Ash and other veneers remained available as options.
Aston Martin also introduced optional seat-back veneers. These allowed the material used across the fascia and centre console to continue onto the rear of the front seats. The available finishes included wood, Piano Black and carbon fibre.
Further 19MY additions included:
For the Volante, these changes were part of the launch specification. On the Coupé, they can help distinguish a 19MY car from an earlier example even where the engine is unchanged.
2019.5 model year: the DB11 AMR
The 19.5 model year brought the most important change to the V12 during the DB11’s life.
The original 600 bhp V12 was discontinued and directly replaced by the DB11 AMR. Power increased to 630 bhp, while torque remained at 700 Nm.
Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph improved to 3.7 seconds and maximum speed rose from 200 to 208 mph.
The AMR also received a revised transmission calibration, more characterful exhaust tuning and detailed chassis development led by Aston Martin’s dynamics team under Matt Becker.
Mechanical changes included revised:
The AMR was therefore more than a visual package. It delivered a greater sense of connection and sharper response while preserving the supple ride expected of a DB11.
Its standard exterior specification included forged AMR wheels, carbon-fibre bonnet blades and side strakes, a gloss-black roof and roof strake, dark headlamp bezels, a dark grille, smoked rear lamps and gloss-black lower bodywork.
Inside, Caithness leather was combined with Alcantara, carbon-fibre trim, Dark Chrome jewellery, AMR sill plaques and AMR head-restraint detailing.
The regular DB11 AMR was not production-limited. Only the separate Stirling Green and Lime AMR Signature Edition was restricted to 100 examples worldwide.
The V8 Coupé and Volante also moved into 19.5MY production, but did not receive equivalent mechanical or pricing changes at that point.
2020 model year: refinement and special specifications
The 2020 model year did not bring a major mechanical change to the core DB11 range.
The three principal derivatives remained:
Power outputs and performance were unchanged. The V8 continued with 503 bhp and the AMR with 630 bhp.
Development concentrated upon colour and trim choices, Designer Specifications and optional packages. AMR Heritage and AMR Mont Blanc specifications were among the coordinated designs offered during this period.
A Designer Specification should not automatically be treated as a limited edition. In most cases it was a factory-recommended combination of paint, leather, wheels, trim and options that could be ordered by more than one customer.
This distinction is important because advertisements sometimes use the name of a Designer Specification to suggest rarity beyond that supported by the factory production programme.
The DB11 Shadow Edition was also introduced around this period and continued into 21MY. Unlike a normal Designer Specification, it was a defined special edition limited to 300 cars globally across the V8 Coupé and Volante.
The Shadow Edition
The Shadow Edition was designed to emphasise the darker and more sporting character of the V8 DB11.
Its distinctive equipment included:
Although Onyx Black suited the theme particularly well, the Shadow Edition was not restricted to black paint. Cars were built in other colours, including white, grey and blue, where the dark exterior parts created a stronger contrast.
The interior generally continued the dark treatment with Obsidian Black leather, Piano Black trim and carefully selected stitching and quilting.
Mechanically, the Shadow Edition remained a standard-output V8. It did not receive additional power or separate chassis tuning.
Its significance lies in its defined specification and worldwide limit of 300 cars. The number covered both Coupé and Volante production rather than 300 of each body style.
2021 model year: Studio Collections
The DB11 range continued with the V8 Coupé, V8 Volante and V12-powered AMR for 21MY.
Once again, there was no major change to engine output or the basic chassis. Aston Martin instead revised the way popular and high-value options could be combined.
A Studio Collection was introduced for the V8 Coupé and Volante. This brought together design, comfort and technology features into a coordinated package and offered a value advantage compared with ordering all the items individually.
The precise content varied by market, but could include features such as upgraded audio, infotainment touchpad, automatic parking, Blind Spot Monitoring, improved interior trim and selected exterior detailing.
The AMR received its own Studio Collection. This was more distinctive because it introduced items that were not available separately.
The AMR Studio Collection included:
The graphics could be specified in AMR Lime or the more restrained Silver Argento Nürburgring.
Aston Martin also revised the AMR Designer Specifications. AMR Nimbus was introduced, AMR Heritage was updated to include the Studio Collection and AMR Mont Blanc was removed from the promoted range.
The underlying colours and options from discontinued Designer Specifications could often still be ordered individually. Removal of a named specification did not necessarily mean every component within it became unavailable.
The Shadow Edition also continued into 21MY until the global allocation of 300 cars had been completed.
Smaller changes included revisions to the wheel range, option availability and exterior badging choices. These affected how a car looked and was ordered, but not its fundamental performance.
2022 model year: more power and simpler naming
The 22 model year introduced the final major update to the DB11 range.
The most important mechanical change was an increase in V8 power. Output rose from 510 to 535 PS, equivalent to an increase from 503 to 528 bhp.
Torque remained unchanged at 675 Nm. The additional power was concentrated higher in the engine’s operating range, improving performance at greater speeds rather than transforming its low-speed behaviour.
The final factory specification quoted a maximum speed of 192 mph, increased from the previous 187 mph. The 0 to 62 mph figure remained approximately 4.0 seconds for the Coupé and 4.1 seconds for the Volante.
Some early summary material quoted 195 mph, but Aston Martin’s detailed model comparison sheet and final DB11 specification gave 192 mph. The latter is therefore the figure we use.
The V12 also underwent an important change, although it was primarily one of naming.
Aston Martin removed the AMR name from the DB11. From 22MY, the flagship was once again called DB11 V12.
This was not a return to the original 600 bhp specification. The renamed V12 retained the AMR’s:
Aston Martin’s internal explanation linked the decision to the company’s return to Formula One and the resulting simplification of its performance naming.
Consequently, a 22MY DB11 V12 is mechanically much closer to the preceding AMR than it is to the original launch car.
The standard visual specification changed, however. The final V12 did not automatically carry the complete dark and carbon-heavy AMR presentation. Its standard equipment created differentiation from the V8 through items including four bonnet vents, outer bonnet blades, directional gloss-black diamond-turned wheels and gloss-black lower bodywork.
The removal of the AMR badge therefore made the later V12 appear more restrained while retaining the enhanced mechanical specification.
A completely revised configuration structure was also introduced across Aston Martin’s range.
Customers selected from three principal interior environments:
This system replaced some of the previous combinations of leather grades, trim splits and option packs. It simplified the initial ordering process while still allowing extensive personalisation.
Other 22MY changes included:
The 22MY cars are therefore relatively easy to distinguish once the interior environment and wheel designs are examined. They also represent the strongest regular-production V8 specification.
2023 model year: the final DB11s
The DB11 continued into the 2023 model year without another transformation of comparable scale.
The range remained centred upon the 528 bhp V8 Coupé and Volante and the 630 bhp V12 Coupé. The Create, Accelerate and Inspire configuration structure continued, together with the later wheel, seat and exterior-package choices.
The mechanical specifications established at 22MY remained broadly unchanged.
Aston Martin unveiled the DB12 in May 2023, bringing DB11 production to its conclusion as the company moved into its next generation of front-engined grand tourers.
The transition was not defined by a numbered DB11 Final Edition. Consequently, a late registration date does not automatically make a car a formal last-of-line special.
Some 23MY cars were built and registered during 2022, while other DB11s remained in dealer stock and were registered after production of their particular specification had ended. Again, model year, build date and registration date should be considered separately.
The core DB11 timeline
The major stages of the DB11’s development can be summarised as follows:
The most important mechanical dividing points are therefore 18.5MY, 19.5MY and 22MY.
Which model years matter most?
There is a temptation to assume that the latest possible DB11 must be the best one to buy. The model-year history shows why the answer is more complicated.
An early Launch Edition has historical significance and a strong standard specification. A CEO car may possess additional rarity and provenance, although its identity must be properly documented.
The regular 17.5MY and 18MY V12s offer the original 600 bhp character without necessarily carrying the additional purchase cost associated with Launch Edition status.
The 18.5MY V8 introduced the lighter and more agile DB11, while the 19MY cars benefited from useful equipment and interior developments.
The 19.5MY to 21MY AMR combines the more powerful V12 with distinctive styling and the AMR identity. The 100 Signature Edition cars provide the clearest numerical rarity.
The 22MY and 23MY V8s have the highest factory V8 output and the later configuration structure. The final V12 retains AMR performance but presents it under the simpler DB11 V12 name.
The ideal car therefore depends upon what the buyer values:
For many buyers, condition and history should outweigh a small model-year difference. A well-maintained early car with a coherent specification can be more desirable than a later example that has been poorly cared for.
How to identify the correct model year
The first registration date should never be used as the only evidence of model year.
A more reliable assessment should include:
Visual features can provide clues, but they are not conclusive. Wheels, badges, lamps, grilles and carbon-fibre parts can all be changed after production.
A V8 fitted with later wheels does not become a later model-year car, while a 22MY V12 with AMR-style parts is not necessarily a DB11 AMR. The factory record remains the most dependable source.
This is particularly important for Launch Editions, CEO cars, AMR Signature Editions and Shadow Editions. Their value and historical interest depend upon provenance rather than a collection of parts that could have been added subsequently.
The HWM view
DB11 evolved quickly during the first two years of production and then more gradually through a series of equipment, design and option changes.
The arrival of the V8, Volante and AMR created the fundamental range. The 22MY update then gave the V8 its final power output, simplified the V12 name and reorganised the configuration process.
No single version renders all the others obsolete. Each major stage has a legitimate reason to be chosen.
The original V12 is historically important and retains the purity of the launch concept. The V8 is lighter and more agile. The Volante offers a distinct open-air experience. The AMR is the most clearly differentiated development of the V12, while the final 22MY and 23MY cars combine the mature platform with the latest factory specification.
What matters is understanding exactly which car is being considered. Registration descriptions and online advertisements are not always precise, particularly around half-model-year changes and the transition from AMR back to the DB11 V12 name.
A factory specification check can reveal whether a car genuinely left Gaydon as a special edition, which options were originally fitted and whether its current appearance is correct.
Few modern Aston Martins offered quite as much opportunity for personalisation as the DB11. Two cars of the same age and mechanical specification can look and feel remarkably different simply because of the choices made when they were ordered.
Paint colour was only the beginning. Customers could select contrasting roof strakes, different bonnet finishes, bright or dark exterior jewellery, numerous wheel designs, coloured brake calipers and an extensive range of carbon-fibre components. Inside, the combinations of leather colour, stitching, quilting, perforation, carpets, seatbelts, veneers and metal finishes ran into the thousands.
A restrained DB11 in a traditional exterior colour with a carefully coordinated cabin can appear every inch the elegant grand tourer. The same car in a brighter Q paint colour, with contrasting roof strakes, carbon-fibre bodywork and an adventurous interior, can feel much more contemporary and extrovert.
This variety is one of the DB11’s great attractions, but it can also make the model complicated to understand. Some cars were factory special editions, some followed Aston Martin’s Designer Specifications, others used items from the Q Collection, and a smaller number were individually commissioned through the Q by Aston Martin bespoke service.
There were also highly specified launch cars, the rarely discussed CEO Edition cars and a range of accessories that allowed earlier DB11s to adopt details introduced later in production. Understanding these distinctions helps explain why apparently similar cars can differ so significantly in character, rarity and desirability.
The Launch Edition
The first customer DB11s were produced as Launch Edition cars. We discussed these in Chapter Four because they formed an important part of the original V12 story, but they also belong in any examination of DB11 specifications.
The Launch Edition was not a numbered limited-production model. It was effectively a highly specified version of the original V12, created to ensure that the first cars reaching customers and dealers presented the new model at its best.
In the United Kingdom, the Launch Edition carried a recommended retail price of £167,015, compared with £157,900 for the regular 2017 model-year DB11 V12. Its equipment included the Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system, powered seat bolsters, powered centre-console stowage, the infotainment touchpad and piano-black interior trim.
Externally, Launch Edition cars received V12 side badges, a gloss-black front splitter, side sills and rear diffuser, together with bright anodised roof strakes and bonnet blades. Gloss-black roof strakes and dark bonnet blades could be selected as no-cost alternatives. The cars were normally fitted with 20-inch directional silver diamond-turned wheels.
The specification was generous, but customers retained considerable freedom over colour and trim. A Launch Edition should not therefore be expected to follow one fixed visual formula.
These cars are historically important because they represent the DB11 in its original launch configuration. However, the absence of a numbered plaque should not be considered suspicious. The Launch Edition was an introductory specification rather than a conventionally numbered limited edition.
The CEO Edition cars
The CEO Edition is one of the less clearly documented parts of the early DB11 story.
Aston Martin’s internal material refers to the completion of the Launch and CEO Edition cars before the wider Q Commission programme became available. This confirms that a distinct group of CEO cars existed, although they were not promoted in the same way as the Launch Edition or later AMR Signature Edition.
They appear to have been a small group of particularly highly specified early cars associated with Aston Martin’s then Chief Executive, Andy Palmer. They should not be confused with a normal retail edition produced in a published quantity, and we have not found a sufficiently reliable factory figure to state exactly how many were built.
That uncertainty makes documentation especially important. A seller describing an early DB11 as a CEO Edition should ideally be able to support the claim with the original order form, factory specification, supplying-dealer correspondence or an Aston Martin build record. A distinctive specification on its own is not proof.
Andy Palmer also had his own individually commissioned DB11, created through Q by Aston Martin. That car was finished in a distinctive Golden Saffron colour with a bespoke black and Iron Ore interior. It was a unique personal commission rather than the template for every CEO Edition car.
The distinction is subtle but important. The CEO Edition cars formed a small early-production group, while Palmer’s own DB11 was an individual Q Commission.
Understanding Aston Martin specification
A DB11 could be personalised at several different levels.
The first consisted of the normal colours, trims and individual options shown in the price list. These included alternative wheels, brake-caliper colours, roof treatments, seat functions, audio systems, veneers, stitching and decorative details.
Aston Martin also offered option packs that grouped related features together. The Technology Pack, for example, combined useful equipment such as powered stowage, the infotainment touchpad and premium audio. Technology Pack Plus added further features, including the Bang & Olufsen system, powered seat bolsters and automatic parking assistance.
The Contemporary Pack expanded the available combinations of paint, leather, carpet and seatbelt colours. The Luxury Pack concentrated on the cabin, incorporating features such as Nexus quilting, Celestial perforation, brogue detailing and colour-coordinated carpets.
Exterior Black Packs altered the character of the car with gloss-black lower bodywork, roof strakes and darker detailing. On the V8, Black Pack Plus added directional gloss-black diamond-turned wheels and smoked rear lamps.
Above these normal options sat three further forms of personalisation:
The terms are sometimes used interchangeably in advertisements, but they did not mean the same thing.
Designer Specifications
Designer Specifications were complete colour and trim combinations assembled by Aston Martin’s own designers. They were intended to demonstrate combinations that worked particularly well and to help customers navigate an exceptionally large range of choices.
A Designer Specification was not necessarily a special edition. It did not normally imply a fixed production number, a unique chassis designation or a numbered plaque. Nor was it simply an options pack. It was a coordinated design proposal covering exterior paint, roof and bonnet treatments, wheels, brake calipers, leather colours, stitching, quilting, veneers and other details.
The early DB11 programme included names such as Evening Spirit, Mysterious Sport and Tech Wave. Further combinations included Iconic Craft, Shanghai Fashionista and Soft Tech. Some were restrained and traditional, while others used colour and material contrasts that customers might not have considered independently.
The DB11 Volante brought its own Designer Specifications. Open Aura was created specifically for the convertible and combined Pearl Blonde paint with an Atlantic Blue hood, silver diamond-turned wheels and a Blue Haze and Coral Sand interior. Dyed Tamo Ash provided a warmer and more decorative veneer treatment.
Twilight Tour took a darker approach, using Ultramarine Black paint, an Atlantic Blue hood, dark exterior jewellery and black wheels. Its Aurora Blue cabin continued the deep-blue theme inside the car.
The AMR range introduced further design combinations, including specifications based around Mariana Blue, Onyx Black and China Grey. Later model years added and revised themes such as AMR Nimbus, AMR Heritage, Intrepid Sport, New Heritage and Pop Pioneer.
The names can be useful when checking an original specification, but the individual details remain more important than the title. Customers were sometimes able to modify parts of a suggested combination, and similar-looking cars could be assembled through ordinary option selection.
A genuine Designer Specification should therefore be confirmed through the factory build sheet rather than appearance alone.
Q by Aston Martin
Q by Aston Martin was the company’s personalisation service. Its name drew upon Aston Martin’s long association with James Bond, but its purpose was broader than creating theatrical or film-inspired cars.
The programme was divided principally between Q Collection and Q Commission.
Q Collection consisted of specially developed components and finishes that could be selected through the normal ordering process. These options had been designed and validated in advance, allowing customers to create a more distinctive car without commissioning an entirely bespoke project.
Q Collection items for the DB11 included carbon-fibre exterior components, alternative trim divisions, distinctive embroidery, special quilting and expanded material choices. Because these parts could be ordered individually, the presence of Q components does not automatically make a DB11 a unique Q Commission.
The carbon-fibre body packages were among the most visible Q Collection options. Depending upon model and year, they could include the front splitter, rear diffuser, side sills, mirror caps, side strakes and bonnet blades.
The V8 required a slightly different arrangement because its bonnet design did not use the V12’s decorative bonnet blades. Where a comparable package was specified, the V8 instead received black bonnet meshes as part of the visual treatment.
Q Commission offered something considerably more individual. Customers worked with Aston Martin to develop combinations, materials or details beyond the established catalogue. The process could involve unique paint colours, specially developed interior treatments, personalised embroidery or components created specifically for one car.
A Q Commission should be understood as a bespoke project rather than a fixed trim level. Some were relatively subtle, while others were effectively one-off design exercises.
Examples included DB11s created for Aston Martin’s relationship with Henley Royal Regatta. A bespoke DB11 Coupé appeared in 2017, followed by a specially commissioned Volante in 2018. These cars demonstrated how Q could use a particular event or setting as the starting point for an individual specification.
For a collector, the provenance of a Q Commission is as important as the visual result. Original correspondence, design illustrations, sample records, specification sheets and invoices can establish exactly what was commissioned. Without this documentation, it may be difficult to distinguish a true bespoke commission from a car subsequently altered with factory accessories or aftermarket parts.
Colour and trim
The DB11 arrived with a much broader and more adventurous palette than many earlier Aston Martins.
For its introduction, Aston Martin added colours including Lunar White, Magnetic Silver, Arden Green and Frosted Glass Blue. Kopi Bronze moved from the special range into the Contemporary palette. These sat alongside more traditional Aston Martin colours and an extensive selection of special and out-of-range finishes.
The paint range was broadly divided into Primary, Contemporary and Special categories. The categories affected price and availability rather than simply describing how bold a colour appeared. Some familiar Aston Martin colours could move between categories during the production period, while Q offered possibilities beyond the published palette.
New cabin colours included Metallic Black, Copper Tan Metallic, Indigo Blue and Spicy Red Alcantara. Customers could add Champagne, Spice Red, Mocha or Graphite seatbelts and choose from veneers such as Dark Ash Open Pore, Satin Tan Lacewood and high-gloss chopped carbon fibre.
The DB11 also introduced distinctive soft-trim treatments. Nexus quilting used an intersecting geometric pattern, while Celestial perforation created a different visual texture across the seat centres. The two could be combined, together with brogue detailing, contrasting stitching and embroidered or embossed headrests.
This flexibility produced some superb interiors. It also produced a few cars in which every individual element was expensive but the finished combination lacked coherence.
The most successful specifications usually have a clear idea behind them. A sporting car might combine a darker cabin, Alcantara, restrained contrast stitching and carbon-fibre trim. A more traditional grand tourer may suit warm leather, a decorative wood veneer and bright exterior jewellery. Neither approach is inherently better, but the materials should appear to belong together.
Colour can also alter the way the exterior design is perceived. Strongly contrasting roof strakes emphasise the DB11’s floating-roof treatment, while strakes close to the body colour produce a cleaner and more traditional silhouette. Dark lower bodywork makes the car appear lighter and more athletic. Body-coloured or subtly finished components place greater emphasis on its sculpted surfaces.
Lighter and brighter paint colours tend to reveal the Curlicue, bonnet contours and rear haunches most clearly. Dark colours can give the car greater visual drama but may conceal some of the design detail unless viewed in strong light.
Carbon fibre and exterior jewellery
Carbon fibre became increasingly prominent throughout the DB11 production period.
On the original V12, bright metal roof strakes and bonnet blades gave the car an elegant and relatively traditional appearance. Dark anodised, gloss-black and carbon-fibre alternatives created a more sporting effect. The V8 and AMR expanded the use of darker detailing, while Q Collection allowed customers to go further.
Factory carbon-fibre components were carefully integrated into the original bodywork and generally have a consistent weave, finish and fit. They could include:
Not every component was available for every derivative or model year. A collection of carbon-fibre parts should not automatically be described as a factory carbon pack without checking the original order or subsequent invoices.
The same applies to exterior jewellery. Aston Martin offered bright, dark anodised, black and later black-chrome treatments at different stages of production. Badges and scripts are relatively easy to replace, so the appearance of the car today may not reflect how it left Gaydon.
This does not necessarily make the car less desirable. A genuine Aston Martin accessory fitted correctly can improve the appearance of a DB11. It does, however, differ from an option recorded on the original factory specification.
The AMR Signature Edition
The DB11 AMR Signature Edition was one of the clearest examples of a genuinely limited DB11 specification.
Only 100 were produced worldwide. Each was finished in Stirling Green with vivid AMR Lime detailing, creating an immediate visual connection with Aston Martin Racing. Extensive carbon-fibre exterior components, textured-black forged wheels and lime-green brake calipers completed the exterior treatment.
Inside, Dark Knight leather and Alcantara were combined with lime accents and AMR-specific details. The specification also included the Bang & Olufsen audio system and Technology Pack Plus.
In the United Kingdom, the AMR Signature Edition was priced at £201,995, compared with £174,995 for the regular DB11 AMR at launch.
Mechanically, the Signature Edition shared the AMR’s 630 bhp version of the 5.2-litre V12. Its importance lies in its fixed visual specification, limited production and place at the launch of the AMR model.
