2019 Aston Martin Db11 Amr $269k Msrp on 2040-cars

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2017 Aston Martin DB11 Prototype First Drive

Flashback: Geneva. The 2017 Aston Martin DB11 debuts, its artfully sculpted body signaling a departure from the brand's luscious yet familiar design language. But this time, the car in question is more than just a pretty face. Beneath the gently arced bonnet is the first turbocharged engine in the Aston's 103 year-old history. Gone is the so-called Vertical Horizontal architecture, replaced with a bonded aluminum chassis that's so new that it has yet to be graced with a catchy marketing name. Sumptuous interior? Check. Slick multimedia system? Finally. The quickest, fastest, and most powerful DB to date? Hell yes. With radical changes coming in hot from Gaydon, the DB11 isn't just an all-new car; it's nothing short of golden opportunity to reinvent the brand. There's so much new stuff in this DB9 replacement that the double integer leap in nomenclature seems justified (the DB10 was already taken by a certain spy from Blighty). In the grand scope of the Aston Martin lineup, the DB11 inherits the DB9's role as the archetypal grand touring car—elegant but quick, thirsty for miles. But as our wheel time revealed, it takes some time to comprehend the depth of the DB11 story. When you settle into the $211,995 Aston Martin DB11 there's a lot to take in, especially since our tester is a "verification prototype" that's two stages away from final production. Hence, the data logging equipment and big red fire suppression button. The engine has shrunk from 6.0-liters to 5.2, but now churns out 600 horsepower and a whopping 516 lb-ft of torque at only 1,500 rpm thanks to those turbos. Aston claims 0 to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 200 mph. The rear double wishbone suspension has been replaced with a multilink setup for greater compliance, and the DB11 also gets Aston's first-ever torque vectoring (via brakes) and electronic power steering system. The prototype car is a visual paradox, with its camouflaged exterior contrasting with the delightfully gaudy baby blue leather interior (made from extra trimmings of hide). In terms of development, the car is about "85 percent there" according to Aston brass. Disclaimer: this car's traction control system is only about 70 percent complete, and the torque-vectoring feature isn't active on this particular car. The big V12 fires up with a full-sounding rush of exhaust, though the tone isn't quite as naughty or shrill as the old naturally aspirated mill.

2013 Quail Motorsports Gathering wows with modern masterpieces

Pebble Beach is an outstanding event if you're interested in pre-war classics, but outside of the parking lots, it's a bit light on more modern stuff. The Quail, now in its eleventh year, leans far more towards the present day, and has become one of the must-attend events of the Monterey car week.
Like Pebble, though, it's a highly exclusive affair, with triple-digit ticket prices that usually sell out at the same rate as a Justin Bieber concert. If you're one of the lucky few to hold a pass, though, you'll be rubbing elbows with a who's who of the auto world. One of the highlights of this year's event was the appearance of one Michael Schumacher, who showed up alongside one of his Formula 1 cars. A retrospective was also held on Lamborghini's 50 years of production, as well as another celebration of Aston Martin's centennial. There was also a tribute to the late Martin Swig, one of the co-founders of the California Mille, who passed away last year.
The cars, not surprisingly, were epic. Lamborghini, Pagani, Spyker, Rolls-Royce, BMW, McLaren, Bugatti and Galpin Ford all showed new models to the public for the first time, while there were also appearances by Jim Glickenhaus and his Ferrari P4/5 and P4/5 Competizione, marking the first time the coach-built masterpiece and its racing offspring were shown together. Finally, the Petersen Museum showed off its wears, including the late Steve McQueen's gorgeous Jaguar XK-SS.

Aston Martin DB11 Volante loses its roof and four cylinders

Aston Martin hasn't exactly hid the fact that it had a convertible version of the DB11 in the works. In fact it plastered the official release date on the sides of the prototypes. And now, roughly half a year before the Spring 2018 release date, the company has shown the car and provided all the specs. Right off the bat, it's clear the DB11 Volante hasn't lost any of its beauty in the chop job. Overall, it looks just as scintillatingly curvy as the coupe, and it manages to avoid looking too heavy and thick, regardless of whether the top is up or down. The top itself is rather pretty, with a taut shape and thin pillars helping maintain the DB11's lithe look. It can also be had in red, black-silver, or gray-silver, and is made up of eight layers for sound reduction. Losing the top also provides a great look at the optional seat back veneers, available in carbon fiber or, as in the photos above, in wood. In addition to looking attractive, the DB11 Volante has a number of performance advantages over its DB9 predecessor. According to Aston, it weighs 57 pounds less than the DB9, and it's 5 percent stiffer. Its top also takes up less trunk space. Unfortunately, the DB11 Volante's 4,134 pound curb weight is significantly more than the DB11 V8 coupe, which weighs around 3,800 pounds. It also roughly matches the V12 DB11 coupe. The comparison to the V8 model is important because the DB11 Volante will only offer the V8 engine. It's the same AMG-based unit from the coupe, displacing 4.0-liters and breathing through a pair of turbochargers. It's also coupled to 8-speed automatic and features a torque-vectoring limited slip differential. Despite the added heft over the coupe, the 503-horsepower engine still gets the DB11 Volante to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds, which is only a tenth behind the V8 coupe. It also will reach a top speed of 187 mph. The DB11 Volante will start at $216,495. That's $17,500 more than the V8 coupe, and the same price as the V12 coupe. Aston Martin is currently taking orders for the DB11 Volante. The first examples will be delivered in spring of 2018. Related Video: