Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
The Aston Martin DB11 Volante.
- The Aston Martin DB11 Volante and the Mercedes-AMG GT are powerful GT cars that both have big price tags.
- Of the two, the DB11 has the much larger price tag - but it also oozes cool. There are few cars on Earth that look this good.
- The Mercedes-AMG GT C takes the prize, largely because you can get the Aston's V8 at a much lower cost.
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In the rarified world of ultra-luxurious grand-touring cars, there aren't that many choices.
But I've recently driven two: the Aston Martin DB11 Volante and the Mercedes-AMG GT C. (Although in fairness, the Aston is a proper luxury tourer, while the Mercedes leans toward being a sports car and is intended to do battle with the likes of the Porsche 911 GTS).
Read more: We drove an ultra-stylish $273,244 Aston Martin DB11 Volante convertible - here's the verdict.
A whopping $100,000 separated my test vehicles when the price tags were compared. And for the record, Aston Martin does sell a two-door that's priced more closely to the Mercedes: the V8 Vantage.
But I still thought it would be interesting to see how the DB11 Volante and the AMG GT C stacked up against each other. Even more so because both cars have a Mercedes-AMG V8 under the hood (Mercedes owns 5% of Aston and has been contributing engines to the partnership).
We're talking about machines that produce epic speed and serious noise while still making you feel as if you need to wear your best suit while driving them. So that's our point of entry. It's possible these days to buy plenty of automotive velocity for not a lot of money. But can you buy the special something that cars like the DB11 and AMG GT C bring to the party? And is it worth it to shoot the Moon on a vehicle such as the Aston?
Read on to find out.