The green and lime colour scheme is deliberately conspicuous. It will not suit every buyer, but that is also why it is so readily identifiable. Unlike a car assembled from a collection of separate Q options, the Signature Edition has a clearly defined factory identity and confirmed worldwide production figure.
The Shadow Edition
The Shadow Edition appeared later in the DB11’s life and was available in both Coupé and Volante form. Production was limited to 300 cars worldwide across the two body styles.
Despite the name, it was not restricted to black paint. Its identity came from the use of dark exterior details, including gloss-black bonnet treatment, gloss-black directional wheels, polished black-chrome wing badges and rear script, black-anodised sill plaques and dark lower body components.
The cabin continued the theme with carefully coordinated materials and darker decorative elements. The result was more restrained than the AMR Signature Edition, but clearly different from a normally specified DB11.
The Shadow Edition used the standard 503 bhp V8 powertrain. Its appeal lies primarily in its appearance, equipment and limited production rather than additional mechanical performance.
Because many of its dark details resemble options that could be ordered separately or added later, provenance again matters. A genuine Shadow Edition should be supported by the build record and its edition-specific equipment, rather than identified solely by black wheels and badges.
The factory refresh packs
Aston Martin recognised that some owners of earlier DB11s wanted the appearance of the later cars. In November 2020, the company introduced factory refresh packs containing genuine Aston Martin components.
The Standard Refresh Pack combined smoked rear lamps with the later Aston Martin script badge positioned across the rear of the car.
The Carbon Fibre Refresh Pack added a carbon-fibre version of the rear script together with carbon-fibre front and rear wing badges. Separate versions were produced to suit different regional requirements.
These packages offered a factory-supported way to update the appearance of an earlier DB11. They were not improvised aftermarket conversions, and when fitted properly they can look entirely natural on the car.
However, a refresh pack does not change the car’s original build specification. The rear script was introduced as a production feature from the 2018.5 model year, so its presence on an earlier car does not prove that the car was built with it.
The same caution applies to smoked lamps, carbon-fibre badges and later wheel designs. All can be attractive additions, but the date of the car and its factory record should agree with any claim of originality.
If originality may matter in the future, it is sensible to retain the removed lamps, badges and other components. The invoice for the refresh pack and the record of its installation should also remain with the car.
What originality means on a DB11
Originality is not quite as simple on a modern Aston Martin as it can be on a much older car.
A DB11 may remain mechanically and structurally original while carrying genuine accessories installed by an Aston Martin dealer. Another may have been returned to the factory or a specialist for retrimming. A Q Commission might contain features that do not appear in an ordinary price list, while a visually similar car may have received aftermarket modifications later in its life.
It is therefore useful to separate four different ideas:
The first two can both be entirely acceptable, but they should be described accurately.
The original factory specification can normally be established from the build sheet, order form, sales invoice or dealer records. Later work should be supported by invoices. Where original components have been retained, the car can potentially be returned to its delivery appearance.
Paint requires particular care. Aston Martin offered a wide range of colours, including special and out-of-range finishes, so an unusual shade is not evidence that a car has been repainted. The paint code and factory specification should provide the answer.
Equally, a car advertised as having a unique Q colour may simply use a rare catalogue finish. Genuine Q provenance should be documented rather than assumed.
Interior changes can be more difficult to identify because Aston Martin offered so many combinations. Stitching, quilting, embroidery, perforation and trim divisions could all be varied. Factory-quality workmanship alone does not prove originality, particularly now that skilled trimmers can reproduce many of these details.
Specification and desirability
There is no single ideal DB11 specification.
Traditional combinations often appeal to a broad audience. Dark blue, green, silver or grey paint with tan, cream, red or dark-blue leather can suit the DB11 particularly well. These colours emphasise its role as an elegant long-distance grand tourer.
More adventurous Q colours and strongly contrasting interiors may appeal to a smaller group, but the right combination can make a car genuinely memorable. Rarity should not be confused with desirability, yet an unusual specification that has been executed with confidence and supported by excellent documentation can be one of the most interesting DB11s to own.
Equipment is also important. The Bang & Olufsen audio system, ventilated seats, powered bolsters, blind-spot monitoring, 360-degree cameras, heated steering wheel and selected carbon-fibre components are valued by many owners, but availability changed through the model years.
It is unwise to assume that a highly priced car contains every useful option. Some visually extravagant DB11s lack relatively practical features, while understated cars can have remarkably complete equipment.
The original specification sheet remains the best guide. It reveals not only what the car has, but how deliberately it was ordered.
The HWM view
The breadth of DB11 personalisation is one of the reasons the model remains so interesting. It was built in sufficient numbers to provide a meaningful choice of cars, yet the range of colours, materials and options means that finding two identical examples is surprisingly difficult.
In our view, the best DB11 specifications are not necessarily those with the greatest number of expensive options. They are the cars in which the exterior, cabin and intended character make sense together.Consistency and continuity are key.To be fair, it is rare that we see a spec that has got it massively wrong.
A V12 in a rich, traditional colour with bright exterior jewellery and a beautifully trimmed leather cabin can express the classic DB character. A darker V8 with black detailing and a restrained sporting interior can feel sharper and more contemporary. An AMR Signature Edition makes no attempt to be discreet, while a carefully conceived Q Commission may be unique without appearing extravagant.
Special-edition status can add interest, but condition, provenance and the quality of the individual specification remain more important than a badge alone. A standard DB11 in an exceptional colour combination may be more desirable than a limited edition whose appearance does not appeal to its next owner.
Documentation completes the story. The order form, factory build sheet, supplying-dealer invoice, Q correspondence and records of later accessory installation allow an owner to understand exactly how the car was created and how it has changed.
That matters because the DB11 was not designed as a uniform product. It was a platform upon which customers, dealers and Aston Martin’s own designers could create markedly different interpretations of the same grand tourer. Understanding those choices is essential to understanding the individual car.
The DB11 has now reached an interesting stage in its life. The earliest cars are approaching ten years old, values have become more accessible and there is a sufficiently broad choice for buyers to be selective. At the same time, the difference between an excellent DB11 and a neglected example is becoming much more significant.
This is a highly sophisticated grand tourer with a bonded-aluminium structure, turbocharged engine, adaptive suspension, complex electrical architecture and an interior assembled from expensive materials. It should not be bought solely because the colour is attractive or the monthly finance payment appears affordable.
A properly maintained DB11 remains a remarkably capable car. It is fast, comfortable, distinctive and sufficiently practical to use regularly. The V8, original V12, AMR and Volante each offer a different interpretation of the same basic idea, but none should be considered a low-maintenance alternative to an ordinary production car.
Condition, provenance and service history matter more than finding the lowest advertised price. The cost of inspecting the right car is modest compared with rectifying problems on the wrong one.Nevertheless, comparable to other cars at this level from competitors, they are sensible to run.We have already seen a few with over 100,000 miles.
Choosing the right DB11
The first decision is which version of the DB11 best suits the way the car will be used.The original 5.2-litre V12 provides the character and effortless performance traditionally associated with a flagship Aston Martin. It is an exceptionally fast car, but its softer suspension settings and more progressive responses place greater emphasis on grand touring than the later AMR.
The 4.0-litre V8 is lighter over the front axle and feels more agile. Its Mercedes-AMG engine gives it a different voice and personality from the V12, but it remains a genuine Aston Martin rather than a lesser version of the car. For an owner who intends to use the DB11 regularly, the V8 can make a compelling case through its balance, responsiveness and slightly lower running costs.
The DB11 AMR replaced the original V12 as the regular flagship. Its additional power, revised calibration and firmer dynamic character make it the more focused V12. Some buyers will prefer its sharper responses, while others may find that the original car better represents the relaxed character expected of a DB grand tourer.
The Volante was offered only with the V8. It provides the open-air experience without losing the essential character of the DB11, although it is heavier than the Coupé and brings the additional complexity of an electrically operated fabric roof.
There is no universally correct choice. The best approach is to drive more than one derivative, ideally on familiar roads, and decide which interpretation feels most appropriate.
Model year matters
A DB11 should be identified by its model year and specification rather than registration date alone.
A car registered late may have been built to the previous model-year specification, while an unsold car may have remained in dealer stock before registration. Model-year changes affected power outputs, suspension settings, seat designs, wheel choices, badging, option availability and the organisation of the colour and trim range.
The most significant distinctions include:
An advertisement may not describe these changes accurately. The Vehicle Identification Number, factory build record and original specification provide a more dependable answer.
Provenance and service history
A complete history is one of the strongest indicators of a well-cared-for DB11.
The service book should be supported by detailed invoices rather than stamps alone. Invoices reveal what work was completed, which parts were used, whether advisory items were addressed and whether the car repeatedly returned with the same concern.
Aston Martin’s original DB11 Service Plan covered scheduled servicing for the first five years or 50,000 miles, whichever came first. It included the relevant labour and routine service parts such as engine oil, oil filter, sump-plug washer, brake fluid and air filters where required. Wear items, including tyres, brake pads, discs, wiper blades and bulbs, were excluded.
The plan was transferable to a subsequent owner, subject to its terms, but it depended upon the car being serviced according to schedule by an authorised Aston Martin service centre. It could also be invalidated by unapproved tuning or performance modifications.
A car may now be beyond its original service-plan period, but the early history remains important. Gaps during the first five years are difficult to justify when scheduled servicing was originally provided as part of the ownership package.
DB11 servicing is based upon time as well as mileage. A low-mileage car still requires regular attention because fluids deteriorate, batteries weaken, brakes corrode and tyres age even when the car is not being driven. The applicable service schedule should always be checked against the individual VIN, age and market specification.
A small mileage discrepancy should not automatically condemn a car, particularly where documentation provides a reasonable explanation. Unexplained inconsistencies between service invoices, MOT records, diagnostic data and advertised mileage require much greater caution.
Software campaigns and factory updates
The DB11’s electronic systems made it possible for Aston Martin to improve certain functions through revised software and calibration.
An authorised dealer can check the VIN for outstanding recalls, service actions and applicable software updates. This is an important part of any pre-purchase inspection because two outwardly identical cars may not have received the same updates during their lives.
Not every software release applies to every car. Updates can depend upon model year, engine, market and the hardware fitted. It is therefore unwise to assume that every DB11 should carry the latest version of every control programme.
A full diagnostic scan should also be undertaken. Clearing a warning light immediately before a sale does not resolve the underlying problem, and stored or historic fault codes can provide valuable evidence even when no warning is currently displayed.
The number of historic codes needs to be interpreted intelligently. A weak battery can generate communication faults across several control modules without each module having failed. The date, frequency and circumstances of the faults are more informative than the total number alone.
Battery condition and low voltage
Battery condition is one of the most important aspects of modern Aston Martin ownership.
The DB11 contains numerous electronic control modules, security systems and convenience features that continue to consume a small amount of power while the car is parked. If the battery voltage falls, the car can display a collection of apparently unrelated warnings involving the engine, transmission, suspension, tyre-pressure monitoring, parking sensors or other systems.
These messages do not necessarily indicate that every system has developed a fault. Low voltage can interrupt communication between modules and create misleading symptoms.
A DB11 that is used infrequently should be connected to a suitable battery conditioner. Aston Martin offered a conditioner as an official accessory, and a correctly installed connection makes regular use straightforward.
A battery should not be judged solely by whether it starts the engine. It needs to be tested for condition, capacity and its ability to maintain voltage under load. The charging system should also be checked, particularly where a battery has been replaced more than once in a short period.
If the car will be stored, the owner should understand how the alarm, tracker and keyless-entry systems affect battery consumption. Leaving the car unused for several weeks without support is rarely a good test of battery durability.
Inspecting the body
The DB11’s exterior combines aluminium panels, composite components, complex aerodynamic passages and an enormous one-piece clamshell bonnet. Repair quality matters.
The bonnet should sit evenly in relation to the doors, headlamps, grille and front bumper. Because the panel includes the upper surfaces of both front wings, poor alignment can affect several gaps at once. The soft-close mechanism and both bonnet latches should operate correctly without requiring the panel to be slammed.
Uneven gaps do not always prove that the car has been involved in an accident. Bonnet alignment can require adjustment, and previous maintenance may have disturbed it. However, a combination of inconsistent panel gaps, disturbed fixings, paint variation and missing labels deserves closer investigation.
The front splitter, side sills and rear diffuser are vulnerable to kerb and ramp damage. Carbon-fibre components are particularly expensive to replace and should be examined for cracking, impact marks, lifting lacquer and previous cosmetic repair.
The low nose makes stone chipping almost inevitable on a car that has been used properly. A small number of honest chips can be preferable to poorly applied paint. Paint-protection film is useful, but its condition, installation quality and age should be checked. Discoloured edges, trapped contamination and lifting sections can detract from otherwise excellent paintwork.
A paint-depth inspection can help identify refinished areas, but the readings need to be interpreted by somebody familiar with aluminium and composite panels. Different substrates and factory production processes do not always produce completely uniform measurements.
The doors should open cleanly, the flush handles should present and retract correctly, and the frameless windows should drop slightly when the doors are opened. The glass should then rise into the seal when the door closes. Hesitation, unusual noise or poor sealing may indicate a problem with adjustment, the window regulator or the door-control system.
Aerodynamic components
Some of the DB11’s aerodynamic engineering is hidden, but it should not be ignored during an inspection.
The Curlicue system uses openings within the front wheelarches and concealed passages beneath the bonnet to release air through the side strakes. The liners, ducts and outlets should be intact and free from obvious damage.
At the rear, air entering near the C-pillars passes through the body and emerges through the AeroBlade outlet. A small deployable Gurney flap operates at speed. Its mechanism and surrounding panel should be checked for damage, obstruction and previous repair.
The Gurney flap is not normally visible during a stationary walkaround, so the diagnostic and actuator functions may need to be tested in the workshop. Any repair around the rear deck should preserve the intended operation of the AeroBlade system.
Engine inspection
Both DB11 engines should be examined from cold. A seller who has fully warmed the car before an arranged inspection may have an innocent reason, but a genuine cold start gives useful information about the engine, exhaust, battery and starting system.
The 5.2-litre V12 is an Aston Martin-designed engine with twin turbochargers. It should start promptly and settle into an even idle after the initial cold-start phase. Warning lights, persistent smoke, unusual mechanical noises or strong fluid smells require investigation.
The engine bay should be inspected for oil, coolant and other fluid leaks, together with evidence of staining or dried residue. Hoses, connections, turbocharger plumbing and cooling components need to be checked carefully. A low coolant level should not simply be topped up without establishing why it has fallen.
The V12 uses intelligent cylinder-bank activation under appropriate light-load conditions. Its operation should be unobtrusive. Hesitation, misfires or warning messages need proper diagnosis rather than assumptions about the system changing operating mode.
The 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 is derived from the Mercedes-AMG M177 family but uses Aston Martin’s own intake, exhaust, calibration and installation. It has established a strong reputation, although that does not remove the need to inspect the cooling system, turbocharger connections, engine mounts, ignition system and general fluid condition.
An engine bay that has been heavily dressed immediately before sale can make inspection more difficult. Cleanliness is welcome, but it should not conceal fresh leaks or disturbed components.
A diagnostic check should compare reported faults with the physical inspection. Misfire data, temperature history and stored engine faults can reveal concerns that are not apparent during a short road test.
We have the ability to rebuild both V8 and V12 engines in our HWM Works engine workshop.
Transmission and driveline
Every DB11 uses a rear-mounted ZF eight-speed automatic transaxle connected to the engine through a torque tube and carbon-fibre propeller shaft.
In normal driving, the gearbox should engage Drive and Reverse promptly and shift smoothly. Some changes will become more assertive in Sport and Sport Plus modes, particularly on the AMR, but harsh engagement, persistent hesitation or repeated flaring between gears is not normal.
The car should be tested from cold and after reaching full operating temperature. A problem that is absent during the first few miles may become evident once the transmission fluid is hot.
The limited-slip differential should operate without excessive noise or vibration. Low-speed manoeuvring can place different loads through the driveline, but pronounced clonking, grinding or persistent judder requires investigation.
A minor noise should not automatically lead to the conclusion that the transaxle has failed. Mountings, tyres, wheel bearings, propeller-shaft components and suspension can all produce symptoms that appear to come from the transmission. Accurate diagnosis is essential because replacing major components unnecessarily is extremely expensive.
Suspension steering and alignment
The DB11 uses adaptive dampers and offers independently selectable chassis modes. The difference between GT, Sport and Sport Plus should be perceptible, although the degree of change varies between derivatives.
Warning messages relating to the damping system should be diagnosed. The dampers should be examined for leakage, while suspension arms, joints and bushes require inspection for wear or damage.
A DB11 should track accurately and feel stable at speed. Wandering, an off-centre steering wheel or uneven tyre wear may indicate poor alignment, worn components or previous impact damage.
The size and performance of the car make correct geometry particularly important. A superficial tracking adjustment is not the same as a complete four-wheel alignment carried out to the correct Aston Martin data.
Matt Becker and the chassis team gave the DB11 a carefully judged balance between ride comfort, steering response and high-speed stability. Incorrect tyre pressures, mismatched tyres or poor alignment can undermine that work surprisingly quickly.
The underside should also be examined for damage caused by speed humps, lifting equipment or contact with road debris. The flat underbody panels perform an aerodynamic function and should be securely fitted with the correct fixings.
Wheels and tyres
The condition of the tyres reveals a great deal about how a DB11 has been maintained.
A matching set of the correct type and rating is preferable. Tyres from different manufacturers or significantly different production dates can alter the car’s response, particularly in wet conditions.
Tread depth alone is not enough. Check for:
The inner edges are easy to overlook when the car is standing on the ground. A tyre can appear healthy from the outside while being badly worn on the inner shoulder.
Original tyres on a very low-mileage early DB11 may have plenty of visible tread but still be approaching ten years old. Their age and condition should be considered separately from mileage.
The 20-inch wheels are vulnerable to kerb damage. Cosmetic refurbishment is common and not necessarily concerning, but the finish should be appropriate and the wheel should be checked for cracks, distortion and excessive previous machining.
Directional wheels must be fitted on the correct side of the car. It is surprisingly easy for them to be mixed during refurbishment or tyre replacement, undermining the intended visual effect.
Brakes
The DB11’s braking system is powerful and expensive, so its condition should form part of any serious pre-purchase assessment.
Steel discs should be checked for scoring, cracking, corrosion, heat damage and excessive wear. A pronounced outer lip provides only part of the picture because the inner faces may deteriorate differently.
Cars that have been stored in damp conditions can develop corrosion on the discs. Light surface rust may clear during use, but deeper pitting can cause noise, vibration and uneven braking.
A road test should include gentle and firmer braking where conditions allow. The car should stop cleanly without steering pull, pedal pulsation or vibration through the body.
Brake-pad thickness should be measured rather than estimated through the wheel. Calipers should be checked for damaged paint, fluid leakage and evidence of incorrect lifting or wheel-removal procedures.
The electronic parking brake should apply and release consistently. A car stored for a long period with wet brakes can suffer adhesion between the pads and discs, so owners should avoid washing the car and immediately parking it without allowing the brakes to dry.
Electrical systems and infotainment
The DB11’s Daimler-derived electrical architecture represented a major step forward for Aston Martin, but every function should be tested before purchase.
This includes:
The original infotainment system does not provide factory Apple CarPlay. At the dealership we can retrofit a systems , and a well-installed conversion can make the DB11 much easier to use. Whilst a Car Play kit is a good edition, it is still not quite as slick as one integrated from new.
A car fitted with an upgrade should retain normal operation of the original controller, cameras, audio system and factory menus. The installation should be documented and ideally reversible.
The Bang & Olufsen system is desirable, but it should be tested carefully. Check every speaker, the balance and fader controls, and the movement of any motorised acoustic lenses. A system that produces sound is not necessarily operating correctly through every channel.
Interior condition
The DB11 cabin contains a large amount of hand-finished leather, stitching, veneer and decorative trim. Its condition often reveals whether a car has been used carefully.
Examine the driver’s outer seat bolster, steering-wheel rim, door pulls and centre-console edges for wear. Some creasing is natural, particularly with softer leather, but excessive abrasion at a low mileage may not agree with the car’s recorded use.
Leather across the dashboard and upper door panels should sit evenly without lifting, shrinking or pulling away from the edges. Contrasting stitching makes distortion particularly visible.
Veneers should be checked for scratches, clouding, cracking or lifting lacquer. Piano black marks easily, while carbon-fibre trim can suffer damage to its clear finish. Decorative metal components should retain a consistent colour without excessive scratching.
Operate every storage compartment, air vent, sun visor and interior lamp. Check the headlining and the rear cabin area, which can receive less attention during routine preparation.
Squeaks and rattles should be assessed on a variety of road surfaces. A single minor noise may require only adjustment or lubrication, but widespread movement can indicate previous dismantling, poor trim refitting or a harder life than the presentation suggests.
The cabin should also be checked for signs of water entry. Damp carpets, condensation, staining, an unusual smell or corrosion beneath removable trim should never be dismissed without identifying the source.
Inspecting a Volante
The DB11 Volante requires all the usual checks, together with a careful examination of the folding roof and its associated drainage system.
The roof should complete its full opening and closing sequence smoothly. It should latch correctly, sit evenly against the windscreen rail and display no warning messages. The mechanism should be tested more than once because intermittent hesitation may not appear during a single operation.
Inspect the fabric for wear, discolouration, abrasion and damage along the folding points. Check the stitching, seals and the bond around the rear glass. Marks caused by the fabric folding are not unusual, but cuts or severe pressure damage require attention.
The roof storage area must be free from obstructions. Drain channels should be clear, and the carpets, luggage compartment and areas behind the seats should be inspected for moisture.
The frameless door glass and rear quarter windows must meet the seals correctly. Wind noise at speed can arise from adjustment rather than a failed roof, but it still needs to be investigated.
A Volante should never be subjected to repeated roof operation when the battery is weak. The mechanism places a significant electrical load on the car, and interrupted operation can leave the roof in an inconvenient position.
Accident damage and repair quality
The DB11’s bonded-aluminium structure requires the correct knowledge, tools and repair procedures.
Not every bodyshop is equipped to repair it so always ask for an Aston Martin approved repairer.We can assist with this. Structural work should be supported by detailed invoices and evidence that Aston Martin-approved methods were followed. Where appropriate, repairs should have been completed by an authorised or properly accredited facility.
