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The $234,000 Aston Martin DB11 V8 has so much soul that I almost forget how much fun it is to drive

Matthew DeBordJun 14, 2020, 19:19 IST

Business Insider

I tested a $234,086 Aston Martin DB11 V8 — a gorgeous machine with a potent, 503-horsepower engine under the hood.
The DB11 was introduced in 2016 and hasn't been substantially upgraded for 2020.
It doesn't matter, because the car remains gorgeous.
The Mercedes-AMG-sourced twin-turbo V8 is a dandy alternative to the DB11's V12.
There are few proper grand-tourers around, but the DB11 is an exemplar of the automotive form.

Yeah, yeah ... Aston Martin, DB11, James Bond. All that stuff is still in the picture. But let's forget about the hoary cinematic associations and concentrate on the glories of the machine.

Aston kindly loaned me a 2020 DB11 coupé, with a Mercedes-AMG V8 engine replacing the V12 that I sampled several years ago. I tend to go absolutely ga-ga over rides like this; the DB9 is the car I've driven in the past half-decade that I simply cannot shake from my consciousness.

The DB11 doesn't have a lot of competition: the Ferrari 812 Superfast, the Mercedes-AMG GT, the outgoing Chevy Corvette. The question, then, is does it retain its traditional lead in this field — in terms of conjoining breathtaking beauty and staggering power?

Read on to discover the answer:

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My "Sunburst Yellow" 2020 DB11 V8 started at $205,600, but quite a bit more than a few grand in options took the as-tested price to $234,086

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

We first sampled the DB11 back in 2017.

Aston Martin DB11. Hollis Johnson

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And in 2019, we checked out the convertible version, the Volante.

Aston Martin DB11 Volante convertible. Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

The DB11 is, in two words, stupid beautiful. Introduced in 2016, the design was birthed under the supervision of Marek Reichman and signaled an aggressive departure from the Henrik Fisker era and Fisker's focus on suave restraint.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The DB11 is, in two words, stupid beautiful. Introduced in 2016, the design was birthed under the supervision of Marek Reichman and signaled an aggressive departure from the Henrik Fisker era and Fisker's focus on suave restraint.

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For me, Astons are the most beautiful cars money can buy. In fact, I always feel underdressed around Astons — not equal to the lovely gauntlet thrown down by these handsome machines.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

For me, Astons are the most beautiful cars money can buy. In fact, I always feel underdressed around Astons — not equal to the lovely gauntlet thrown down by these handsome machines.

The temptation with GT cars is to ... exaggerate. Because, as a designer, you can. Big engines mean long hood, and why not overplay the hand with the fascia? The DB11 resists that temptation.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The temptation with GT cars is to ... exaggerate. Because, as a designer, you can. Big engines mean long hood, and why not overplay the hand with the fascia? The DB11 resists that temptation.

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Balance, balance, and yet more balance. The overall form is sleek and muscular, but the curves and lines and proportions add a dose of sheer elegance to the aesthetic.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

If I were being churlish, I suppose I could complain about the headlamps, which are full LEDs with spidery running lights. I don't care for that little extra bit toward the backward sweep. Minor offense, though.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

If I were being churlish, I suppose I could complain about the headlamps, which are full LEDs with spidery running lights. I don't care for that little extra bit toward the backward sweep. Minor offense, though.

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The front splitter is part of the nearly $7,000 "Exterior Black Pack."

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

In a world of gargantuan badges, Aston just doesn't go there.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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This oh-so narrow hood vent ...

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

Is gracefully echoed on the front haunch, extended rearward from the wheel arch.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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The design element is also rhymed at the back end, with the bold tail lights. The DB11 is a fantastic 360-degree car: it looks great from every angle.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

True, the fastback, floating roof might not be for everyone, but it didn't bother me.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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Again, the discreet badge, and the nameplate, in sans-serif chrome. (Technically, the typeface is Optima Roman.) That vent is part of an "AeroBlade" deployable spoiler.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

It's a subtle thing, but that rear haunch is power and beauty in ideal balance.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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$3,200 buys you ten-spoke "Directional Black Gloss" wheels front ...

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

... And back.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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The yellow brake calipers are $1,600 additional. My test car wore Bridgestones at all four corners.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

In proper GT fashion, the DB11 is optimized for weekend runs to regions that are from the urban hullabaloo. Cargo capacity, under the hatch, is accordingly modest: less than 10 cubic feet.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

In proper GT fashion, the DB11 is optimized for weekend runs to regions that are from the urban hullabaloo. Cargo capacity, under the hatch, is accordingly modest: less than 10 cubic feet.

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One might be able to jam a slim golf bag in there. I could manage a pair of overnight packs, so mission accomplished.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

It sure is fun to pop the aluminum clamshell hood on the DB11 ...

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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... to reveal the rude beast that lurks beneath.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 engine makes 503 horsepower, with 513 pound-feet of torque. This powerplant is borrowed from Mercedes-AMG — Mercedes owns a chunk of Aston and the carmakers share some components.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 engine makes 503 horsepower, with 513 pound-feet of torque. This powerplant is borrowed from Mercedes-AMG — Mercedes owns a chunk of Aston and the carmakers share some components.

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The entire engine bay is cross-braced to increase the DB11's stiffness.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

As magnificent as the DB11 is on the outside, the time has come to examine the interior.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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We step over this door sill plate that identifies the car — note that there are no DB11 nameplates on the exterior.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

It's a cliché, but Aston thinks about tailoring its interiors. The driver's seat fits like a Saville Row suit. I know what to do when I strap into a Porsche 911, but I know how I'm supposed to feel in an Aston. Clothes make the man!

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

It's a cliché, but Aston thinks about tailoring its interiors. The driver's seat fits like a Saville Row suit. I know what to do when I strap into a Porsche 911, but I know how I'm supposed to feel in an Aston. Clothes make the man!

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The Aston badge is perhaps the best-designed in the automotive world. In my book, it's rivaled only by Alfa-Romero and Ferrari.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The DB11's start-stop button is lovely, but a step down from the old design, which required the insertion of a crystal key fob.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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The push-button gear selector manages the eight-speed automatic transmission.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The DB11's paddle-shifters are nicely crafted hunks of satin-finished metal. The "S" button controls the the drive modes: GT, Sport, and Sport Plus.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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The suspension button on the other side allows for corresponding modes, but you can be in GT mode here and Sport mode for throttle and gearshift response, for example.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The seats have perforated upholstery, and the yellow top-stitching is few hundred extra.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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The DB11's one concession to bling.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

Seat controls are tucked away on the center tunnel. I mean "alloy torque tube," which conceals a "carbon fiber propeller shaft."

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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The back seats. Hahahaha!!!

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

As much as the DB11's "Obsidian Black" interior is tailored, there's also some sculpture here and there.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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The infotainment system runs on an eight-inch central screen.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

Aston also borrows the undergirding tech from Mercedes, and to be honest, it isn't great. But a confession: I don't care. It gets the job done. You can plot a GPS course. You can pair your phone. There's a USB plug. The $2,270 Aston premium audio sounds phenomenal — a big improvement over systems I've sampled in the past.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

Aston also borrows the undergirding tech from Mercedes, and to be honest, it isn't great. But a confession: I don't care. It gets the job done. You can plot a GPS course. You can pair your phone. There's a USB plug. The $2,270 Aston premium audio sounds phenomenal — a big improvement over systems I've sampled in the past.

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This buttons-touchpad-puck-y command center is how you control the whole affair. It's ... awkward. But whatever. I'd rather Aston focus on making a beautiful car.

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

So what's the verdict?

2020 Aston Martin DB11 V8. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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