A cosmetic repair to a bumper is very different from damage affecting the aluminium structure, suspension mounting points or bonded joints. The location and quality of a repair matter more than the simple fact that paintwork has taken place.
Carbon-fibre components should normally be replaced where structural cracking has occurred. A cosmetic surface mark may be repairable, but resin, weave and mounting damage need specialist assessment.
Inspection should include areas hidden behind the visible outer panels. Bumper mounts, brackets, parking sensors, wiring and aerodynamic ducts can all be damaged in an impact even where the exterior has been refinished successfully.
Poorly repaired accident damage can affect panel alignment, water sealing, sensor calibration, aerodynamics and future value. A proper inspection is especially important when the car’s history contains an insurance claim or an unexplained period off the road.
Modifications
The DB11 responds to tuning, but modifications require caution.
Increasing turbocharged engine output through software can appear relatively simple. However, greater torque places additional load upon the cooling system, transmission, driveline and tyres. It may also affect warranty, service-plan or extended-warranty eligibility.
Aston Martin’s original service-plan terms specifically excluded cars subjected to unapproved tuning, performance enhancement or other unapproved modifications.
A modified car should come with clear information about:
Claims of dramatic power increases without supporting evidence should be treated carefully. A standard DB11 is already exceptionally fast, and increasing the headline figure does not automatically improve the car.
Cosmetic modifications also vary greatly in quality. Genuine Aston Martin refresh packs and Q Collection components differ from aftermarket copies, even when photographs make them appear similar. The original specification and subsequent invoices should establish what has been changed.
Security keys and tracker systems
A buyer should confirm that all keys are present and fully functional. Replacement keys and programming can be costly, and missing keys should be removed from the car’s authorised memory.
The operation and subscription status of any tracking system should also be established. A tracker fitted when the car was new may no longer have an active subscription, and newer insurance requirements may differ from those in place at the time of first registration.
Owners should discuss current security requirements with their insurer before collecting the car. Depending upon value, location and use, the insurer may require a particular category of tracker or additional protection.
Any aftermarket immobiliser should be professionally installed and documented. Poorly integrated security systems can create battery drain, intermittent starting problems and diagnostic complications.
Running costs
The DB11 should be approached as a high-performance luxury car whose original price exceeded £150,000.
Fuel consumption will depend heavily upon engine, journey type and driving style. The V8 is generally more economical than the V12, but neither is intended to provide ordinary-car running costs. Frequent short journeys can be especially inefficient and provide little opportunity for the battery, engine and exhaust systems to reach full operating condition.
Tyres, brakes and suspension components are substantial and priced accordingly. A DB11 requiring four tyres, front and rear brakes and an annual service can generate a significant bill even when nothing has failed.
Insurance varies considerably according to driver profile, storage, mileage and security. Obtaining a quotation before purchase avoids discovering that the intended usage or parking arrangement creates a problem.
Depreciation has made the purchase price of an early DB11 extremely attractive relative to its original cost. It has not made the parts, repair methods or technician training inexpensive.
The sensible approach is to budget for maintenance according to the type of car it remains, rather than the amount paid to acquire it.
Using the car regularly
Regular, sympathetic use is generally beneficial.
A DB11 that is driven sufficiently to reach full operating temperature will circulate fluids, exercise seals and mechanisms, keep the brakes clean and give the charging system an opportunity to replenish the battery.
Repeated very short journeys are less helpful. They can leave moisture within the exhaust and engine oil, place repeated starting loads on the battery and prevent the car from reaching its intended operating conditions.
Before using the performance, allow the engine oil to warm fully. Coolant temperature rises more quickly than oil temperature, so a normal coolant display does not necessarily mean that the whole powertrain is ready for heavy load.
After sustained high-speed or demanding use, a period of gentler driving allows temperatures to stabilise. There is no need for elaborate rituals, but immediately stopping the engine after an exceptionally hard run is poor practice for any turbocharged performance car.
Owners should monitor tyre pressures, fluid levels and warning messages rather than waiting for the annual service. Changes in sound, vibration, starting behaviour or fluid consumption can provide early warning of a developing issue.
Storage
If the DB11 will be unused for an extended period, preparation makes a considerable difference.
The car should be clean and dry before storage. Tyres should be inflated correctly and the battery connected to a suitable conditioner. The fuel level, ventilation and environmental conditions should be considered according to the likely storage period.
A breathable indoor cover can protect the paint, but the car and cover must be clean. Pulling a cover over a dusty surface can create fine scratches.
Tyre cushions may help prevent flat spotting during longer storage. Moving the car a very short distance occasionally is less useful than taking it for a proper drive, because a brief start-up without reaching temperature can introduce moisture and further discharge the battery.
The air-conditioning, windows, seats and other electrical functions should be exercised during regular use. On a Volante, the roof mechanism should be operated periodically in suitable conditions, provided the battery is fully supported.
The pre-purchase inspection
A proper DB11 pre-purchase inspection should combine physical examination, diagnostic testing, documentation review and a meaningful road test.
At minimum, it should cover:
The inspection should be undertaken by somebody familiar with the DB11. A general inspection may identify obvious tyre wear or accident damage, but model-specific knowledge is required to interpret diagnostic codes, distinguish normal characteristics from developing faults and understand which updates apply to the individual car.
The resulting report should explain the urgency of each finding. A cosmetic imperfection, an item to monitor and a safety-critical defect should not be presented as though they carry equal significance.
Buying on condition
Mileage has a strong influence on value, but it should not dominate the decision.
An extremely low-mileage car may be outstanding, yet it can also have old tyres, corroded brakes, a weak battery and mechanisms that have rarely been exercised. A higher-mileage car with an excellent history may feel and perform better because it has been used regularly and maintained properly.
The relationship between mileage and condition should make sense. A car with 30,000 motorway miles may show less interior and mechanical wear than one used for repeated short urban journeys. Equally, a very low odometer reading should agree with the condition of the seats, steering wheel, pedals, tyres and brake discs.
The cheapest DB11 available is unlikely to remain the cheapest once deferred work has been addressed. A slightly more expensive car with recent tyres, healthy brakes, a fresh service, complete history and warranty may represent substantially better value.
Specification also affects desirability, but an attractive colour combination should not distract from mechanical condition. It is usually easier to wait for another car in the right colour than to correct years of poor maintenance.
The HWM view
The DB11 is one of the most significant modern Aston Martins. It began a new generation of cars, introduced an entirely new structure and V12 engine, brought Aston Martin’s electrical systems into a more modern era and successfully broadened the range with the V8 and Volante.
It is also a car that benefits enormously from informed ownership.
The majority of problems become more manageable when identified early. Battery weakness, tyre wear, alignment concerns, minor fluid leaks, software requirements and developing noises should be investigated before they create a larger bill or leave the car unused.
We would always favour an example with strong provenance, a coherent specification and evidence of continuous care over one selected purely for low mileage or price. The service file should show an owner who authorised the work the car needed rather than completing only the minimum required to obtain a stamp.
A pre-purchase inspection is particularly worthwhile because the DB11’s complexity can conceal expensive issues beneath an excellent cosmetic presentation. The inspection also creates a useful baseline for future maintenance, even when the car proves to be very good.
Once properly prepared, a DB11 should be used. It was designed to cover long distances at speed, carry luggage, deal with everyday traffic and transform an ordinary journey into an occasion. Keeping one permanently stored may protect the mileage, but it misses much of the reason the car exists.
Bought carefully and maintained correctly, the DB11 offers an extraordinary amount of Aston Martin for its current value. It combines genuine beauty, immense performance and long-distance ability with enough practicality to become part of an owner’s life rather than merely part of a collection.
That breadth is perhaps its greatest achievement. The DB11 did not simply replace the DB9. It established the design, engineering and technological foundations of Aston Martin’s second-century range, while remaining a distinctive grand tourer in its own right.
The DB11 range developed considerably between its introduction in 2016 and the end of production. Four principal mechanical versions were produced: the original V12 Coupé, the V8 Coupé, the V8 Volante and the DB11 AMR. The V8 received a further increase in power for the 2022 model year.
Special versions such as the Launch Edition, CEO Edition, AMR Signature Edition and Shadow Edition used the mechanical specification of the relevant series-production model. Their differences were principally in colour, trim, equipment and production volume rather than basic engine or chassis architecture.
Published dimensions and weights vary slightly between Aston Martin documents. In particular, some sources include the front number-plate plinth when quoting length, while others use different definitions of dry, kerb and European kerb weight. The figures below use the most consistently published UK and European specifications, with any important variations explained separately.
Principal DB11 derivatives
Specification | Original V12 Coupé | V8 Coupé | V8 Volante | DB11 AMR |
Introduction | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2018 |
Model year at introduction | 2017 MY | 2018 MY | 2019 MY | 2019.5 MY |
Engine | 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 | 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 | 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 | 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 |
Engine code or family | Aston Martin AE31 | Mercedes-AMG M177-based | Mercedes-AMG M177-based | Aston Martin AE31 |
Capacity | 5,204 cc | 3,982 cc | 3,982 cc | 5,204 cc |
Maximum power | 600 bhp at 6,500 rpm | 503 bhp at 6,000 rpm | 503 bhp at 6,000 rpm | 630 bhp at 6,500 rpm |
Maximum power in PS | 608 PS | 510 PS | 510 PS | 639 PS |
Maximum torque | 700 Nm | 675 Nm | 675 Nm | 700 Nm |
0-60 mph | 3.7 seconds | Approximately 3.9 seconds | Approximately 4.0 seconds | 3.5 seconds |
0-62 mph | 3.9 seconds | 4.0 seconds | 4.1 seconds | 3.7 seconds |
Maximum speed | 200 mph | 187 mph | 187 mph | 208 mph |
Transmission | ZF eight-speed automatic transaxle | ZF eight-speed automatic transaxle | ZF eight-speed automatic transaxle | ZF eight-speed automatic transaxle |
Driven wheels | Rear | Rear | Rear | Rear |
Differential | Mechanical limited-slip | Mechanical limited-slip | Mechanical limited-slip | Mechanical limited-slip |
Seating | 2+2 | 2+2 | 2+2 | 2+2 |
EU kerb weight | Approximately 1,870 kg | Approximately 1,760 kg | Approximately 1,870 kg | Approximately 1,870 kg |
Weight distribution | Approximately 51:49 front to rear | Approximately 49:51 front to rear | Approximately 47:53 front to rear | Approximately 51:49 front to rear |
Fuel-tank capacity | 78 litres | 78 litres | 78 litres | 78 litres |
Luggage capacity | 270 litres | 270 litres | 206 litres roof raised, 169 litres roof lowered | 270 litres |
2022 model-year V8
For the 2022 model year, Aston Martin increased the output of the V8 engine without altering its 675 Nm peak torque figure.
Specification | 2022 MY V8 Coupé | 2022 MY V8 Volante |
Engine | 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 | 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 |
Capacity | 3,982 cc | 3,982 cc |
Maximum power | 528 bhp | 528 bhp |
Maximum power in PS | 535 PS | 535 PS |
Maximum power in kW | 393 kW | 393 kW |
Maximum torque | 675 Nm | 675 Nm |
0-62 mph | 4.0 seconds | 4.1 seconds |
Maximum speed | 192 mph | 192 mph |
Transmission | ZF eight-speed automatic transaxle | ZF eight-speed automatic transaxle |
Driven wheels | Rear | Rear |
Differential | Mechanical limited-slip | Mechanical limited-slip |
Published dry weight | Approximately 1,760 kg | Published figures vary by market |
Fuel capacity | 78 litres | 78 litres |
The later V8 remained mechanically related to the original 503 bhp version. Its additional performance resulted from revised engine calibration rather than a completely new power unit.
The AE31 V12 engine
The original DB11 introduced Aston Martin’s AE31 engine. It was the first turbocharged V12 fitted to a series-production Aston Martin and replaced the naturally aspirated 5.9-litre V12 used across the previous Gaydon generation.
The AE31 was designed by Aston Martin and manufactured at the Aston Martin Engine Plant in Cologne. Although smaller in capacity than the outgoing engine, twin turbochargers allowed it to produce considerably more power and torque while meeting increasingly demanding emissions requirements.
AE31 V12 specification
Component | Specification |
Configuration | 60-degree V12 |
Construction | All-aluminium cylinder block and heads |
Capacity | 5,204 cc |
Induction | Twin turbochargers |
Charge cooling | Water-to-air intercooling |
Valvetrain | Quad overhead camshafts |
Valves | 48, four per cylinder |
Camshaft control | Dual variable camshaft timing |
Compression ratio | 9.3:1 |
Fuel system | Electronic fuel injection |
Combustion chambers | Fully CNC machined |
Exhaust | Fully catalysed stainless-steel system with cross pipes |
Engine position | Front-mid mounted |
Drive | Rear-wheel drive |
Stop and start | Standard |
Cylinder deactivation | Standard |
Original output | 600 bhp and 700 Nm |
AMR output | 630 bhp and 700 Nm |
Maximum engine speed, AMR | 7,200 rpm |
The engine was positioned behind the front-axle line to improve weight distribution. Its two turbochargers were mounted outside the cylinder banks rather than within a hot-V arrangement.
Water-to-air charge coolers reduced the temperature of the compressed intake air before it entered the engine. This allowed more consistent performance while helping control combustion temperatures.
The engine also incorporated stop-start operation and cylinder-bank deactivation. Under suitable light-load conditions, one bank of six cylinders could be deactivated to reduce fuel consumption. Aston Martin alternated the active bank so that temperatures remained balanced.
The original engine produced 600 bhp at 6,500 rpm and 700 Nm from approximately 1,500 rpm. This broad torque delivery was very different from the more progressive, high-revving character of the naturally aspirated V12 fitted to the DB9.
For the DB11 AMR, Aston Martin raised maximum output to 630 bhp. Peak torque remained at 700 Nm, but revisions to the engine and transmission calibration sharpened its response and extended its performance at higher engine speeds.
The AMR’s official maximum speed of 208 mph made it the fastest series-production DB model Aston Martin had produced at the time.
Some early Aston Martin material reproduced an incorrect kilowatt conversion for the AMR. The quoted 630 bhp or 639 PS output equates to approximately 470 kW.
The 4.0-litre V8 engine
The DB11 V8 used an engine based upon the Mercedes-AMG M177 family, supplied as part of Aston Martin’s technical relationship with Daimler.
Aston Martin did not simply install the engine in its standard Mercedes-AMG form. It developed its own intake, exhaust, wet-sump arrangement, engine mounts, throttle calibration and electronic integration. The objective was to retain the engine’s underlying strength while giving it a response and soundtrack appropriate to an Aston Martin.
DB11 V8 engine specification
Component | Specification |
Configuration | 90-degree V8 |
Construction | Aluminium cylinder block and heads |
Capacity | 3,982 cc |
Bore | 83.0 mm |
Stroke | 92.0 mm |
Induction | Twin turbochargers |
Turbocharger position | Within the cylinder vee |
Valvetrain | Dual overhead camshafts per bank |
Valves | 32, four per cylinder |
Lubrication | Aston Martin-specific wet-sump system |
Engine position | Front-mid mounted |
Original maximum power | 503 bhp at approximately 6,000 rpm |
2022 MY maximum power | 528 bhp |
Maximum torque | 675 Nm |
Original maximum speed | 187 mph |
2022 MY maximum speed | 192 mph |
The hot-V arrangement positioned the two turbochargers between the cylinder banks. This reduced the distance between the exhaust ports and turbines, helping the engine respond quickly despite being turbocharged.
Aston Martin installed the V8 lower and farther back in the chassis than its position in the donor Mercedes-AMG application. New engine mounts and a lower, slimmer wet sump helped reduce the centre of gravity.
The V8 was substantially lighter than the V12. Removing weight from the nose altered the DB11’s balance and steering response, producing the more agile character described in Chapter Five.
At launch, the engine produced 503 bhp, or 510 PS, and 675 Nm. The 2022 model-year calibration increased output to 528 bhp, or 535 PS, while retaining the same peak torque.
Transmission and driveline
Every DB11 used a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox mounted at the rear of the car as part of a transaxle assembly.
Component | Specification |
Gearbox | ZF eight-speed automatic |
Gearbox position | Rear-mid mounted |
Control | Electronic shift-by-wire |
Manual control | Steering-wheel-mounted paddles |
Torque tube | Aluminium |
Propeller shaft | Carbon fibre |
Differential | Mechanical limited-slip |
Launch control | Standard |
Driven wheels | Rear |
AMR final-drive ratio | 2.703:1 |
Mounting the transmission at the rear helped distribute mass between the axles. The engine and gearbox were connected by an aluminium torque tube containing a carbon-fibre propeller shaft.
The shift-by-wire system allowed the transmission to be controlled through the dashboard-mounted Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive buttons. Large fixed paddles behind the steering wheel provided manual selection.
Gearbox behaviour changed according to the selected powertrain mode. GT prioritised smooth, early shifts, while Sport and Sport Plus held gears longer, increased shift speed and produced more immediate responses.
The DB11 AMR received a revised transmission calibration. Changes to shift strategy and torque management contributed to the reduction in its 0-62 mph time from 3.9 to 3.7 seconds.
Structure and body construction
The DB11 was based upon an entirely new bonded-aluminium structure. It followed principles established by Aston Martin’s previous VH architecture but was not a continuation of the DB9 platform.
Structural component | Construction |
Main body structure | Bonded and riveted aluminium |
Principal structural sections | Extruded and pressed aluminium |
Advanced aluminium process | Hot Form Quenched aluminium |
Door inner structures | Cast magnesium |
Bonnet | Single-piece pressed aluminium clamshell |
Propeller shaft | Carbon fibre |
Coupé seating structure | 2+2 |
Volante roof | Eight-layer fabric K-fold roof |
Aluminium extrusions, castings and pressings were bonded together to create the main structure. Hot Form Quenched aluminium allowed complex components to be formed while retaining the strength required for structural use.
The DB11’s clamshell bonnet incorporated the upper surfaces of both front wings and was described by Aston Martin as the largest single-piece aluminium bonnet fitted to a production car. Soft-close or cinching latches secured it without requiring the owner to slam such a large panel.
Cast-magnesium door structures helped reduce weight in an area where a conventional steel construction would have been considerably heavier.
The Volante required additional structural reinforcement to compensate for the absence of a fixed roof. Despite this, Aston Martin stated that its body-in-white was approximately 7 kg lighter than that of the DB9 Volante and offered an improvement in torsional stiffness of approximately 6.5 kNm per degree.
Dimensions
Dimension | Coupé | Volante |
Length | 4,739 mm | 4,739 mm |
Length including number-plate plinth in some AMR material | 4,750 mm | Not normally quoted |
Width excluding mirrors | 1,940 mm | 1,940 mm |
Width including mirrors | 2,060 mm | 2,060 mm |
Height | Approximately 1,279 to 1,290 mm | Approximately 1,300 mm |
Wheelbase | 2,805 mm | 2,805 mm |
Fuel-tank capacity | 78 litres | 78 litres |
Seating | 2+2 | 2+2 |
Luggage capacity | 270 litres | 206 litres roof raised |
Luggage capacity with roof lowered | Not applicable | 169 litres |
The difference between the published 4,739 mm and 4,750 mm lengths is principally the result of different measuring conventions. AMR material sometimes included the number-plate plinth.
Similarly, early technical literature quoted a Coupé height of 1,279 mm, while later comparison documents generally rounded or standardised the figure to 1,290 mm.
Weight
DB11 weight figures require careful interpretation because Aston Martin published dry weight, kerb weight and European kerb weight in different documents.
Dry weight generally excludes fluids, fuel, occupants and certain operating equipment. Kerb weight includes the fluids necessary for the car to operate, while EU kerb weight traditionally includes a nominal driver and luggage allowance. Definitions can also vary between markets.
Variant | Commonly quoted figure |
Original V12 Coupé | Approximately 1,870 kg EU kerb weight |
V8 Coupé | Approximately 1,760 kg EU kerb weight |
V8 Volante | Approximately 1,870 kg EU kerb weight |
DB11 AMR | 1,770 kg dry weight |
DB11 AMR | 1,870 kg EU kerb weight |
DB11 AMR US kerb weight | Approximately 1,875 kg |
The V8 Coupé’s approximate 110 kg advantage over the V12 was central to its more agile character. Most of the reduction was concentrated towards the front of the car because of the shorter, lighter engine.
The Volante added approximately 110 kg over the corresponding early V8 Coupé. This came from the roof mechanism and the structural reinforcement required for an open body.
Suspension
The DB11 used independent suspension at all four wheels.
Component | Specification |
Front suspension | Independent double wishbones |
Front springing | Coil springs |
Front roll control | Anti-roll bar |
Rear suspension | Multi-link |
Rear springing | Coil springs |
Rear roll control | Anti-roll bar |
Dampers | Adaptive Bilstein units |
Damping system | Skyhook adaptive control |
Driver-selectable modes | GT, Sport and Sport Plus |
The front double-wishbone arrangement allowed accurate control of wheel movement and suspension geometry. At the rear, the multi-link system helped Aston Martin balance ride comfort, traction and high-speed stability.
Adaptive dampers were standard. The driver could change the damping independently of the powertrain setting using a control on the steering wheel.
This meant that a driver could combine the sharper throttle and gearbox calibration of Sport with the more compliant GT damper setting, or retain the relaxed GT powertrain response while selecting firmer suspension.
The original V12, V8, Volante and AMR used different hardware or calibrations to reflect their weight distribution and intended character. The Volante’s greater rearward weight bias required its own rear suspension tuning, while the AMR received firmer and more controlled calibration than the original V12.
Steering
Component | Specification |
System | Electric power-assisted rack and pinion |
Steering ratio | Approximately 13:1 |
Turns lock to lock | Approximately 2.4 |
Steering-column adjustment | Electric reach and rake |
Assistance | Speed dependent |
The DB11 was the first DB production model to use electric power-assisted steering. The system reduced parasitic losses and allowed assistance to be varied more precisely according to vehicle speed and driving mode.
The steering hardware worked with Dynamic Torque Vectoring, which could apply braking force to an individual wheel to influence the car’s behaviour during cornering.
Braking system
The principal DB11 derivatives used large ventilated steel brakes.
Component | Specification |
Front discs | 400 mm by 36 mm ventilated two-piece steel |
Front calipers | Six-piston |
Rear discs | 360 mm by 32 mm ventilated co-cast steel |
Rear calipers | Four-piston |
Parking brake | Electric |
Anti-lock braking | Standard |
Electronic Brakeforce Distribution | Standard |
Emergency Brake Assist | Standard |
Hydraulic Brake Assist | Standard |
Positive Torque Control | Standard |
Dynamic Torque Vectoring | Standard |
Traction Control | Standard |
Dynamic Stability Control | Standard |
Aston Martin used two-piece front discs to manage heat and reduce unnecessary mass. The rear discs used a co-cast construction.
The brake specification remained broadly consistent across the original V12, V8, Volante and AMR. Differences in pedal calibration and electronic control were used to suit the character and weight of each derivative.
A later carbon-ceramic braking option appeared in some model-year and market documentation. Availability should be checked against the individual car’s build record because it was not part of the normal specification of the earlier DB11 range.
Wheels and tyres
Most DB11s used 20-inch wheels with tyres developed specifically for the model.
Position | Wheel size | Tyre size |
Front | 9J x 20 inches | 255/40 ZR20 |
Rear | 11J x 20 inches | 295/35 ZR20 |
Bridgestone S007 tyres were fitted to the principal launch specifications and were developed to suit the DB11’s weight, performance and suspension characteristics.
Wheel designs included:
The directional wheels are handed and should be installed on the correct side of the car. Front and rear wheels also differ in width and offset and must not be interchanged.
Aerodynamics
The DB11’s aerodynamic systems were unusually integrated into its exterior design.
Curlicue
High-pressure air from the front wheelarches was released through concealed passages beneath the clamshell bonnet. It exited through openings associated with the side strakes, reducing front-end lift and turbulence.
AeroBlade
On the Coupé, air entered through apertures at the base of the C-pillars and passed through ducts within the rear bodywork. It emerged through a narrow outlet in the rear deck, creating the effect of a virtual spoiler.
A small powered Gurney flap could deploy from the boot lid when additional rear aerodynamic control was required.
Volante AeroBlade
The Volante could not use the Coupé’s complete C-pillar duct arrangement because of its folding roof. Its rear aerodynamic system therefore operated differently, using the deployable rear spoiler to provide the required high-speed stability.
Underbody airflow
Flat underbody panels, the front splitter, side sills and rear diffuser helped control airflow beneath and around the car. These components contributed to stability rather than serving as purely decorative additions.
Volante roof system
The DB11 Volante used a fabric K-fold roof designed to occupy less space when stowed than a conventional folding arrangement.
Roof specification | Detail |
Construction | Eight-layer fabric hood |
Folding arrangement | K-fold |
Opening time | Approximately 14 seconds |
Closing time | Approximately 16 seconds |
Maximum operating speed | Up to approximately 31 mph or 50 km/h |
Operation from key | Available |
Boot capacity roof raised | 206 litres |
Boot capacity roof lowered | 169 litres |
Front to rear weight distribution | Approximately 47:53 |
The roof could be operated while the car was moving at low speed, allowing it to be closed quickly if weather conditions changed.
A manually operated luggage divider separated the luggage compartment from the area required by the folded roof. The mechanism would not normally lower the roof unless the divider was in the correct position.
The Volante’s 206-litre luggage capacity with the roof raised was approximately 20 per cent greater than that of the DB9 Volante. Lowering the roof reduced the available volume to 169 litres.
Driving modes
Powertrain and chassis behaviour could be selected independently.
Powertrain modes
The powertrain modes altered throttle response, gearbox strategy, exhaust behaviour and associated engine controls.
Chassis modes
The chassis modes changed adaptive-damper behaviour. Because the two systems had separate controls, the driver was not forced into one fixed combination.
Dynamic Stability Control, traction control, Positive Torque Control and Dynamic Torque Vectoring worked alongside these settings.
Dynamic control systems
System | Function |
ABS | Prevents wheel lock during braking |
EBD | Distributes braking force according to load and grip |
EBA | Increases brake assistance during an emergency stop |
HBA | Provides hydraulic brake assistance |
DSC | Helps maintain directional stability |
TC | Controls excessive driven-wheel slip |
PTC | Reduces instability created by sudden changes in drive torque |
DTV | Uses selective braking to influence cornering behaviour |
Launch Control | Optimises standing-start acceleration |
TPMS | Monitors tyre pressure |
Dynamic Torque Vectoring was brake based rather than a fully active torque-vectoring differential. It could apply controlled braking force to an individual wheel to assist turn-in and stability.
Fuel consumption and emissions
Official figures changed during the DB11’s production because the industry moved from the NEDC test cycle to WLTP. Figures from the two systems should not be compared directly.
Early published NEDC figures included:
Variant | Combined consumption | CO2 emissions |
Original V12 | Approximately 24.8 mpg | Approximately 265 g/km |
Early V8 Coupé | Approximately 28.5 mpg in some published material | Approximately 230 g/km |
DB11 AMR | Approximately 24.8 mpg | Approximately 265 g/km |
Early Volante material contained provisional WLTP estimates of approximately 26 mpg and 255 g/km. Certified figures subsequently varied according to model year, market and specification.
Wheel choice, test procedure and equipment could alter the official result. The figure shown on the individual car’s Certificate of Conformity or registration document is therefore more reliable than a generic brochure figure.
Luggage and carrying capacity
The DB11 remained a grand tourer rather than a pure two-seat sports car.
The Coupé provided approximately 270 litres of luggage capacity. Aston Martin offered a tailored four-piece luggage set designed to make efficient use of the available space.
The rear seats were small and better suited to children, occasional passengers or additional luggage. Folding the rear seatbacks was not part of the design, but the rear cabin could carry soft bags and coats.
The Volante’s boot held 206 litres with the roof raised and 169 litres with it lowered. Aston Martin stated that the raised-roof space could accommodate two golf bags without drivers, while the reduced space could accept one.
Electrical architecture and displays
The DB11 introduced a new Daimler-derived electrical architecture.
Component | Specification |
Instrument display | 12-inch digital TFT |
Central display | 8-inch LCD |
Main controller | Rotary control wheel |
Touchpad | Optional or included in certain packs |
Audio | 400-watt Aston Martin system as standard on early cars |
Premium audio | Bang & Olufsen BeoSound |
Camera system | Reversing camera or 360-degree surround view depending on specification |
Connectivity | Bluetooth, USB and market-dependent services |
Factory touchscreen | Not fitted |
Factory Apple CarPlay | Not fitted |
The 12-inch digital instrument display altered its presentation according to the selected driving mode. The central screen was controlled by the rotary controller and, where fitted, the touch-sensitive pad.
Apple CarPlay was not offered as original factory equipment during DB11 production, although aftermarket integration systems can now be installed.
Lighting
The DB11 used LED exterior lighting.
Component | Specification |
Headlamps | LED |
Daytime running lamps | Integrated LED |
Cornering lights | Integrated |
Rear lamps | LED light-blade design |
Smoked rear lamps | Standard on certain later derivatives or available as an accessory |
Automatic lighting | Standard |
High-beam assistance | Dependent upon model year and specification |
The rear light graphic followed the shape of the rear haunches and echoed the form of the Aston Martin wings badge.
Smoked rear lamps were fitted to models such as the AMR and became available for earlier cars through Aston Martin’s factory refresh packs.
Standard audio systems
Early DB11s were generally supplied with a 400-watt Aston Martin audio system. The premium alternative was the Bang & Olufsen BeoSound system, which used more powerful amplification, additional speakers and motorised acoustic lenses.
The Bang & Olufsen system was standard on certain highly specified derivatives, including the Launch Edition and AMR Signature Edition, and optional on many other cars.
Exact audio specification should be confirmed from the build sheet because it cannot always be established from the visible speaker grilles alone.
Mechanical specification of special editions
Launch Edition
The Launch Edition used the original 600 bhp V12 powertrain, eight-speed rear transaxle, mechanical limited-slip differential and standard adaptive chassis.
Its technical performance was therefore:
Its additional value came from its high standard equipment and its position as the introductory DB11 specification.
CEO Edition
The CEO Edition cars were based upon the original V12. There is no evidence that they received a separate engine or chassis calibration.
Their mechanical specification was therefore substantially the same as the 600 bhp launch V12, although individual equipment and Q content could vary.
AMR Signature Edition
The AMR Signature Edition used the full DB11 AMR mechanical specification:
Its fixed Stirling Green and AMR Lime specification, carbon-fibre components and production limit of 100 cars distinguished it from the regular AMR.
Shadow Edition
The Shadow Edition used the standard 503 bhp V8 powertrain. It was available as a Coupé or Volante and did not receive a separate performance upgrade.
Its relevant technical figures were:
Production was limited to 300 cars worldwide across both body styles.
Technical development summary
Period | Principal technical specification |
2017 MY | 600 bhp 5.2-litre V12 Coupé introduced |
2018 MY | 503 bhp 4.0-litre V8 Coupé added |
2018.5 MY | Range and specification revisions, with V8 and V12 continuing |
2019 MY | 503 bhp V8 Volante introduced |
2019.5 MY | Original V12 replaced by 630 bhp DB11 AMR |
2020 to 2021 MY | Detailed equipment, trim and option revisions |
2022 MY | V8 increased to 528 bhp and maximum speed raised to 192 mph |
Final production period | V8 Coupé, V8 Volante and V12 AMR remained the principal derivatives |
Technical character of each derivative
The original V12 remains the most traditional interpretation of the DB11. Its 600 bhp output, 200 mph maximum speed and broad 700 Nm torque delivery provide effortless performance, while its suspension calibration retains a strong grand-touring bias.
The V8 sacrifices little usable performance while reducing weight over the front axle. Its 503 bhp output is still substantial, but its greatest technical difference lies in its mass distribution and more agile response.
The Volante shares the V8’s engine and transmission but adds the K-fold roof, structural reinforcement and approximately 110 kg. Its rearward weight distribution and model-specific suspension calibration give it a subtly different dynamic character from the Coupé.
The AMR develops the V12 concept rather than replacing it with an entirely different mechanical package. Its 630 bhp output, 208 mph maximum speed, revised transmission programming and firmer chassis calibration make it the fastest and most focused DB11.
The final 528 bhp V8 occupies an interesting position within the range. It retains the lighter engine and more agile front end while closing some of the performance gap to the V12. Its 192 mph maximum speed is 5 mph higher than that of the original V8.
Taken together, these variants demonstrate the flexibility of the DB11 platform. The same bonded-aluminium structure supported two very different engines, Coupé and Volante body styles, and characters ranging from refined long-distance grand tourer to 208 mph AMR flagship.
The following questions cover the history, design, engineering, model range, specification and ownership of the Aston Martin DB11. They are intended both as a summary of this guide and as a practical reference for owners and prospective buyers.
History and development
1. Why was the Aston Martin DB11 so important?
The DB11 was the first completely new Aston Martin of the company’s second century and the first production model launched under Chief Executive Andy Palmer.
It introduced a new bonded-aluminium structure, a new Aston Martin twin-turbocharged V12, Daimler-derived electrical architecture and a much more modern design language. It also provided the engineering foundation for the new-generation Vantage and DBS Superleggera.
The DB11 was therefore much more than a replacement for the DB9. It was the first product in Aston Martin’s ambitious Second Century Plan.
2. What does DB stand for?
DB refers to Sir David Brown, who acquired Aston Martin in 1947 and subsequently bought Lagonda.
His initials first appeared on the DB2 and became associated with Aston Martin’s principal line of sporting grand tourers. The DB11 continued a lineage that included the DB4, DB5, DB6, DB7 and DB9.
Not every DB model was numbered consecutively, and the badge has always represented a model family rather than a simple chronological sequence.
3. Why was there no production DB10?
The DB10 name was used for the specially created Aston Martin driven by James Bond in the 2015 film Spectre.
A small number of DB10s were built for filming and promotional purposes, but the car was never offered as a normal production model. When the DB9’s production successor arrived, Aston Martin moved directly to the DB11 name to avoid reusing the designation.
4. When was the DB11 launched?
The DB11 was unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show in March 2016.
The original model was the 5.2-litre V12 Coupé. Customer deliveries began later in 2016 as 2017 model-year cars.
The V8 Coupé followed in 2017, the V8 Volante arrived during 2018 and the DB11 AMR replaced the original V12 as the regular flagship.
5. When did DB11 production end?
DB11 production ended in 2023 as Aston Martin prepared to introduce the DB12.
The DB12 continued to use an evolved version of the underlying aluminium structure, but Aston Martin described it as the beginning of a new generation and gave it substantially revised bodywork, chassis systems, electronics and interior technology.
6. Where was the DB11 built?
The DB11 was assembled at Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire.
Its Aston Martin-designed AE31 V12 engine was manufactured at the Aston Martin Engine Plant in Cologne, Germany. The V8 engine was supplied through Aston Martin’s technical relationship with Mercedes-AMG and adapted for the DB11 installation.
7. Who designed the DB11?
The DB11 was created under the direction of Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman.
Its design team retained familiar Aston Martin proportions, including the long bonnet, low roofline and strong rear haunches, but introduced a more technical and aerodynamically influenced design language.
The DB10 created for Spectre previewed some of the ideas, but the production DB11 was a larger and more luxurious grand tourer.
8. What was Matt Becker’s role in the DB11?
Matt Becker joined Aston Martin from Lotus and became one of the key figures responsible for developing the dynamic character of the DB11 and the Aston Martins that followed it.
His work helped give the DB11 a broader range of ability than the DB9. The car had to remain comfortable and composed over long distances while providing the steering accuracy, body control and agility expected of a modern performance car.
The lighter V8, the V8 Volante and the more focused AMR each required their own suspension and control-system calibration.
9. How much of the DB11 came from Mercedes-Benz?
Aston Martin’s partnership with Daimler gave the DB11 access to Mercedes-Benz electrical architecture, infotainment technology and certain controls. The later V8 also used an engine based upon the Mercedes-AMG M177.
The structure, body, suspension development, aerodynamic systems, interior architecture and V12 engine were Aston Martin’s own. The V8 received Aston Martin-specific intake, exhaust, lubrication, mounting and calibration work.
It is therefore inaccurate to describe the DB11 as a Mercedes-Benz underneath. Daimler provided important technologies, but the complete car was engineered and developed by Aston Martin.
10. Did the DB11 have the largest single-piece aluminium bonnet fitted to a production car?
Aston Martin described the DB11’s clamshell bonnet as the largest single-piece aluminium bonnet fitted to a production car.
The front-hinged panel incorporates the upper surfaces of both front wings and wraps around the headlamps. It creates an unusually clean exterior with very few visible shut lines.
Producing and aligning such a large aluminium pressing was technically demanding. The bonnet also uses soft-close cinching latches, avoiding the need to slam it shut.
Models and special editions
11. Which version of the DB11 came first?
The original DB11 was launched as a Coupé with Aston Martin’s new 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12.
It produced 600 bhp and 700 Nm, accelerated from 0-62 mph in 3.9 seconds and had a claimed maximum speed of 200 mph.
The earliest customer cars were generally built to the highly equipped Launch Edition specification.
12. When was the DB11 V8 introduced?
The DB11 V8 was announced in 2017 for the 2018 model year.
Its 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged engine produced 503 bhp and 675 Nm. The V8 was approximately 110 kg lighter than the original V12 and placed less mass over the front axle.
It was not intended simply as a cheaper DB11. Its lighter engine and revised chassis calibration gave it a more agile and sporting character.
13. Was there a V12 DB11 Volante?
No. Every production DB11 Volante used the 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8.
Aston Martin considered the V8 particularly well suited to the convertible because it was lighter and allowed the engineers to offset some of the additional mass introduced by the folding roof and structural reinforcement.
The later DBS Superleggera Volante provided a V12 convertible within Aston Martin’s range.
14. What is the DB11 AMR?
The DB11 AMR was introduced in 2018 as a 2019.5 model-year car and replaced the original V12 as the regular flagship.
Its 5.2-litre V12 produced 630 bhp and 700 Nm. Revised transmission, engine, suspension and exhaust calibration created a sharper and more focused character.
The AMR accelerated from 0-62 mph in 3.7 seconds and had a claimed maximum speed of 208 mph.
15. Which is the best DB11 model?
There is no universally best version.
The original V12 is the softer and more traditional grand tourer. The V8 feels lighter and more agile. The Volante adds the pleasure and theatre of open-air driving, while the AMR is the fastest and most focused DB11.
The right answer depends upon how the car will be used. Driving each derivative is more informative than choosing solely from performance figures.
16. What was the DB11 Launch Edition?
The Launch Edition was the highly specified version in which the first customer DB11s were produced.
Its standard equipment included the Bang & Olufsen audio system, powered seat bolsters, powered centre-console stowage, infotainment touchpad, piano-black trim and a distinctive combination of exterior details.
It was not a numbered limited edition. Its importance comes from representing the DB11 in its original launch specification.
17. What was the DB11 CEO Edition?
Aston Martin’s internal product material confirms that a group of CEO Edition cars was produced during the early DB11 programme.
They appear to have been a small collection of highly specified cars associated with then Chief Executive Andy Palmer, but they were not promoted as a conventional numbered retail edition. We have not found a reliable factory statement confirming the total produced.
A car described as a CEO Edition should therefore be supported by its original order documentation, dealer correspondence or Aston Martin build record.
18. What was the DB11 AMR Signature Edition?
The AMR Signature Edition was the limited launch version of the DB11 AMR.
Production was restricted to 100 cars worldwide. Each was finished in Stirling Green with AMR Lime graphics, textured-black forged wheels, lime brake calipers and extensive carbon-fibre detailing.
The interior combined Dark Knight leather and Alcantara with lime accents. Mechanically, it used the full 630 bhp AMR specification.
19. What was the DB11 Shadow Edition?
The Shadow Edition was a visually distinctive V8 model produced in Coupé and Volante form.
It used gloss-black and black-chrome detailing, dark exterior finishes, directional wheels and edition-specific sill plaques. It was not restricted to black exterior paint.
Production was limited to 300 cars worldwide across the Coupé and Volante. Its 503 bhp V8 engine was mechanically unchanged from the normal model.
20. What is a Q by Aston Martin DB11?
Q by Aston Martin was the company’s personalisation service.
Q Collection offered pre-developed components and trim options that could be selected through the normal ordering process. Q Commission allowed customers to work with Aston Martin on a more individual specification, potentially including unique colours, materials and personalised details.
A DB11 with a few Q Collection options is not necessarily a bespoke Q Commission. Original documentation is required to establish exactly how the car was ordered.
Engines performance and chassis
21. What engines were available in the DB11?
The DB11 was offered with two engines:
The original V12 produced 600 bhp, while the AMR version produced 630 bhp. The V8 initially produced 503 bhp and was increased to 528 bhp for the 2022 model year.
All versions drove the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transaxle.
22. Is the DB11 V12 engine an Aston Martin engine?
Yes. The 5.2-litre AE31 V12 was designed by Aston Martin and manufactured at the Aston Martin Engine Plant in Cologne.
It was not a Mercedes-AMG engine and was not simply a turbocharged version of the older 5.9-litre Aston Martin V12.
The engine used an all-aluminium structure, quad overhead camshafts, 48 valves, twin turbochargers, water-to-air charge cooling, variable camshaft timing and cylinder-bank deactivation.
23. Is the DB11 V8 the same engine as a Mercedes-AMG?
The V8 belongs to the Mercedes-AMG M177 engine family, but Aston Martin made significant changes for its installation in the DB11.
These included an Aston Martin-specific wet sump, engine mounts, intake and exhaust systems, throttle mapping and electronic calibration. The engine was also positioned low and far back in the DB11’s chassis.
The basic engine came from Mercedes-AMG, but its integration and character were developed for Aston Martin.
24. Was the DB11 available with a manual gearbox?
No. Every DB11 used a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox mounted at the rear of the car.
The transaxle was connected to the front-mounted engine through an aluminium torque tube containing a carbon-fibre propeller shaft.
Large steering-wheel-mounted paddles allowed manual gear selection, while the DB11 retained Aston Martin’s dashboard-mounted Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive buttons.
25. Was the DB11 four-wheel drive?
No. Every DB11 was rear-wheel drive.
The car used a mechanical limited-slip differential together with electronic Dynamic Torque Vectoring, traction control and stability-control systems.
Dynamic Torque Vectoring applied braking force selectively to help the car turn and maintain stability. It was not a substitute for four-wheel drive or an electronically controlled active differential.
26. How fast is an Aston Martin DB11?
Performance depends upon the derivative:
Model | Power | 0-62 mph | Maximum speed |
Original V12 | 600 bhp | 3.9 seconds | 200 mph |
V8 Coupé | 503 bhp | 4.0 seconds | 187 mph |
V8 Volante | 503 bhp | 4.1 seconds | 187 mph |
DB11 AMR | 630 bhp | 3.7 seconds | 208 mph |
2022 MY V8 | 528 bhp | 4.0 seconds Coupé, 4.1 seconds Volante | 192 mph |
The relatively small difference in acceleration figures does not fully explain how the cars feel. Engine response, weight distribution and chassis calibration give each derivative a distinct character.
27. What do GT Sport and Sport Plus change?
The DB11 has separate controls for its powertrain and adaptive dampers.
The powertrain modes alter throttle response, gearbox behaviour and exhaust character. GT provides the smoothest and most relaxed calibration, while Sport and Sport Plus increase response and hold gears for longer.
The damper modes adjust the suspension independently. This allows the driver to combine, for example, the Sport powertrain setting with the softer GT suspension.
28. What suspension does the DB11 use?
The DB11 uses independent double-wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rear arrangement.
Coil springs, anti-roll bars and adaptive Bilstein dampers are fitted at both ends. The Skyhook damping system offers GT, Sport and Sport Plus settings.
Suspension calibration varies between the V12, V8, Volante and AMR to account for their different weights, distributions and intended characters.
29. What brakes are fitted to the DB11?
The principal DB11 models use 400 mm by 36 mm ventilated two-piece front steel discs with six-piston calipers.
At the rear are 360 mm by 32 mm ventilated co-cast steel discs with four-piston calipers. The car also has an electric parking brake.
A carbon-ceramic option appeared in some later model-year and market documentation, but it was not the normal braking specification of the earlier DB11 range.
30. What are Curlicue and AeroBlade?
Curlicue is Aston Martin’s name for the system that releases high-pressure air from the front wheelarches through passages beneath the bonnet and outlets behind the side strakes. This helps reduce front-end lift and turbulence.
AeroBlade manages airflow at the rear. On the Coupé, air enters at the base of the C-pillars, travels through the rear bodywork and emerges through a slot in the rear deck.
A small powered Gurney flap deploys when additional rear aerodynamic control is required. The Volante uses a modified arrangement because its folding roof prevents the use of the Coupé’s full C-pillar ducting.
Equipment and practicality
31. Is the DB11 a four-seater?
The DB11 is officially a 2+2.
Its front seats provide proper long-distance accommodation, but the rear seats are small. They are most suitable for children, occasional short journeys or additional luggage.
Adult rear-seat usability depends upon the height and seating position of the front occupants. Buyers requiring regular accommodation for four adults should regard the rear seats as a significant limitation.
32. How large is the DB11 boot?
The DB11 Coupé has a luggage capacity of approximately 270 litres.
The Volante provides approximately 206 litres with the roof raised and 169 litres when the roof is lowered. A movable divider must be positioned correctly before the roof can be stowed.
Aston Martin offered tailored luggage designed to use the space efficiently. Soft bags are generally more practical than conventional rigid suitcases.
33. How quickly does the DB11 Volante roof operate?
The eight-layer K-fold fabric roof takes approximately 14 seconds to lower and 16 seconds to raise.
It can be operated at speeds of up to approximately 31 mph or 50 km/h. The roof can also be controlled remotely in suitable circumstances.
The luggage divider must be correctly positioned, and the battery should be in good condition before the roof is operated repeatedly.
34. Does the DB11 have Apple CarPlay?
The DB11 did not receive factory Apple CarPlay during its production life.
Aftermarket integration systems are available and can retain the original screen, rotary controller, cameras and audio system. A good installation makes the infotainment system considerably easier to use with a modern smartphone.
The quality of the hardware and installation matters. Any system should be tested for sound quality, call operation, camera switching and compatibility with the original controls.
35. Does the DB11 use Mercedes-Benz controls?
Some controls and electronic systems have recognisable Daimler origins.
These include the infotainment controller, certain column controls and parts of the menu structure. This was a consequence of Aston Martin adopting Daimler’s electrical architecture rather than developing every electronic component independently.
The dashboard structure, seats, leatherwork, transmission controls, air vents and overall interior design remained specific to Aston Martin.
36. Was Bang & Olufsen audio standard?
Not on every DB11.
Early cars generally received a 400-watt Aston Martin audio system as standard, with the Bang & Olufsen BeoSound system available as an option or as part of certain packs and special specifications.
Bang & Olufsen was standard on some highly equipped cars, including the Launch Edition and AMR Signature Edition. The original build sheet is the safest way to confirm the audio specification.
37. Which DB11 options are most desirable?
Desirability is subjective, but frequently valued equipment includes:
Condition and colour coordination remain more important than simply counting options. A well-specified car is not necessarily one on which every available feature was selected.
38. Why is the DB11 model year important?
Aston Martin introduced changes according to model year rather than calendar or registration year alone.
These changes affected engines, suspension calibration, badges, seat designs, wheels, equipment packs, trim choices and standard features. A car registered in one year may therefore belong to the previous model year.
The VIN and original factory build record provide a more accurate description than the registration date.
39. Did every DB11 have the Aston Martin script across the rear?
No. The earliest cars left the factory with the wing badge but without the separate Aston Martin script beneath it.
The rear script was introduced as a production feature for the 2018.5 model year. It became one of the easiest visual ways to distinguish many later cars.
However, Aston Martin subsequently offered a factory refresh pack that allowed the script to be fitted to earlier DB11s. Its presence does not therefore prove the car’s model year or original specification.
It was introduced by the company because the wings were not universally recognised everywhere in the world.In the UK market, the brand recognition is extremely high but this is not the case everywhere.
40. What was included in the DB11 factory refresh packs?
The Standard Refresh Pack combined smoked rear lamps with the later Aston Martin script badge.
The Carbon Fibre Refresh Pack added a carbon-fibre rear script and carbon-fibre front and rear wing badges.
These were genuine Aston Martin accessory packages, but they were installed after production. Owners concerned with originality should retain the invoices and, where possible, the parts removed from the car.
Buying and ownership
41. Is the Aston Martin DB11 reliable?
A well-maintained DB11 can be a dependable modern grand tourer, but it is a complex, high-performance car and should not be judged by the standards of an ordinary mass-produced vehicle.
The engines and ZF transmission are fundamentally strong. Many apparent electrical problems are caused by poor battery condition or low voltage rather than failure of multiple control systems.
Reliability depends heavily upon regular servicing, correct battery maintenance, software status and early investigation of small concerns.Like all cars, putting some miles on them helps reliability.
42. What problems should be checked on a DB11?
A pre-purchase inspection should pay particular attention to:
These checks do not imply that every DB11 develops the same faults. They identify areas where condition can significantly affect ownership costs.
43. Does a DB11 need a battery conditioner?
A conditioner is strongly recommended if the car is not used regularly.
The DB11 has numerous electronic modules, security systems and convenience functions that continue to consume a small amount of power while it is parked. A falling battery voltage can generate several apparently unrelated warnings.
The battery should still be tested periodically. A conditioner can maintain a healthy battery, but it cannot restore one that has lost a significant proportion of its capacity.
44. How often should a DB11 be serviced?
A DB11 should be serviced according to the schedule applicable to its VIN, age and market. Servicing is normally required annually as well as at the specified mileage intervals which are 10,000 miles.
Aston Martin’s original service plan covered scheduled servicing for the first five years or 50,000 miles, whichever came first. The permitted tolerance was generally one month or 1,000 miles either side of the scheduled point.
Low mileage does not remove the need for annual maintenance. Fluids, batteries, tyres, seals and brakes continue to age while the car is stored.
45. Is a DB11 expensive to run?
It is important to remember that the DB11 was a car costing more than £150,000 when new.
Depreciation has made used examples much more affordable, but the cost of tyres, brakes, body components, servicing and specialist labour still reflects the car’s engineering and original market position.
Compared to most cars at this level, they are actually sensible to run.Our servicing costs are shown elsewhere on our website.
46. Should I have a pre-purchase inspection?
Yes. A specialist pre-purchase inspection is one of the most valuable steps when buying a DB11.
It should include a cold start, physical examination, complete diagnostic scan, road test, battery assessment, body and structure inspection, tyre and brake measurements, verification of service history and a check for outstanding factory actions.
The inspector should understand the DB11 specifically. A general inspection may identify obvious faults but miss model-specific issues, incorrect specifications or the significance of stored diagnostic data.
47. Is an Aston Martin extended warranty worthwhile?
An extended warranty can provide useful protection against unexpected repair costs, particularly on a complex car such as the DB11.
The buyer should check the expiry date, transfer conditions, claim limits, exclusions, servicing requirements and whether modifications affect eligibility. Wear items, cosmetic deterioration, maintenance and pre-existing problems may not be covered.
A warranty should support the purchase of a good car rather than compensate for an inadequate inspection.
48. Is a low-mileage DB11 always better?
No. Mileage is only one part of condition.
A very low-mileage car may have old tyres, corroded brakes, a weakened battery, flat spots and mechanisms that have rarely been exercised. A higher-mileage car with continuous servicing and regular long journeys may be mechanically healthier.
The mileage, history and physical condition should tell a consistent story. We would generally prefer a properly maintained car that has been used to one that has spent years standing without appropriate storage care.
49. Can a DB11 be used every day?
Yes. The DB11 was designed as a usable grand tourer rather than an occasional track car.
It has an automatic gearbox, adaptive suspension, front and rear parking assistance, useful luggage capacity and a cabin capable of covering long distances comfortably. The V8 is particularly easy to use regularly, although the V12 is equally capable of everyday driving.
Its width, low nose and tyre and fuel costs require consideration, but regular sympathetic use is generally beneficial to the car.
50. Will the DB11 become collectible?
Certain DB11s are likely to attract stronger collector interest than others.
The AMR Signature Edition has a confirmed production limit of 100 cars and a clearly identifiable specification. Well-documented CEO Edition cars, important Q Commissions and exceptionally specified Launch Editions may also be of interest.
The DB11 as a whole has historical significance as the first production Aston Martin of the company’s second century and the model that introduced the new-generation platform and AE31 V12.
However, future collectability should not be assumed simply because a car is rare. Condition, provenance, originality, specification and documentation will remain decisive. The most desirable DB11s are likely to be those that combine a compelling factory specification with excellent maintenance and a complete history.
HWM Aston Martin CEO Guy Jenner features in the latest episode of the Aston Martin Heritage Trust (AMHT) podcast, sharing insights into the development and significance of one of the most important models in Aston Martin’s modern history: the DB11.
Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2016, the DB11 marked the beginning of Aston Martin’s ambitious Second Century Plan. As the successor to the hugely successful DB9, expectations were high. The new model rose to the challenge, introducing a fresh vision for the grand tourer, combining striking design, innovative technology and exhilarating performance.
Hosted by Garry Taylor, the episode brings together Guy Jenner and Aston Martin historian Steve Waddingham to explore the DB11’s development and its lasting significance for the marque. Drawing on his experience as CEO of HWM Aston Martin, Guy offers his perspective on the model’s place in Aston Martin’s evolution and the role it played in shaping the brand’s future.
The discussion explores the DB11’s distinctive styling, aerodynamic innovations and new bonded aluminium structure, alongside the introduction of Mercedes-developed electronics and Aston Martin’s formidable 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine. These advancements represented a significant leap forward in engineering and technology, helping establish a new benchmark for the modern luxury grand tourer.
The episode also takes a more personal turn as Steve Waddingham meets Aston Martin enthusiast Merrick, who is collecting his DB11 from Aston Martin Birmingham. His story highlights the special relationship between an Aston Martin and its owner, demonstrating that the marque’s appeal extends far beyond engineering excellence and beautiful design.
For HWM Aston Martin, Guy’s contribution to the podcast provides an opportunity to reflect on the DB11’s enduring importance and celebrate the continued evolution of one of the world’s most distinctive luxury sports car brands.
Listen to the latest Aston Martin Heritage Trust podcast episode to hear Guy Jenner and his fellow guests revisit the story behind the Aston Martin DB11 and its place in the marque’s history.
Recording | 2 October 2026 |
Duration | 1 hour 16 minutes 50 seconds |
Main discussion | Garry Taylor, Guy Jenner and Steve Waddingham |
Closing handover | Steve Waddingham, Merrick and Dean Jellicoe |
Editorial note
This is a full, lightly edited transcript of the supplied recording. Repeated words, false starts and conversational punctuation have been tidied where this improves readability, while the meaning, tone and substantive content have been retained. Names and Aston Martin terminology have been corrected against the supplied project material.
Recorded at Podium Place near Newbury
00:20Archive audio: We aspire to make the most beautiful cars in the world. This car is the latest landmark.
00:32Archive audio: This is the Aston Martin Heritage Podcast.
00:38Garry Taylor: I'm Garry Taylor and welcome to this podcast. What you heard before our jingle was the applause and the whoops from the audience as the DB11 was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on 1st of March 2016, so just over 10 years ago. You also heard the start of the opening speech from Andy Palmer, the then CEO, as he referred to this as the latest landmark car. I cut him off at that point because we are now going to discuss if the DB11 was a landmark car and where it fits in within the DB bloodline. This is going to be, in effect, the DB11 story. And here with me at Podium Place in Newbury are Guy Jenner from HWM Aston Martin and Steve Waddingham from Aston Martin Lagonda.
01:21Guy Jenner: Hello again. Hello, Garry. Hi, Garry.
01:24Garry Taylor: Welcome, gentlemen. I say hello again because the last time we met was for the DB9 story in episode 59 and that went down very well. So we got the, well, we got the band back together again to do this time for the DB11. So let's get started. Andy Palmer referred to the DB11 as then the latest landmark car. I think we can all say that any car that has a DB moniker is a landmark car. Don't you agree? Because the DB name is so iconic.
01:53Steve Waddingham: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it started in 1950 with a DB2. And, yeah, every car that's had DB in the name, I think you could say as a landmark that there's never been one that's just been a, you know, a car we didn't make many of. They've always been made in substantial numbers. Obviously, there's been a few derivatives like DB4 GT, which was a derivative of DB4. And there was only 75 of those. But even so, that is a landmark car within its own right as being a very special sporting, you know, variant of another model. DB5 undoubtedly put Aston on the map. Yeah. And, you know, we can sit and talk about this all day long about how it probably saved the company many times over. Not just, I mean, not so much at the time, actually, when it was unveiled, but in later life, because of the effects it had on the history of the company, really. So, DB5 is undoubtedly a saviour. DB7, which took us from making hundreds of cars a year into the thousands. And then DB9 built on top of that and really kind of helped save the company again in the early 2000s. And then really, along comes DB11 to, again, be another big landmark in our lineage of cars.
03:15Guy Jenner: I agree. And I think from a retailer point of view, when you think about DB9, it had a huge shelf life. It was 2004 that that car was launched. We cover it in detail in our last podcast. But by the time we got to 2016, we were hugely affectionate about the DB9. But it was around for a long time, wasn't it? It was around for a long time. I mean, it was a long product life cycle. And so, the final GTs were brilliant cars, but we needed something new to offer our customers. And many, many customers had bought multiple DB9s throughout its life, but we were crying out for something fresh in the showroom. So, it was, I think that enhanced the excitement because there had been this big gap between models. The fact that there was something completely new coming at this point, along with a change of regime.
04:04Garry Taylor: I was going to say that because I would like to put some context into this, if I'm a guy, because we had DB9, which was under the Dr Bez era, if you like. And now we're in the DB11. This is 2016. We're into the second century plan. Yeah. Under the Andy Palmer. Can we talk about Aston Martin in 2015, 2016? Put some context into it 10 years ago?
04:27Guy Jenner: Steve and I will have different perspectives, but certainly from my point of view, Andy came in. It was a fresh start. He was a different kind of CEO, a different approach. And what was exciting about it all was that, for me, we knew the DB11 was really important to him personally. And the reason why it was, is whilst there were cars launched before that under his leadership, this was the first complete brand new car that he was putting his name to. And we could talk about the way that that was launched and how it was done, but there was definitely a real excitement to this era within Aston Martin. It felt like there was investment. It felt like things were happening and that there was a cohesive plan, this second century plan. So, as a retailer, it.
05:21Garry Taylor: The second century plan, in the simplest term, was seven cars, seven years, wasn't it? Exactly right. Regular, recurring, cut, was it copy, paste, repeat.
05:31Guy Jenner: Something like that. That's it. And to put that in context with, when you think back to that DB9 life cycle, all of a sudden the idea of getting that sort of cadence was enormously appealing to us. Yeah.
05:44Steve Waddingham: I mean, that's exactly as it was. You know, it was a new leadership, but it was a new plan. Yeah. And this was the first part of the plan. This was the first fruit, if you like, you know. But also, it was a big leap. It's been like DB7 to DB9. It was a big leap, really, in terms of the car itself. Yeah. And it was, again, with DB11. First of all, you've got the turbocharged engines. Yeah. You have to remember the car world was changing around that time. And the emissions were getting tighter. And you really couldn't. You couldn't really achieve, certainly for anything medium term, with the existing sort of engine technology that was being used up until that point. If you were going to survive with a new engine, it had to be really turbocharged to meet everything. Yeah. And a few other tricks that DB11 has up its sleeve, which we'll come on to. So, yeah, it's a big, big leap in terms of mechanical engineering between nine and 11. But also, the other thing that was happening at that point was the demand for consumers for more connected interior technology. You know, so it had a big, big colour screen. You know, it had the, let's be honest, it had the Mercedes architecture for the instruments and things. Very, very clear to read. You know, you can sit and argue whether or not that looked better than what was there before. But undoubtedly, it worked really well.
07:09Guy Jenner: I'll sit and argue, Steve, on that. So. Being polite. Yeah, you are being polite. So, I love DB11 as a product. And that will come across as we discuss it. But we want to switch to one of its downsides. So, I think a deal was struck with Mercedes-Benz to use their electrical architecture and their infotainment system. But it was a generation old already when the car was launched. And the previous VH infotainment system was. People always gave it a hard time. But actually, the final infotainment system was really, really good. It even had Apple CarPlay, the very last cars. So, the Garmin Nav was perfectly usable. So, if I'm honest, I actually think the SatNav system and the infotainment system was a step backwards in DB11 from the very last DB9s. Yeah, yeah. Look, it is what it is. You can retrofit Apple CarPlay. You can get beyond it. It would not stop me having a DB11. It's a fantastic car. But if I was to level one criticism with it, that would probably be it for me.
08:13Steve Waddingham: Yeah, I guess the Mercedes stuff, it was very clear to read. Yeah. But it was much more modern in terms of how it operated.
08:22Guy Jenner: Yes.
08:23Garry Taylor: Well, I should say it was more connected. There was a demand at that time, you know, 2016, where cars had to be far more connected. Yes, yeah. The DB9 was quite old school like that, quite quaint. Yeah. So, Aston Martin had to take that leap forward and Mercedes was the answer.
08:38Guy Jenner: Yeah.
08:38Steve Waddingham: And I think if you look at the last 9s, they were beautiful inside. Yeah. And almost jewellery-like controls and things. So, and now, you know, here we are 10 years later, DB11 is at production. Yeah. But if, in fact, I had a phone call last night from an old neighbor, and he's been talking about buying an Aston for a few years now, and he phoned me last night. He said, should I buy a very late DB9 or a DB11?
09:04Guy Jenner: Cool. Tricky one. Yeah, exactly.
09:05Steve Waddingham: And now, I know what he's like, and he's not really a car person. Yeah. And I actually think he'll be better off in a DB11.
09:13Guy Jenner: He'll find it easier to live with. Yeah.
09:15Steve Waddingham: I know the sort of guy he is. I know the sort of driver he'll do. Yeah. So, for him, he needs a DB11, not a 9. But if it was somebody else that was much more of a car person, and it's the sort of person that would get in a car, do a journey where he knows where he's going, so he's not that bothered about the latest set. Now, he knows where he's going anyway, and he's going to go out, just like you would on a motorbike, go out for a blast and bring it back and put it in the garage. Yeah. So, a person in that scenario perhaps would sway towards DB9 GT or something, you know? Yeah. But if you're going to be, if you're an ordinary motorist, and this is your first time you've had a toy in the garage, and your everyday car, like this guy, is a Tesla, he's going to be much better off with a DB11. And even that will seem retro to him. It would. You know, and that's the way I would pitch the two as a comparison. I mean, you'd know better than me, but I'm guessing money-wise, you could possibly buy one or the other for not much difference.
10:12Guy Jenner: You're right. They're getting pretty close. And interestingly, you mentioned the fact that we were getting into a turbocharged era, and there have definitely been times where Aston have been a little bit behind the curve in terms of their engineering. But do you know what? That's not always a bad thing. And interestingly, when you take the change to DB11, so first off, there was a big wave of people wanting to buy the last of the naturally aspirated V12s. But what Aston also learned was tech was moving on with turbocharging. So lots of people were sort of thinking, well, I don't want turbochargers. But the real risk is lag and a less responsive throttle. But Aston, learning from competitors, it's not fair to say failures, but from competitors' challenges, they were able to build an engine that was enormously responsive. That would rev, but also provide torque. And do you know what? For general, for a GT car, turbocharged engines are better. They've got so much torque. I mean, the DB11 V12 engine creates peak torque from 1500 RPM to 5000 RPM, just like a flat torque curve. Yeah. So it's got this turbine-like delivery.
11:28Steve Waddingham: It's like a super cruiser. You know, if you are just thinking of the scenario, I mean, glancing out the petrol stations at the minute, the fuel around here is about £1.80 a litre. Yeah. And if you're going to do really long journeys regularly, that's going to be a big difference between a DB9 and a DB11. Because DB11, on a motorway, on a long, long journey, is sipping the fuel, isn't it?
11:52Guy Jenner: Very moderately. It's not the sexiest part of the car. No. But it's because it's got cylinder deactivation. Yeah.
11:58Garry Taylor: Can we go back to the engines later? I'm getting carried away. You're going down rabbit holes. I have a strict order here, and this is my podcast, and we will do it my way.
12:11Garry Taylor: So, going back to 2016, the DB11, Marek might be probably easier to answer this one, but what did the DB11 have to carry over? What did it have to maintain from the DB9, and what had to change? It struck me as a bigger car. Yes. So, was there a demand that we needed more space in the car, and what did it have to carry over, saying, well, you know, this is a DB, this is a.
12:36Steve Waddingham: Marek will answer it a lot better than I can, but one thing I'll just remember was that it was going to be an evolution, not a revolution, in terms of the styling. So, it had to look like a DB. Yeah. One thing I do remember is DB11 had to instantly look like a DB.
12:52Guy Jenner: Yeah. And it did.
12:54Steve Waddingham: And it was very clever, because it did move on from 9, but it's
12:58Guy Jenner: still looked like a DB. You knew it was a DB. Yeah, yeah. Agreed. Yeah.
13:01Steve Waddingham: So, I'll end my little bit of that question there.
13:04Guy Jenner: Yeah. So, I think there's a couple of elements to it. I mean, first of all, at that time, believe it or not, which seems amazing now, it had the biggest grille fitted to an Aston. Can you imagine that now? You think about the size of the grille now. But all of this is driven by cooling. So, as soon as you get into pressure charging, I'm staying away from engines, but it needed a load of cooling, Garry, because the turbos run at 900 degrees when they're at peak temperature. So, you need a lot of cooling through the car. But then the other thing is, because performance moves on, this is a 200-mile-an-hour car. It's a 600-brake-horsepower, 200-mile-an-hour car. So, the clever thing about the styling is that it had to be graceful. It had to be clean. It had to be unmistakably Aston. But all that performance needed some proper airflow management and downforce to keep their car on the road. And that's where the really smart design and airflow management comes into play. And we should talk straight away about some of those clever things that the car has. So, first of all, to reduce front lift and get pressure out of the front wheel arches, it's got vents that vent air out. And a special thing called the curlicue. I think that's a link to Aston Martin heritage. Yeah, yeah. And if you've got the side strakes, all integrated beautifully, the side strake of the car. And if you go after the car and feel under that side strake like some sort of car pervert. I mean, I am a car pervert, so I absolutely agree. You can't say that. Exactly right. You can just, if you run your fingers under.
14:36Garry Taylor: This is another podcast episode on another channel.
14:38Guy Jenner: We're getting niche now. We're getting niche, okay. But that kicks the air out down the side of the car. The mirrors are a particular shape to funnel air into air intakes behind the rear windows that then flick air out under the boot. So, it's got this almost invisible great big wing. Yeah. There is a wing that rises up electronically.
14:57Steve Waddingham: And that flicks that air. It's like a rooster tail of air. Yeah. And if I remember rightly, at 100 miles an hour, the wall of air coming out the back of the boot lid is about a metre high.
15:08Guy Jenner: Yeah. If I remember rightly. In the rain, it looks mega. Yes, I suppose it would, wouldn't it?
15:12Steve Waddingham: You'd have a big jet of water almost, or messy water coming out of it.
15:16Guy Jenner: Yeah.
15:16Garry Taylor: They're saying it had to look like an Aston. I'm just looking through some of the photographs when I was at the Geneva Motor Show in March
15:21Guy Jenner: 2016. Yeah.
15:22Garry Taylor: I will put this on the website and social media. I mean, you can see there, you know, they, Aston Martin on the stand have made a definite
15:29Guy Jenner: point. Yeah.
15:30Garry Taylor: Of, they had a DB5 on the stand. Yeah. So, it's like hammering it home.
15:35Guy Jenner: Yeah. This is a DB.
15:36Garry Taylor: And in the graphics and the illustrations in the back, I say it will be on the website. We've got a DB5. We've got a DB7. We've got a DB9. Then a DB11 undercover. So, they were making a very big point. This is still a DB. Yeah. And this is the lineage. Illustration there, you can see from the front end, there's a nice picture, thank you
15:57Guy Jenner: very much, yeah. There is, of course, the other element that, do you remember Andy Palmer said that when he came to the brand, all the cars, he felt they were very similar. And it's true, people struggle to know the difference. People always knew an Aston, but if you weren't really into the brand, you'd struggle to tell the models apart. So, he felt his test was his mum needed to know, needed to be able to understand the difference and be able to see the difference. Well, that happened with Vantage, didn't it? Yeah. And that's another podcast entirely. We'll get onto that. No, no, exactly. And he did actually bring his mum to the factory. He did, didn't he? He did, didn't he? Yeah. Yes, he did. Yeah. Yeah. Pretty damn. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
16:34Steve Waddingham: In fact, I remember the day that she was coming in and I actually suddenly laughed at myself, oh my God, he really wasn't joking. I love that. This is really the litmus test. And it was exactly what she did.
16:47Guy Jenner: And then I think that there is one other element of criteria that you mentioned was space. And they did want to make, and did in fact make the cabin bigger. So, it's bigger in the front, but critically, it's bigger in the rear. I want to say bigger in the rear to give you an idea. If you are, you don't want to do a long distance like this, but if you're, say you're five foot 11, six foot as a passenger, you, if you push the front seat all the way forward, ram your knees up against the dashboard, you could probably squeeze somebody of the same height in behind you uncomfortably for a short journey. But frankly, that's, that's kind of good enough. That's, that's what we needed.
17:23Steve Waddingham: I did exactly that. I was once, we flew into Frankfurt, I flew in with some colleagues and we were picked up, there were two DB11s to pick us up at the airport and the passenger seat was pushed forward, I sat in that one, my knees almost took to the dash, I seem to remember, but my colleague could sit behind me and we got a lift from the airport to the hotel and you probably couldn't do that in a DB9.
17:46Guy Jenner: Who was your colleague? Was it Douglas Bader? It was a lady actually, but she wasn't short. No, it did the job.
17:53Steve Waddingham: Yeah, it was, you wouldn't want to go much further, but it was okay.
17:56Guy Jenner: It proved the point. You were still talking.
17:58Garry Taylor: No, you've been, you've been selling these cars. I mean, are the back seats used? More than anything. Do people want them? Yeah, yeah, they do. It's like the car on Vanquish, it's got an option for the rear seats, doesn't it?
18:11Guy Jenner: Yeah, it does. Yeah, yeah. That's just been introduced now. And that's through customer demand? Yeah. Even though they're not going to use it? Do you know, it's the old emergency or it's people who have a young family. Yeah. It won't be used as a daily car in many circumstances, but people just like to know now and again, or if you want to get a friend back from a restaurant or something like that, you've got something you can work with.
18:34Garry Taylor: Well, I'll leave the young family at home and a friend can get a taxi.
18:36Guy Jenner: I agree.
18:37Steve Waddingham: The other thing is you can't underestimate how much discomfort people were willing to take to get into an Aston. I just remembered I did a prom with the DB11 for my stepson and his lady friend at the time, and she was more than happy to squeeze herself into the back of the, and in fact even chose an appropriate dress to allow her to get into the back of the DB11. And again, it's a short journey, but it was all right, you know, it was doable. Yeah. And that's the thing, it just gives you that option, doesn't it? You know, it might not be something you use all the time, but it gives you the option. And yeah, got a rear seat, you could in theory.
19:14Garry Taylor: You are dead right. People will bend over literally backwards to get into an Aston Martin. I remember when I had a DB7, a couple of teenagers in the back, we were going to take the Range Rover, but they said, no, no, we want to go in the Aston. Okay. And they squeeze themselves in there. I think they're still there to be fair, but I mean.
19:33Steve Waddingham: Even where we're sitting now, just metres away. There's a Virage Volante, a 1990s Virage Volante. And when they first, or sorry, when we first built one of those as an experimental car, it only had two front seats and it had quite a bulky hood and it had a luggage platform. That was the only one we ever made. They had to re-engineer it to get the rear seats in. And even on the, and obviously a Virage Coupe always had the rear seats. And I can remember squeezing in the back of a 6.3 Virage with, I think there were two of us actually in the back of it and going through Milton Keynes. Luckily our boss was quite short. So again, seat forward for him, fine. But four up, we went through Milton Keynes in a Virage. So it's always been a thing with Astons. Having a, having a rear seat tends to be more desirable, I think, doesn't it?
20:23Guy Jenner: Yeah.
20:23Garry Taylor: So as you say, Guy, it had to have some more space.
20:26Guy Jenner: It did. Yeah. There was a demand for that. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
20:29Garry Taylor: One of the design features, and I do remember seeing this at a launch, that massive front hinge clamshell bonnet, that was staggering. You see that lifted up.
20:41Guy Jenner: It's a thing of beauty. It is, isn't it? It's a real engineering flex. So I think it took them nine months to find somebody who would actually supply a piece of aluminium big enough to make it all work. So it's the biggest, certainly was then the biggest aluminium one-piece bonnet ever created for a car. And it's front hinge, wasn't it? Yeah. So it's clamshell style, but that's not the best bit, Garry. There is a very good bit to it. It has got a soft close facility. Let me tell you, that is the best thing ever. Because how often do you slam, you know when you shut the bonnet, you always think, I don't want to slam it, but equally, if I just place it shut and put my fist on it, I just have this vision of me leaving a fist mark on the bonnet. Just being able to gently lay down the bonnet and it sucks itself in, I mean, every car should have that. It's just one of the best things. I didn't know that. I didn't know it did. So pleasing. It's brilliant. Yeah.
21:38Steve Waddingham: Looking at the DB family, go back to DB2.
21:42Guy Jenner: How's the bonnet open? Front hinge.
21:44Steve Waddingham: It was hinged right away through to mark three. I think it was the early fours or front? Well, DB4 had what we call a crocodile bonnet. So on the early one, the Series 1 DB4, the bonnet is hinged at the back, but only on the Series 1. And then they swapped over to being front hinged. But bearing in mind at that point, the bonnet is inboard of the front wings, leaving the front wing of a four, five or six. Yeah. But DB2 up to DB Mark III, which was the car that introduced the grille as we know it now,
22:15Guy Jenner: the wheel shape. Yeah.
22:16Steve Waddingham: So that car next year will be 70 years old. So DB Mark III. So we've had the iconic grille, as we all know and love it, has been on our production road cars since DB Mark III from next year. You could argue DB3S because that's where the grille shape came from, went onto the Mark III. But there's only 20 of those. But as a mainstream model, the DB Mark III was the one that ushered in the grille. And it was within a clamshell-type bonnet. Yeah. I've even got a photo on my phone somewhere of the late, great Jean Moss. And Gene had a Mark III drophead. And I think I went to the, either I went to the pub meeting or maybe the local dealer did in a DB11. And we parked the two cars next to each other and opened the bonnets. And actually, when you see the two cars sided by the side of the bonnets open, you could really see that kind of, you know, that same principle, really. And the great thing about a forward-hinged bonnet is you can get access to the engine bay a bit easier, can't it, really?
23:20Guy Jenner: Yeah. It looks very cool, this one. Yeah. Yeah, it looks. It's dramatic, isn't it? It is very dramatic.
23:24Garry Taylor: Of course, the other thing was the continuous roof strakes as well. Mm. And we got the, is it, Curlicue front wheel.
23:32Guy Jenner: That's the bit under the, yeah, the front, um.
23:35Garry Taylor: Front wheel arches and the concealed aeroblade airflow system at the rear. Yeah. So there was a lot going on on this DB11 compared to the 9, wasn't there?
23:43Steve Waddingham: Yeah, I mean, the Curlicue, I think, the whole thing is, you see, imagine, imagine look at the side of the car, imagine you're a camera looking at the front wheel, driving along, the wheel's turning, and the, and the air going into that wheel arch, it's got
23:55Guy Jenner: to go somewhere. Mm.
23:56Steve Waddingham: So what you do is you, you basically suck it out through the side of the car and, and, and with, with DB11, so I'm just remembering this now, if you looked, if you open the bike and looked at the, look down at where the wheel was, there's a wheel arch liner, and there's like these little vents in it, and those vents would let the air go, go through the vents and then out through the side, and then would get swept down the side of the car, so you've got that kind of air going down. There's also a stirrup vent as well, which is right at the base of almost where the front sill is, or rocker if you're in America, there's a little hole there, you don't even notice it, but that's also there to let air out. So it's all about letting, letting air out very quickly to reduce the drag on the car, and then, as you said earlier, Guy, that the air vent, the way that the mirrors are held on the car, created a hole for the air to flow through, down the side of the glass area, through the, the vent that's hidden underneath the C pillar. Yeah. And then through a tunnel, and out through the boot lid, with that rooster tail.
25:01Guy Jenner: I remember hearing, we mentioned Geneva earlier, that when the covers got pulled off the car at Geneva, competitor manufacturer engineers were all over the stage. Yeah, that's very true. The staging.
25:13Steve Waddingham: Very well-known German car company were very put out by the fact that we'd managed to achieve very, you know, this amazing airflow, and very cleverly, without any moving parts. Yeah. I won't say who it was, but they were looking at using fans, and all sorts of stuff to achieve
25:28Guy Jenner: the same thing. Yeah.
25:30Steve Waddingham: Which all relied on more weight, and, you know, things working properly. This was just done, the faster you go, the more air it sucks in, and it chucks out the back, and it, it just, and the more you go, the, it just, you know, the, the faster you go, the, the, the, the more air that goes through the car, really. Very clever, no moving parts, and that was a genius thing. And that, all of that allowed the, us to have more performance. Yeah. And better efficiency from the engine, whilst giving as much power as possible. So, there's real balance in that, between enough power, but enough, you know, emission type stuff built in as well.
26:05Guy Jenner: But Chris, also, it's elegant. Yeah. It's a beautiful car, where you don't feel as if you need to be wearing race boots to drive it.
26:12Steve Waddingham: Yeah, all hidden away, all the aero stuff, pretty much.
26:14Garry Taylor: You see, it is a beautiful car. When I was driving here today, on the, on the opposite carriage, it was a DB11. 10 years old, at the beginning, it looked like it could be a production today. It was still a beautiful looking car. I mean, and there's no fuss with it at all. We have all these design features going on. I think this, one of the things about the DB11, it's got all these design features, I'm going to say tricks, but I'm going to go with features on it, which the DB9 didn't have. Yeah. The DB7 certainly didn't have. And yet, here it is, all this clever aerodynamic airflow stuff on the DB11. So, I think that's what probably, from a design point of view, is what marks out from the
26:54Guy Jenner: previous generation. Do you feel? Yeah, I agree. But I think what also helps is it's so cleanly integrated. Yeah. But actually, it's a principle we still use today. So, if you think about Valhalla, that creates incredible downforce. But the purity of the upper body has been retained, so it's a really pretty car, without colossal wings, because the airflow management is very, very clever.
27:17Garry Taylor: Aston Martin have always managed to achieve this, haven't they? Yeah. And let's be honest, they don't have the budgets of the big boys.
27:22Steve Waddingham: We've been doing aerodynamics for a long time. I mean, you know, certainly, well, do you know what? Let's be really bold. The first example, and you won't believe how far back this goes, Razorblade.
27:33Guy Jenner: Of course. Yes. Yes.
27:35Steve Waddingham: Now, Razorblade was made in 1923. Yeah. The body was made by de Havilland, the aeroplane company. So, it was actually more like an aeroplane fuselage. It was very, very thin. That's why it's called Razorblade. But believe it or not, if you look at the back of Razorblade, where the towel comes to a really sharp point, there's a vent. Now, this is what they cottoned on to. You're driving along. You've got an open cockpit. The air is going through the body. So, he's going around the driver in his seat, and it goes through that big, long tail.
28:06Guy Jenner: And it gets trapped. And it's got to get, yeah. Yeah. It gets trapped. So, it's got to go somewhere.
28:09Steve Waddingham: So, they put a vent in it. And the vent's probably about six inches or so. Yeah. And that is, so if you could see an invisible, if you put it in a wind tunnel, a bit of smoke, you would see a trail of, like, red arrows, a trail of smoke coming out the back of Razorblade. So, look no further than understanding aerodynamics at Aston Martin, Razorblade, 1923, one and a half litre car, designed to do 100 miles an hour, which was a big thing back then. Yes, yeah. And then, of course, it moved on to the Ulster, which is a low rad and a high rad version. That's all down to the aerodynamics. You know, within a year, the team would realize that the aerodynamics of the Ulster, because of the radiator height, was limiting it a little bit. So, they just put a more sloped bonnet on it, and that squeezed a few more miles an hour out of it. And all the Ulsters were, even the customer versions, were tested at Brooklands and would not leave until they did at least 100 miles an hour. So, you know, so aerodynamic understanding at Aston Martin, been around in decades.
29:10Garry Taylor: You never, never, I would never associate aerodynamic understanding with Aston Martin.
29:16Guy Jenner: Do you know what I'm saying?
29:17Steve Waddingham: Yeah, I don't suppose anybody's ever bought an Aston Martin because of the aerodynamics. Yeah. But I thought it could have looked good. Yeah. And by the way, if, you know, if you could have looked into it, you'd have discovered, yeah, it was actually pretty good.
29:28Guy Jenner: Yeah, but I guess it's the hidden integrated element. And we have had our exceptions where we've been more overt with it. That could be Vulcan, GT12, GT8, where there have been big wings on cars. But fundamentally, building an elegant GT car, the last thing you want is a great big wing on the back of the car. Yeah, and it's Valkyrie. Yeah.
29:47Steve Waddingham: Valkyrie is all about aerodynamics and it's all about what's underneath the car, not what's on top. Yeah. You know, there was a thing that we were told that, in theory, you could go into a, if you could find a tunnel smooth enough, you could get the car onto the wall and it would drive upside. I mean, I don't know if that's really important, but. It's one for the next Bond movie, isn't it? But yeah, it's very clever aero. It is. And sorry, the other one from the past would be the DB cars in the 60s. DB 212, 214, 215, which they very quickly realised was getting lift at the back. So they designed the Kamm tail. That went on to DB6. And that's now very similar to what we've got on the current Vanquish.
30:28Guy Jenner: Yeah.
30:31Garry Taylor: Okay, dear listener, now you may want to pause the podcast, make yourself a cup of coffee or have a comfort break, because we're now going to pass over to Guy to talk about engines. Steve and I are going to move out of the room and have some lunch and we'll come back in about 20 minutes and probably Guy will finish this point. But no seriousness, I'm confused over engines.
30:50Guy Jenner: Okay. You're conflicted, are you, or confused?
30:54Garry Taylor: I am confused. I'll tell you why I'm confused, because it came out with a V12, then it was a V8, and then I think the V12 was dropped, then it came back as a V12 AMR. Yeah. Guy, enlighten me, over to you.
31:08Guy Jenner: Right. So. It came out with a V12. It did, exactly right. So DB11 was a V12 to begin with. We went from 5.9 litre naturally aspirated in DB9 to a 5.2 litre turbocharged. And it was a 600 brake horsepower engine, really fantastic engine, load of torque, 700 newtonmetres of torque that was available pretty much throughout the rev range. So a lovely, lovely thing. Did the customers accept it? Yes, they did. And I think if you drive the car, you can't help but feel that it is appropriate for the car. I'll tell you the one thing you don't get with a naturally aspirated engine in quite the same way is the noise levels. So last, DB9 GTs had a sports muffler, a naturally aspirated engine, normally always sounds a bit throatier. It didn't quite have the same noise levels as the predecessor. But that aside, ultimately Aston were building a GT car and they wanted to pitch the noise levels correctly because it's a car you drive long distance. So it certainly sounded good, but you could argue an NA engine sounds a little better. But as for drivability, that's lovely. That's beautiful. But then the AMG sourced engine came to DB11. And Steve, you'll have remembered being in the factory and seeing the engines. And my goodness, the size difference between a 4 litre V8 and a V12. So it's 115 kilograms lighter.
32:36Steve Waddingham: I've been to V12, it's vast when you see it. And everybody always says, how's that going to fit in the car? Yeah. It's a big, big lump, isn't it? Whereas the 4 litre V8 is much more compact, very clever. What we call a hot V. So it's got the, if you imagine a V of the engine, the turbos, twin turbos sitting in the middle of that, whereas on the DB11 with twin turbos, a V12, they're on the outside of the engine, aren't they, in similar terms? And also a bit of a nerdy thing. If you're doing a bit of DB11 spotting, if you see a car and it's got four bonnet vents, then it's a V12. And on the V8, it's only got two, hasn't it?
33:14Guy Jenner: Ah, there we go. Yeah, exactly right. No, you're bang on, but it's such a subtle difference. And that worked really well. So what you wouldn't do is you wouldn't look at a V8 version and think that just instantly looks like an inferior car. It was almost, it's minute, isn't it? The difference between the two. And I think that was a good judgment call.
33:34Steve Waddingham: And you wouldn't not buy it because it didn't have four bonnet vents. I mean, if anything, the V8 one with two vents, it's just even more elegant. Cleaner, yeah. Yeah, just, you know, but it's not a big deal. But that's how you would quickly spot one if you saw a Coupe. If you saw a Volante, they were all V8. There was never a V12 Volante.
33:51Garry Taylor: So, as we say, the DB11 was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Yeah. Production began in Gaydon in September and the customer delivery started in November 2016. So that's when it had the V12.
34:06Guy Jenner: Yeah? Well, at my quarters, are you trying to get me to move on from engines? I haven't finished talking about the V8s yet, Garry.
34:12Garry Taylor: And the V8s, and V8s. Sure, one afterwards, about six months afterwards, the V8 was announced with the four-litre. Beautiful. So I'm just trying to bring it in.
34:21Guy Jenner: Guide me back into V8s. So this was more contentious. Yes. So the turbocharging was, I think people could see past that. There were a few people that sort of went, AMG engine and an Aston Martin. But most people were quite sensible and pragmatic about it, that it was a recognised, really good power plant. So this is an important part.
34:42Garry Taylor: This was the first Aston Martin with an AMG engine, wasn't it?
34:45Guy Jenner: That's right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But it's a great engine. It's a brand engine. Aston were allowed to change the software and a few other bits. It put out just over 500 brake horsepower and being lighter and more compact and some dynamic tweaks to the chassis. The V8 version was a really fun car. So you drive them back to back and it does make the DB11 feel more sprightly, lighter on its toes. Again, makes different but great noise. And it had almost as much torque as the V12 engine. When you consider how much torque the V12 had, I think it had 675 newton metres from the V8 versus 700 from the V12. 0 to 60, up to 100 miles an hour. Frankly, performance-wise, there was very little difference between the two.
35:32Steve Waddingham: Wasn't it about 0.1 of a second difference?
35:34Guy Jenner: To 60, yeah. Yeah. It was more about feel and how it changed the characteristic of the car. If you were to drive both of them at higher speeds into triple figures, allegedly the V12 just disappears off into the distance. Just keeps on trucking. It's such a strong engine. But, you know, most people looked at the V8 and thought, actually, road speeds, normal road speeds, it does everything I need.
35:57Garry Taylor: I think the road test at the time, the journalists, we all love a V12. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it's irresistible, but I think the conclusion at the time was, we love a V12, but the V8 was a sweeter car. That was the sweet spot. Yeah. You wouldn't be doing yourself any disservice by having a V8.
36:17Guy Jenner: Agreed. Yeah. Yeah. Although, weirdly, people often say the V8 would be slightly more economical. I know this isn't the kind of thing you worry about necessarily if you're going to do low miles, but actually the V12 in the long run was slightly more economical for what it's worth. The V8 was only available in the Volante version as well. They never made a V12 Volante. And from afar, we had customers who said, well, can't you just a V12? The development costs of doing something like that is absolutely staggering. A V12 Volante? Yeah. Yeah.
36:49Steve Waddingham: And I think also they were holding that back for DBS.
36:52Guy Jenner: Yeah. I think that's fair.
36:53Steve Waddingham: And it was like, I think the sort of research suggested that even if we did do a V12 DB11 Volante, most people would probably order the V8. Yeah. Because often people that buy the Volantes when they're new, they're not looking for the same amount of out-and-out performance levels maybe, if that's the right way to say it. But anyway, it didn't happen. And I remember driving the Volante for the first time. I took one up to the Concorde, Aston Martin and Lawson Concorde, which was somewhere up north. So it was a good old long run. But I remember being on the M6 and seeing 30 to the gallon coming up. That's the first time I'd ever seen that in an Aston. It was certainly not other than the Cygnet. But anyway, great car, great cruiser. Lovely, lovely noise to the engine.
37:43Guy Jenner: Very pretty. Very pretty.
37:44Steve Waddingham: I mean, you know, most people would tend to say an Aston Coupe or a Saloon, as we used to call them, tends to look better than a Volante. Yeah. But I think with DB11, a lot of people would almost argue they're certainly both equally good looking. And you certainly wouldn't feel like you've been shortchanged if you bought the Volante from a looks point of view. Because roof up, roof up or roof down, of course, absolutely gorgeous to look at.
38:11Guy Jenner: Of course, I'll figure out. One thing that made DB11 Volante look good with the roof up is it, compared to DB9, it had a far more rake to the rear roof line and screen. So it had a beautiful line with the roof up. Whilst a DB9 is a pretty car with the roof down, but it doesn't have quite that same shape to it. Yeah. I think that made a huge difference. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
38:34Steve Waddingham: Lovely, lovely looking car.
38:36Garry Taylor: Was the, so you've got the Volante, which was V8 only, was the DB11 V12 still in production at the same time as the DB11 V8 Coupe?
38:45Guy Jenner: Yes, it was. Yeah. But I think certainly in the UK market, I can't speak for the world, we saw a big shift towards people buying V8s. The V8 came out. So, and the V12 engine did ultimately live on, but it changed format. It became the V12 AMR, which is a really, really good car. So this is 630 brake horsepower, and also some tweaked dynamics. That was in 2018, wasn't it? The chassis was different. What a car. It's a rare car, relatively speaking. And the reason why it's a rare car is because for quite a lot of customers, they'd either go DB11 V8, or by the time they were considering a DB11 V12 AMR, it was pretty tempting to go the whole hog and have a DBS Superleggera. So it's a niche car, but my goodness, it's a cool thing. I mean, it's a 208 mile an hour.
39:43Garry Taylor: So we had the DB11 V12 AMR. Yeah. And the DBS Superleggera was out at the same time?
39:50Guy Jenner: It was, yeah. Yeah. Was that confusing for people? I don't know that it was confusing, but I think it just left the AMR somewhat overlooked. Yeah.
39:59Steve Waddingham: Yeah, the price difference between the, it was almost in the middle, wasn't it? So you've got DB11 V8 Coupe, and then the DB11 AMR was for the V12, and then you've got DBS Superleggera. Yeah. So it sort of sat in the middle, wasn't it, really?
40:15Guy Jenner: Okay. I think it's a cool thing. I think the thing is, because DBS was so overt, big, muscular, starting to it, I think a lot of people were drawn into a DBS, understandably, and even more power. But I think if it could be described as such a thing, the DB11 AMR almost has a bit of Q-car about it. Yeah, yeah. Because to look at it parked in a car park, you'd know it was fast, but you wouldn't know it was 208 miles an hour.
40:38Steve Waddingham: I just saw, and also now, we're sat here now, 10 years later, we're looking at these as used cars. Yeah. So imagine, like, sat there, you've got, you know, you've got your money, you're all ready to go, you've got your budget, and you've, you know, if you really, really want a V12 DB11 pay, then go on, go off and see, find yourself an AMR. Yeah, so if you really, really want one, and you really can do some serious driving, if you can find what a car that would be. But yeah, I think there's a range of cars, there's a lot of choice with DB11. Yeah. Whether you want Volante, whether you want a V8, a V12, you know, hardcore V12, there's plenty of things to look at, aren't there, really?
41:18Guy Jenner: Yeah. And then towards the end of its life, the V8 got some more power as well, so that went up to 535 PS. So, I mean, again, it wasn't lacking in power, but who doesn't want a bit more power? So, the last of the DB11s are lovely, lovely cars, and the AMR label got dropped off the V12, it just became DB11 V12 again, but underneath, it was an AMR.
41:39Steve Waddingham: So, that would be even more rare, wouldn't it?
41:41Guy Jenner: Yeah. I've been trying to find that. Yeah, yeah, you're right, that is.
41:44Steve Waddingham: And obviously, dear listener, if you're being tempted into any of this stuff, when you get your car, get in touch with Aston Martin Heritage Trust, and then you can get a certificate, find out how rare it is. Good shout. You know, you'll get a one-of-one certificate, and, you know, you start getting into these later V12 DB11s, and you could possibly be into single figures of how many other cars are like the one you've just bought. Yeah. So, you know, that's something you can get for the AMHT, get it certified as to where it sits in terms of numbers.
42:16Guy Jenner: Well, that's a cracking idea. Funnily enough, when you were saying, if you were looking for a DB11 AMR, and you want a particular spec, well, they're so rare, you almost, you just need to look for, you almost need to put the spec out of your mind and just look for a nice car.
42:29Steve Waddingham: Don't sit there waiting for a blue one or whatever.
42:31Guy Jenner: Yeah. You've often said that, Steve, haven't you? Absolutely. Yeah.
42:34Steve Waddingham: You know, and I say that about any Aston shop. I agree. Don't sit there going, oh, I want a tungsten, I want a blackened. You know, just keep a very, very open mind when you're shopping for any Aston, because you'd be amazed at how few there are of anything. Even if you think they built hundreds and hundreds of a particular colour scheme, often when you're trying to find one, they're not available to keep a big, wide open mind.
42:58Guy Jenner: Can I give a bit of sensible consumer advice? Please do. Don't normally ask. Well, I'll volunteer. If you were to buy an early DB11 V12, not that it's lacking in power, but you can have an AMR upgrade. That doesn't affect the dynamics of suspension or anything, but it gives you 630 brake horsepower. It changes the exhaust tone of the car. It tends to pop and bang a little bit when you're in the sportier modes in the driving mode system. So, and it's relatively inexpensive.
43:32Steve Waddingham: So, if you own the standard DB11 V12, not an AMR, just an ordinary V12, and you've already got the car, you could take it to a dealer and get that kit fitted.
43:42Guy Jenner: Exactly right. Yeah. There you go. More ways of spending your money. A hundred percent, yeah. I mean, I don't know how those guys are getting by with 600 brake horsepower. But yes, great.
43:51Steve Waddingham: Lots of choice, basically. DB11 hunting, lots of things to choose from. And bear in mind, we're talking worldwide. We know there's lots of people listening in from the US and Europe and all over the world. So, these cars are everywhere.
44:03Guy Jenner: They're in every market. Yeah.
44:04Steve Waddingham: So, you know, you should be able to find a DB11 wherever you live.
44:07Guy Jenner: Agreed.
44:07Garry Taylor: So, when the car was launched, there was a lot of interest in the car, a lot of pickup. Where did the customers come from? Were they from DB9? Were there people from Ferrari or conquest sales?
44:19Guy Jenner: Do you think? There were definitely conquest sales. Undoubtedly, Aston customers are really loyal to the brand. And so, I think there were a big chunk of customers that were waiting for something new. Like I said, it got traction. I mean, unbelievable traction. It was really, really good, the initial demand. In fact, I think we ended up being number one in the world for DB11 sales in its first year. Oh, wow. Which was great. I mean, we just. There were DB11s everywhere. There were amazing specs. People getting really imaginative with their specs. And there were lots of different ways you could spec up a DB11, particularly with the roof that you've mentioned, Garry. The fact that you can kind of. You could go body-coloured. You could have aluminium.
45:03Garry Taylor: Because the first one I remember seeing at the motor show, and I think the first production ones, had that aluminium.
45:09Guy Jenner: Stroke. Yeah, like a roof strake.
45:11Garry Taylor: Had that like an aluminium stroke, which meant a bit. It didn't last long. No, it didn't last long. I remember. I think Peugeot did a cute.
45:18Steve Waddingham: A kind of way of describing it.
45:20Guy Jenner: Yeah. Yeah.
45:20Steve Waddingham: So you could then have them in silver, painted silver.
45:24Guy Jenner: Yes. Yeah.
45:24Steve Waddingham: And my dear friend Merrick, who's this bought a car recently, I think his one's got the painted silver. Yeah, I think you're right. And there were lots of things you could have. You could have. I remember rightly, you could have. You could choose a colour of the roof straight. Either silver, body colour, or black. Yeah. I think body colour came in slightly later, didn't it? It did. But at launch, I think it was either black or silver. And then if you had the black, the gloss black roof rails, you could have the gloss black roof. That's right. Which made it like two tones. So you could have black over whatever colour it would be.
45:53Guy Jenner: Yeah. Or you could have.
45:55Steve Waddingham: Eventually, you could have all body colour. Yeah. Or you could have, for a while, you could have silver, body colour. So yeah, quite a few permutations.
46:03Guy Jenner: Mm-hmm. I think what it meant ultimately, and Aston did this very well, is you could create an aesthetic that was either really sporty and modern, or you could, you know, with black trims and wheels, bits like that. Or you could be very traditional. You could have chrome. You could have all body colored. And so it can have very different personalities depending on.
46:23Steve Waddingham: And I think there were a couple of different wheels, weren't there? There was a standard wheel, then there were like this sort of slightly directional type
46:31Guy Jenner: spokes. Which came with DB10. Yeah. That's where that design started. Yeah. Yeah.
46:36Steve Waddingham: And then even on those, there were, you could have either all silver or black and silver. Yeah. And again, you'll remember all the different permutations, but was there a gunmetal one
46:45Guy Jenner: as well? There was.
46:46Steve Waddingham: I mean, you know, I think if you'd lined up 20 DB11s, they'd all be different. Yeah. You know, that really would all be different. Apparently, mine, this is early days of Q as well. So, Q was creeping in. It was. The DB11s. So, you know, add into the mix, there'd be Q DB11s out there.
47:02Guy Jenner: It was actually so. I love speccing cars and I love. There's a joy in choosing every little element and making a car your own. But I think Aston at that point recognised that it was a complex car to spec. And so, the approach for the launch vehicles was that they had sample specs with different names so that customers had somewhere to start to go, yeah, do you know what? I like the look of that, but I would change the interior or I wouldn't have those calipers. But now we're going. And I think that was a really. Apart from the name, so there was things called the Shanghai Fashionista. That's just difficult. Can you imagine telling somebody that's what you. Anyway.
47:43Steve Waddingham: But that was probably the most expensive one, wasn't it? It had frosted glass blue paint. That's it. Which, by the way, is an amazing colour.
47:51Guy Jenner: It is. It was a bit.
47:52Steve Waddingham: If you took the Fashionista box, it was a bit full on. It had red brake calipers and it had. I can't say it had a two-tone light interior.
47:59Guy Jenner: Yeah, like an ivory and dark interior with red stitch.
48:03Steve Waddingham: But as things went on, people realised you could just order frosted glass blue. Yeah. So, okay, if you were to ask me what would be your dream DB11. Yes. I think I'm going to build my dream spec here. Whether it exists or not, I don't know. So, but what about a frosted glass blue Volante with a blue roof. Yeah.and an all-blue interior?
48:23Guy Jenner: I mean, that's very. How about that? That's very south of France, isn't it? Yeah. I feel.
48:28Steve Waddingham: But the best thing is with frosted glass roof. So, it looks like a baby blue. Yeah.until you put a torch on it.
48:34Guy Jenner: Yes, and that metallic. And then suddenly.
48:36Steve Waddingham: So, it actually literally has all these little crystals in the paint. So, when you put a torch on it, it's like someone's shook a bucket load of glitter all over the car. Yeah. And it all bounces back at you. I mean, that's mega as a colour for a south of France type car. Yes. And the other colour that's another great, great colour that came in with DB11 is ultramarine black. Which is really, really a very, very dark navy blue.
49:00Guy Jenner: It's like an inking black, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah, exactly like that. Yeah.
49:03Steve Waddingham: Imagine when you used to have a fountain pen with ink in it.
49:06Guy Jenner: Yeah. Dark ink.
49:07Steve Waddingham: And when you put a torch or when you put the direct sun onto that colour, the metallic bounces back at you. When you look at it, you can see turquoise and light purple flecks in the paint. And obviously, that's very close up. You see it. But from a distance, it just pops. Yeah. When the sun hits it. And when the shade comes out, it goes almost black, doesn't it? Yeah. And what a great colour. Very popular colour on all models.
49:34Guy Jenner: And with a navy blue hood, it kind of pulls out the blue in the paint as well. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So there you go.
49:39Steve Waddingham: I'd go for a DB11 Volante in a colour like that, probably. One of those two extremes.
49:45Guy Jenner: What about you, Garry? What are you having? I was in doubt, to be honest.
49:51Guy Jenner: Is that ever since I've been talking about engines?
49:53Steve Waddingham: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
49:54Garry Taylor: I was just looking at something.
49:57Guy Jenner: Yeah, I'll have a black one. Okay. Sorry. I'll tell you for a while.
50:02Garry Taylor: No, I didn't zone out. I was just looking at something while you were rattling on about production numbers. Yeah. Obviously, the DB9 was in production for a long time.
50:13Guy Jenner: That was about 16,500 cars or something like that. Yeah.
50:18Garry Taylor: Looking at here, it's been compiled by Tim Cottingham. Thank you, Tim. Thank you, Tim, from the AMHT.
50:25Guy Jenner: I've got here 9,167 coupes and 2,973 Volantes.
50:34Garry Taylor: I'm quite surprised the Volantes are quite low.
50:37Guy Jenner: Yeah, they are. So the other thing that reminded me of was this was a really interesting moment. So we spoke earlier on about this being Andy Palmer's first full, full new car under his leadership. So he agreed to sign off the first 1,000 cars. Yeah. I mean, as a busy man, at that point, we were nearly two years away from the IPO, but he would have been outrageously busy at that point.
51:08Garry Taylor: And from afar, it felt like, you know, when you're 20 cars and you think, why did I agree to this?
51:15Steve Waddingham: People don't believe that he did 1,000.
51:17Guy Jenner: He really did. Wasn't he sleeping at the factory?
51:21Steve Waddingham: I had a vision in my mind. And I think I must have gone in at a weekend for some reason. Yeah. And Andy was walking through the factory.
51:29Guy Jenner: With his high vis on. With his high vis on. Yeah.
51:31Steve Waddingham: With a couple of people trudging behind him and he was off to do another batch of cars. Fair play. Because he, you know, what he would, you know, what he used to do was do big batches of cars. Yeah. And I really mean, he really didn't expect them. He didn't just walk down the line and go, you know, you know, when you see a military inspection.
51:46Guy Jenner: Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
51:47Steve Waddingham: Just playing it and walking along with a sword and you're not really looking at them.
51:50Guy Jenner: This was real. He was there.
51:52Steve Waddingham: He really did go around the cars.
51:59Guy Jenner: But again, I think, I think the. What are they called? The CEO edition. So there was the CEO edition and the, separately the signed off. Yeah. And the Palmer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, or, no, I tell you like, no, there were the CEO, CEO editions and the launch spec. That's it. Launch spec. Yeah.
52:14Steve Waddingham: And the launch spec, like you said earlier, was to make it easy. Yeah. There were these boxes that were prepared of like half a dozen different with varying sorts of names for them.
52:25Guy Jenner: And key options. Yeah.
52:26Steve Waddingham: But then you could go off the menu and go, you know, whatever you wanted. And what, you know, one of the elegant ones was the, that lovely green. What was that green called?
52:35Guy Jenner: Arden green. Arden green.
52:37Steve Waddingham: Yeah, that's, that's it. And then there were things like copper tan leather, wasn't there? Yeah. Which was a metallic leather. Yeah. And there was a, I remember there was a black that had a metallic in it as well, wasn't there?
52:48Guy Jenner: A metallic. And then you could get brogue trim. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
52:52Steve Waddingham: Sorry, Garry, we've got to go into brogueing and leather detailing now. Because the other big thing with the interior was the amount of scope that you could have with the interior detailing. You could have brogueing, which was literally a special machine that we bought that put in the little dots you get on a brogue shoe.
53:10Guy Jenner: Yeah. Two little ones, one big one.
53:12Steve Waddingham: Two little ones, one big one. And that would be done as a strip. And then that would be then sewn into the, the seat covers. Yes. And then there was the embroidery. So you have to have patterns embroidered into the leather. And then there was another option to have it ventilated. Yes. And you could just, you could, you could mix and match. You could have ventilated and embroidered, but no brogueing or just brogueing or just ventilated or just embroidered and not ventilated. There was all sorts of permutations really. Yes. And to do that, we have custom made machines for the trim shop, which were huge, great big. And in fact, we're still using them today, but they came on with DB11 and vast tables that could do, you know, hundreds of thousands of stitches or, or thousands of hole punches. And then you take the leather off and put it onto another machine that would then cut out precisely the shapes that were required to make the interior trim.
54:12Guy Jenner: So, and that all started with DB11. John, the only backwards set for the interior, other than, I'm not going to mention entertainment systems again, is VH era had glove boxes that were so small that really you could only fit gloves in. Yeah. Or, or your service book, that's where it goes. And there was no, there was no glove box at all on, on DB11. And what it did have though, was an electric centre armrest. So you pressed a button and the storage got revealed off a button. Yeah, that was. So that was quite cool, wasn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
54:44Steve Waddingham: That made up for the lack of a glove box. It did. It was actually quite a useful glove box, wasn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I must say, I've never gotten a DB11 and thought, oh, I wish there was a glove box. Because, you know, for me, I get in a car, I've got the glasses, I've got the phone, I've got the house keys, you know, the key for the car. And actually, all of that, all goes underneath that armrest.
55:03Guy Jenner: Yeah. Yeah.
55:04Steve Waddingham: So never had a problem personally with that.
55:07Guy Jenner: We corrected it with DB12 though, by the way, you'd be pleased to know. Anyway, one car we haven't spoken about, perhaps we should have done at the beginning, was DB10.
55:19Garry Taylor: Because we went from DB7 to DB9, then from DB9 to DB11. Yeah. So logic, now, DB7 to DB9, we covered this in the DB9 podcast, we're saying various reasons, because it's such a leap forward, we took, you know, we jumped to. DB8 may have confused the customers, thinking it was a V8, and then we had Jaguar with the XK8, all those sort of things. So we see the reason not to have a DB8. Why not a DB10?
55:47Guy Jenner: What happened there?
55:49Steve Waddingham: So I remember DB11 before launch being DB11. There's no question of that. It was always 11, always. I'll be careful what I say about DB10, because it's obviously still classified, you know. Let's face it, the end user was MI6, wasn't it?
56:06Guy Jenner: Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
56:07Steve Waddingham: Fictitious, well, so I want to be careful what I say about DB10, but I remember being sat there as we named the car, and 11 was already. It must, as it were. Yeah, and part of the conversation was, well, we know the next car's 11, so why don't we use 10? That was part of it. It was a bit more scientific than that, but that was a big part of it. So it was like, yeah, we used DB10 for that. There were 10 cars made as well. And there were 10 cars, yeah. But yeah, you'd have to wait until I retired before you get any more out there on that story.
56:38Guy Jenner: But yeah.
56:40Garry Taylor: So it was always going to be called DB11.
56:43Steve Waddingham: It was always going to be called DB11. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, as I remember it anyway. And again, ask Maverick. Yeah, yeah. Maybe there's a lot more to it than that. But as I remember it, it was always going to be 11 and 10. And 10 was shown before 11. Yeah. So you have to remember, you know, things are planned months and months and years in advance. So, and actually DB10 was a great way of getting people ready for the new wave of design language.
57:09Guy Jenner: Yeah, yeah. You know, particularly Vantage.
57:11Steve Waddingham: And I will say one thing, and people say, oh, why didn't you make the DB10? We did. We made the Vantage.
57:17Guy Jenner: You know, look at it. Look at it.
57:18Steve Waddingham: You know, I know it's got a few holes in the bonnet, but really and truly, that is a silhouette of a Vantage. Agreed. But we couldn't show the Vantage in the Bond film because it was still a way off, you know. But that's pretty much as big a hint you could ever get. The only real big difference is the fact that DB10's got a boot and not a hatch. But other than that, there's not a lot of difference shape-wise. No. And I'm amazed that people don't see that more often. If you want to live a fantasy and have a DB10, go and find a silver Vantage.
57:50Guy Jenner: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
57:51Steve Waddingham: Because at a quick glance on the motorway, it will look like a DB10. But I'll leave that at that. I won't say any more about that.
57:57Guy Jenner: But there is a great story behind it. Yeah. I'll leave it there. Sorry, Garry. You two are no good to me. Okay. Right.
58:06Garry Taylor: Guy, where is the marketplace DB11s today in October 2026?
58:12Guy Jenner: What's the. How is it today? Do you know, they're great value. Yeah. So, between £60,000 and £100,000 buys a lovely, lovely car. They're sensible to run. Is there a premium for Volante? Against the V8, slightly. Yeah, yeah. They were made in lower numbers and they were about 10K more new.
58:33Steve Waddingham: Obviously, we're talking UK sterling here, folks.
58:36Guy Jenner: Yes. It's a worldwide podcast.
58:38Steve Waddingham: But I'm sure if you look locally, the pricing might be similar to what it is in the UK. But it's certainly going to apply. It's going to be a good used car, isn't it?
58:46Guy Jenner: Yeah, I think so. I think they're sensible to run. They're not unreasonable on fuel. They're usable. And I think they're much lower down the depreciation curve. So, I think they are an attractive prospect, particularly when you think now, depressingly, what 70K buys you in a showroom as new cars go. A DB11 is quite a prospect.
59:07Steve Waddingham: Well, I was just thinking in the old days, when you were talking to people about buying a second around DB9, when they were, say, 10 years old, the car that the person you were talking to probably drove in the week would probably have been a Range Rover.
59:19Guy Jenner: Yeah, fair. Yeah. A petrol one. Agreed.
59:22Steve Waddingham: And there might have been another car in the family that might have been a petrol Audi or a BMW or something. Isn't it funny nowadays, the person that's going to go out and look for a DB11 may well have an electric car of some description, maybe a sort of an SUV type vehicle, electric. So, isn't that funny that that's probably going to be the car in the driveway and a toy is now going to be possibly a DB11, but even the toy is going to be environmentally pretty friendly because it's a DB11 and all the stuff we talked about earlier. But isn't it funny how at the point of 10 years old, the average new DB11 owner that buys as a used car is possibly going to have some sort of electric vehicle as maybe the car that's the family car or the company car?
01:00:12Guy Jenner: Yeah. Good.
01:00:13Garry Taylor: So, that's the marketplace. And Steve, you know somebody that's bought one. Yeah. And you can involve with somebody. Absolutely. Now, at the end of the podcast.
01:00:21Guy Jenner: Yeah.
01:00:22Steve Waddingham: If Guy hasn't spoken about engines too, he has spoken plenty of times on it.
01:00:27Guy Jenner: But, yeah.
01:00:28Garry Taylor: And I've got you on colours as well. So, yeah. So, yeah. At the end of the podcast, once we've finished, we've got the DB11 handover.
01:00:36Guy Jenner: Do you want to talk us through that? Well, I mean. To introduce it.
01:00:39Steve Waddingham: Again, classic example. Friend of mine, Merritt, got in touch.
01:00:44Guy Jenner: Known him for a long time. He's had lots of Aston's. Good guy. Yeah.
01:00:47Steve Waddingham: I think if I remember rightly, and you'll have to listen to the rest of the podcast to find out if I'm right, I think this is his 12th Aston. Oh, wow. He's had a number of cars over the years.
01:00:57Guy Jenner: He was torn between V12 and V8, wasn't he? He was, yeah. He had that sort of pain. He came shopping with a guy. Yeah. He really did his due diligence. Yeah, yeah.
01:01:04Steve Waddingham: Went around the UK looking at a huge amount of travelling to get the car. Yeah. And was, you know, quite rightly so, got the car he wanted, basically.
01:01:13Guy Jenner: And he picked it.
01:01:13Garry Taylor: Was he looking for a colour spec?
01:01:17Guy Jenner: Do you know? Yeah, sort of. Yeah. And he wasn't finding it, so. I think it was agreeable specs, but I think he was looking for the right car. Yeah. A really nice example. Would that be fair? Yeah.
01:01:28Steve Waddingham: And I think, from memory, as we did talk about, very early conversations we had were about the colour schemes. Yeah. And I think, I think without putting words in his mouth, he didn't want gray and black
01:01:40Guy Jenner: interior. He wanted something. He wanted a colour. Yeah.
01:01:43Steve Waddingham: And he's, you know, it's not fair to talk about his previous cars, but he's had some really
01:01:49Guy Jenner: beautiful car. One in particular. Yeah. That was a unique car. Absolutely stunning.
01:01:54Steve Waddingham: And that was a dark blue car with a light interior. And yeah, so he wanted something with a real look to it.
01:02:00Guy Jenner: And he got it. He did.
01:02:02Steve Waddingham: It's a little bit different to perhaps what he was looking for early on, but he got a beautiful looking car. Funny enough, the colour I was talking about earlier, the very dark blue.
01:02:11Guy Jenner: Yes. Ultramarine. Yeah.
01:02:13Steve Waddingham: And with a, with a tan interior. So it looks fantastic. It does. Especially now as a, you know, as an older car. Really elegant. It's going to get better and better with age. You cannot beat a tan interior for aging gracefully. Agreed. So yeah, beautiful car. I mean, he recorded the handover. Yeah. And you'll be able to listen to that later in the podcast.
01:02:33Guy Jenner: But I have spoken to Merrick since, and he's done a tour in Europe in the car. Oh, has he? And that was kind of, he wanted to get the car ready for the tour and absolutely loved
01:02:41Steve Waddingham: it. It was within almost days of him picking it up, I seem to remember.
01:02:44Guy Jenner: He was off into Europe. Yeah.
01:02:45Steve Waddingham: And he went and he was WhatsApping me all the way through the journey, sending me pictures. Yeah. Absolutely loving it, you know. And what a, I mean, perfect example of a grand tourer. It's what it was made for. That's what it was made for. And that's what Merrick has done: he's gone off grand touring in it.
01:03:02Guy Jenner: Yeah.
01:03:04Garry Taylor: Interesting you mentioned grand tour. Well, we've got a GT because on a day of recording, today we've got DBX GT, which is the grand touring derivative of the DBX.
01:03:15Guy Jenner: Yeah, it is.
01:03:15Steve Waddingham: I'm really excited about that car. I cannot wait to get my hands on one because it is just fabulous. Beautiful interior. Oh, the interior is so good, isn't it? You've just seen the pictures of it. Honestly, if you said, go on, Wadders, take the car, go to Scotland, and jump in that
01:03:29Guy Jenner: car right now. I love the restraint and the elegance. There's, there's, there's so much shouting in this world.
01:03:35Garry Taylor: And I think just a little bit of peace, restraint, and beauty is a nice thing to have. That's what Aston Martin is about, isn't it? That's what Aston Martin is about.
01:03:41Guy Jenner: Yeah.
01:03:41Steve Waddingham: Well, it hit the spot for me. One thing I noticed was the, the car that's in all the publicity shots at the minute. It's purple, Guy. I can't remember the name of the colour, Guy, but you'll know the name.
01:03:51Guy Jenner: I can't remember the name. I can't remember the name. I can't remember the name. Anyway, it's purple.
01:03:54Steve Waddingham: It's a, it's a modern purple metallic and it's got a, got a kind of light interior.
01:03:59Guy Jenner: It might be Storm Purple. No, I don't think it's not. But anyway, yeah, yeah. It's got a duo tone. Yeah.
01:04:03Steve Waddingham: Very rich looking interior. Yeah. And I thought to myself this morning, if David Brown was still around, that's what his company car would look like. Yeah. Because he always had a purple car. So if you, if you know your, your older Astons, look, every now and again, you see a Roman purple DB5 or even a Lagonda Rapide that we've got a podcast coming up on soon was David Brown's personal car for about 10 years. And it was purple. It had a light interior. And if the great man was still around today, pretty certain his car would be a DBX GT.
01:04:37Guy Jenner: Yeah. And a purple of some sort. There we go. I think it's a good move by Aston. I think it's, it's a well-judged product. I mean, DBX and DBX-S, they ride well. Dynamically, they're incredible. But I think they lack that last element of waftiness. And what I, I suspect the GT will bring us is just that extra layer of comfort where you can just, it just will make it the ultimate mile muncher in terms of its class. So, yeah. So we wish the DBX GT a success and we're about to hear Merrick. On his DB11. Yeah. So don't forget to listen to the handover. I think, gentlemen, we'll, we'll wrap it up. If that's okay.
01:05:19Garry Taylor: We must thank Podium Place near Newbury for hosting us today. The website says your destination for cars, coffee, drives, events, and everything in between. So that's great. Their website is podiumplace.co.uk. It's certainly worth a visit.
01:05:35Guy Jenner: It's actually lovely here. First time I've been here. Well done, Guy, for recommending it. Lovely here. And not only that, no speed bumps in the car park. So we can get silly cars.
01:05:41Steve Waddingham: You know you get like dog-friendly places. Well, this is Aston Friendly, isn't it?
01:05:45Guy Jenner: Yeah, yeah.
01:05:45Garry Taylor: It is Aston Friendly, yeah.
01:05:46Steve Waddingham: There are two Astons here inside.
01:05:48Guy Jenner: There's a DB7. What a rare car. DB7 Driving Dynamics. I6 Coupe.
01:05:53Steve Waddingham: And there's a Virage 6.3. And while we've been sat here, the DBS drove past. And I think there's maybe another one in the car park behind us. So Aston Friendly. Great coffee. I might have tried a cake earlier. Yeah, that was good as well.
01:06:07Guy Jenner: So yeah, good place. Okay, that's it.
01:06:10Garry Taylor: See you next time. And Steve and Guy, thank you very much.
01:06:13Guy Jenner: Thanks, Garry. Thanks, Garry. Growing the passion. Sharing the stories. The Aston Martin Heritage Podcast.
Recorded at Aston Martin Birmingham
01:06:20Steve Waddingham: Today I'm at Aston Martin Birmingham with a friend of mine, Merrick. Merrick, we've known each other a very long time. How many Aston Martins have you had now?
01:06:41Merrick: Good afternoon, Steve. This is the twelfth. I'm very fortunate to have had most of the range, probably, if I'm lucky enough to say. This is the icing on the cake today. It's fantastic to be here with you and Dean and to pick up this beautiful car.
01:07:05Steve Waddingham: It is a beautiful car, isn't it? We should declare to the audience what car we're looking at, because it isn't a brand-new car, but it looks like one. Tell us what it is.
01:07:22Merrick: It's a V12 DB11, and it embraces everything that has excited me about Aston Martins ever since I was a wee lad. When it came out, it really was a step up in respect of its aerodynamics, the engine and the technology behind it. Most importantly, it's beautiful and it sounds fantastic.
01:07:54Steve Waddingham: It really does. What a beautiful-looking car. I can't believe it is actually ten years this year since we launched DB11, yet it still looks as if it has just been launched today. It is another milestone car in the company's history. It picked up where DB9 had left off after a long run, and DB11 had a huge set of shoes to fill. Everybody loved the look of DB9, and somehow this had to be different, but not too different, and still look as elegant.
01:08:22Merrick: A modern interpretation. I think the DB9, along with the E-type Jaguar, will be seen as a classic, timeless shape, so it was a very hard act to follow. In the fullness of time, people will perhaps come to appreciate DB11 more than they did at launch.
01:08:38Steve Waddingham: Absolutely. I'm also standing next to Dean Jellicoe from Aston Martin Birmingham. Dean, like me, you've worked with these cars from the launch of DB11. How are you finding DB11 at the moment? Is it going through a bit of a rebirth?
01:08:56Dean Jellicoe: I think so. They represent incredible value for money now compared with where they were originally. That has opened them up to a fresh market. We're getting an influx of people for whom it is their first Aston Martin.
01:09:18Steve Waddingham: The benefit of this car, and certainly what I've seen during Merrick's months-long journey to find his DB11, is that you can now treat it as a classic car, but it is still totally usable. It has the modern technology, sat-nav and connectivity that you would expect in a much newer car, while also offering the benefit of being almost a collector's car.
01:09:53Merrick: I think it has the best of both worlds. If you're a little old-school, like I am, the important things are the aesthetics, the aural sound, the noise and the experience. When you get into an Aston, it should be an experience. Whether it has the latest technology in terms of sat-nav and everything else is not at the top of my list when I'm looking to buy an Aston. It is the driving experience, the sense of adventure and the noise. DB11 provides all of that in a modern package, so you have the essentials if you want to tour a long distance, which hopefully we will. I think this is the ultimate GT in which to do that. I fully understand that other people might want far more sophisticated infotainment, but that isn't where I'm coming from. It is one of the reasons I've bought this particular car.
01:11:05Steve Waddingham: In terms of touring, can we talk about the little trip you've got planned?
01:11:09Merrick: Certainly. I think my wife knows! We're driving through France and Germany, through the Black Forest and then to Austria, where we're joining Austria Historic, a classic-car group based in Vienna. They have 40 couples in cars largely predating 1970, so we're one of the exceptions and are allowed to bring a more modern car. We're going to spend six days touring East Tyrol and Italy, including the Grossglockner and lots of wonderful passes. Then we're spending another five days driving back, so it will be three weeks in the Aston.
01:11:55Steve Waddingham: That's going to be fabulous. I was visualising it as you described it. It is exactly what the car was designed for. It is a GT, a grand tourer, and that is what you're going to do in it. First, though, you've got to drive from Birmingham back to.
01:12:12Merrick: Exeter.
01:12:13Steve Waddingham: Back to Exeter, which will probably take longer than the journey from Exeter to Austria.
01:12:19Merrick: At least the roads will be smoother.
01:12:22Steve Waddingham: Exactly. Enjoy the car when you drive it back. Dean, let's talk a little about the technology of DB11 and try to describe this fabulous car. It really does look stunning. What are we looking at here?
01:12:39Dean Jellicoe: This is what I'd call a more heritage-oriented look. When the car was new, you could take two paths through the specification journey: you could make it look very sporty, but I was always a fan of heritage finishes like these. The colour is Ultramarine Black, which is fantastic. In some light it looks black, but in direct sunlight you get a wonderful blue undertone. When you pair that with silver elements it really pops. This car has silver roof strakes, the panels running over the side windows and windscreen, as well as diamond-turned, directionally turned alloy wheels, a silver-finished grille and enamel badging. Those silver details stand out against the Ultramarine Black. Inside, it has Sahara Tan leather, Dark Walnut fascia trim and Chocolate stitching. It looks stupendous, a true heritage specification. It is a V12, so it has that classic V12 sound that you were after, Merrick, and clever technology such as cylinder deactivation. On longer journeys he will reap some benefit in fuel economy. You cannot beat the sound of a first-generation DB11 V12, particularly in Sport Plus mode.
01:14:59Steve Waddingham: Exactly. It brings back memories. I'm remembering everything we were taught at launch about the aerodynamics. DB11 is very clever. Its aerodynamic devices are hidden and rely on natural air movement: the faster you go, the more air it draws through the body and sends through the boot lid.
01:15:22Dean Jellicoe: Absolutely. It has a beautiful, elegant appearance. The rear tail lip rolls off gently, with no aggressive ducktail or spoiler. Everything looks elegant, yet it is incredibly capable at higher speeds and creates downforce in a very clever way.
01:15:49Steve Waddingham: Brilliant. I think it's time we listened to the engine. Let's get the key and fire it up, Merrick.
01:15:59Announcer: The Aston Martin Heritage Podcast. Discover more about the story of Aston Martin, the cars, the people and the history with the Aston Martin Heritage Trust. You're always welcome to visit us at our museum in Oxfordshire, so find out more at amht.org.uk.
Join Stuart Parker, our longest-standing HWM Sales Executive as he takes us through the Pre-Owned Aston Martin DB11 Market.
This video was filmed and published in August 2026.
So, now DB12 is officially, I guess, a used car. What we wanted to do was bring you a video, a bit of a market update video. I've got my coffee and my laptop. We'll take a seat, and we're actually going to run you through the DB11 and where it sits in the marketplace as a used vehicle. So, let's take a dive in and have a look.
Let's run you through a bit of the lifetime of the DB11. The car was around from 2016 to 2023, so roughly seven years in total. Those first cars, we'll talk you through those.
The DB11 was basically launched as a V12 product, coupe only. The first batch of cars were Launch Editions, and then the first thousand cars were signed off by the then CEO, Andy Palmer. So, the Launch Edition V12 and the CEO cars are probably one and the same thing. It was an easy way for Aston Martin to get the factory up and running, moving from the outgoing VH product to the new Gaydon-era bonded aluminium platform car.
Rather than having huge variations in specification and options, the Launch Edition helped the factory get up and running at a sensible cadence of production numbers before they started introducing variations in specification.
Very quickly, we came to 2018, when the V8 and the V8 Volante were launched. There were some variations in the suspension setup, much stronger anti-roll bars, and all manner of different tweaks and changes throughout the vehicle. When the V8 came in, the V12 sort of came to a bit of a stop. The back end of the V12 was really around 2018 or 2019, and in around 2019, we then got the AMR Edition.
The AMR was, I guess, the replacement for the outgoing V12 model. It also had a lot of tweaks to the car, and as you can probably see in the marketplace, there are very few AMRs out there. They do tend to have that lime-green AMR accent, either on the outside or on the interior. I really do like a DB11 AMR. I think it's a really, really cool, sorted car with that V12 engine in the front.
Not to date the video or date my time with the brand, but around COVID time, in 2020, Aston Martin introduced the V8 Shadow Edition. There were roughly 350 cars worldwide, available as both a coupe and a Volante. They were pretty fixed on specification, but it was a way for Aston Martin to introduce the vehicle into the marketplace with a number of fixed options on the car. I guess it had a slightly higher list price, but when you looked at it from a value perspective, it made a compelling proposition.
From there, in the 2022 model year, the V8 was reintroduced. There were a lot of changes to the interior, including the introduction of the Sports Plus seats. We also had new wheel designs and, in addition to that updated model year, the 535-horsepower engine.
The introduction of the 2022 model-year DB11 with the 535-horsepower engine made way for the AMR to finish and go by the wayside for a short period of time. Then, for the 2022 model year, Aston Martin reintroduced the DB11, but as the DB11 V12, rather than the DB11 V12 designation we had at the start of the DB11's life.
Now, what we're going to do is have a bit of a search around. Obviously, we know the marketplace pretty well, and the DB11 is quite an interesting product from a used-car perspective.
If you take out most of the category insurance cars from Auto Trader, or if you search the Aston Martin Timeless website for their pre-owned cars, what you'll find is that pretty much everything from 2016 to 2023 sits between £60,000 and £100,000. So, it's a really tight market for a relatively limited number of cars.
As of today, there were 100 used DB11s on the marketplace. Although we've just been through the range and the different products in the DB11 timeline, we're not forgetting things like the NC500, which were commissioned by Aston Martin Edinburgh, or those very small, niche, limited-run cars.
We have our three tabs open. These are the three places we'd normally look for cars. If we were buying a DB11 or looking to advertise one, we'd look through the Aston Martin Timeless website. We'd also look at our own car inventory, and obviously, the number one place is Auto Trader.
So, let's take a look and see what's out there. As we said earlier, there are 100 used DB11s on Auto Trader. That number will vary depending on the website. There are obviously other places you can look, but this is probably where most people would go.
As we were discussing the DB11 range and the different variations, they all sort of stack on top of each other. At the lower end of the market would be the V12, then the V8 sits on top, followed by all the other variations.
The one unique thing in the pricing structure for used DB11s is where the Volante sits. Not many of those were produced because it was launched around 2018, and most people tended to go for a coupe. However, what you'll also find with the Volante is that owners tend to keep them, whereas the coupes change hands a little bit more. So, there would be a price difference between a coupe and a Volante of a similar age.
What we're doing here isn't necessarily taking you through what's available, but rather showing you where we see the market for a used DB11. If you're looking to purchase a car, we're not trying to give you a guide on how to go about buying one. We're just telling you that if you were looking to buy one and wanted to spend somewhere around £75,000 to £80,000, it probably wouldn't take too much more to get yourself into a much newer car, or possibly move from a V8 coupe into a 2022 model-year car with 535 horsepower.
The variations make a difference depending on what you're looking to purchase. What we have here, as you can see, is one of our cars with a deposit taken. It's quite an unusual colour, so something worth knowing is that, during the DB11's lifetime, greys, blacks, silvers and dark blues were generally the most popular colours. Most cars were ordered in those shades. You'd also find variations in interior colours, mainly blacks and creams, although we have a few tans around as well.
What happens is that, because a red car was quite unusual when it was new, it might have been a little bit difficult to sell from the showroom as a used car. But these cars can be very popular. For instance, we had this car, and it wasn't even photographed before we'd sold it. Although it had appeared on Auto Trader, as you can also see, it was already reserved. This car lasted about half a day with us here.
So, let's go back and have another look around. As you can see, the pricing structure for used DB11s is very tight. We have quite a nice AMR here. I think you can see that with the forged wheels and the lime-green calipers.
Now you're moving into those later 2022 model-year cars. The big telltale sign with these is normally the wheels. With a 2022 model-year car, you got the forged wheels that came from the AMR carried over to the 535-horsepower car. There were other wheel choices, but that's normally the telltale sign. Some of those cars may also have the Sports Plus seats, as I mentioned earlier.
Now we're starting to see the Volantes appearing. As you can probably tell from the screen, there aren't really that many around. It's an unusual car to find, particularly if that's what you're looking for, but it is a great car.
As you can see, although the vehicle isn't with us, we have this AMR here with 10,000 miles on a 2019 plate. Obviously, that does look priced slightly differently from the other AMRs out there. That could be based on mileage, but it could also be because this car doesn't have a lime-green interior.
Making our way down to the end, you can see the last of the DB11s. Actually, this one has appeared today. This isn't an AMR. The car sitting in Reading is a V12 DB11, so it's one of the very last V12 DB11 cars. As you can see, it's just crept over the £100,000 mark.
What we're not trying to do here is give you a buyer's guide to the DB11. We're just running you through the product history of the car and the different variations that came along at different times. But if you're out there looking to buy a DB11, one thing worth knowing is that most of them have a full service history.
When these cars were new, they were optioned at anywhere between £165,000 and £190,000, depending on whether you added carbon-fibre features, different wheel choices, or metallic leather. At today's prices, between £60,000 and £100,000, I think the DB11 represents a good-value proposition.
As part of the original purchase, buyers also got a five-year service plan. So, when you're looking at these cars, in theory, the majority should have a full service history. Obviously, not all of them will, but for the first five years of the car's life, the servicing should generally be pretty much spot on.
So, where did the DB11 sit when it was a new car? At that price point, when we were doing our training on the vehicle, we were looking at the Bentley Continental, the Mercedes-AMG SL 63, and the Ferrari California T. Those were, I guess, the core competitors to the DB11 when it was launched in 2016.
I think those cars still stand today as alternatives if you're looking in that £60,000 to £100,000 bracket. If you're looking at different competitors, I think the DB11 is a compelling purchase. It's actually pretty accessible now as a product, bearing in mind what the car cost when it was new.
Obviously, the elephant in the room is the price of the car versus where it sits today. But as time evolves, technology evolves. As you can see, we've got a DB12 behind us here, and that has pushed the game on massively from the DB11. At some point, we'll do a video on the DB12 and run you through where it sits in the current marketplace.
It is a different car. It's chalk and cheese. I think that era of late VH cars leading into the DB11 is a bit of a golden era. Albeit that the technology wasn't quite the same as what was out there later, I still think the DB11 is a pretty usable vehicle today.
So, what would be my pick of the bunch? Well, if it were me, with a mid-range budget in the DB11 market, I'd either be looking for a DB11 AMR or a 2022 model-year DB11 V8 with 535 horsepower.
I think they're both cracking cars. The AMR is a bit rarer, while the 2022 model-year DB11 is a more refined product, thanks to the changes made during that model-year update.
So, that is it for our DB11 market update, giving you a good steer on where the DB11 sits. If you enjoy this video, we'd obviously love to bring you some more content as time goes on, and hopefully a bit more quickly on our channel.
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