Technological tradition: introducing Aston Martin’s new DB11

Making something feel innately familiar while also breathtakingly new is a clever trick. Given time, skill and sophisticated design language, it’s possible to build on the past without having to look back. That approach is effectively demonstrated in Aston Martin’s new DB11, a car tasked with both continuing a long-running dynasty and setting a new technological and performance benchmark with which to take the company forward after a long period of relative inactivity. The DB line can be traced all the way back to David Brown’s DB2 of 1950, moving up through the DB2/4, DB4, DB5, DB6, then after a long hiatus, the DB7, DB9 and now DB11 (DB10 being assigned to a client called Sam Mendes for a certain film project in 2015).
The DB11 is sufficiently different to mark a sharp break from Aston’s recent past. It shares the same basic proportions as its forebears, chiefly because AM is so well versed in the mathematical dissection of beauty – the vivaciousness of a curve, the seduction of a surface and the innate rightness of the golden section. Yet apart from that, everything – bar a switch or two – is entirely new. The DB11 is the first physical manifestation of Aston Martin's new generation, the synthesis of essential proportions with new, more angular and expressive forms, rather than just the flowing curves of old.
There’s no place for hard or soft options in this fiercely contested market sector, where your choice of car is bolstered as much by your buy-in to the brand and the image you’d like to project. Aston owners see themselves as a singular breed, and the company has evolved to cater for every taste, while simultaneously holding a steady tiller for a timeless evocation of the best of British design and technology. So you can spec your DB11 through AM’s bespoke ‘Q’ Division, or chose between five special launch editions, each of which has been put together by Marek Reichman’s design department to emphasise different aspects of the car.
The mix of tradition and technology is a balancing act that few others achieve. Yet as well as being light years ahead of its predecessors in terms of interior technology, ergonomics and general sophistication, the DB11 delivers innovation without sacrificing the tactile delights of leather and Alcantara, the feel of hand-machined metal and the overall ambience of tailor-made perfection.
Get behind that wheel and you’re rewarded with excellent visibility, the glorious – but not overly intrusive – sound of that 5.2l V12 and steering that helps hustle this sizeable car along with confidence and poise. Having driven practically every Aston in the modern era, there’s a comforting familiarity but also a more sophisticated, less bruising approach to power delivery. Like all the best GTs, the DB11 can flick between all-out sports car to smooth-riding cruiser depending on your mood and the surroundings and the much-improved tech runs to an all-new entertainment system and gadgets like self-parking. This is classic elegance without compromise.
Over time, a Volante droptop will be launched, as will other variants. But just like the DB9 before it, there’s much to cherish in the simple purity of the DB11 as it is at launch. A noble lineage continues, and the DB badge will take Aston far into the future.
The DB line can be traced all the way back to David Brown’s DB2 of 1950, moving up through the DB2/4, DB4, DB5, DB6, then after a long hiatus, the DB7, DB9 and now the DB11
Like all the best GTs, the DB11 can flick between all-out sports car to smooth-riding cruiser
The DB11 is the first physical manifestation of Aston Martin's new generation, making something innately familiar feel breathtakingly new
As well as being light years ahead of its predecessors in terms of interior technology, ergonomics and general sophistication, the DB11 delivers innovation without sacrificing the tactile delights of leather and Alcantara, the feel of hand-machined metal and the overall ambience of tailor-made perfection
In partnership with leading sound technology company Bang & Olufsen, the DB11 provides a uniquely tailored audio experience
The mix of tradition and technology is a balancing act that can be witnessed both in the exterior and interiors
Just like the DB9 before it, there’s much to cherish in the simple purity of the DB11. A noble lineage continues, and the DB badge will take Aston far into the future
INFORMATION
Aston Martin DB11, from £154,900. For more information visit Aston Martin's website
Photography courtesy Max Earey
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
At Patina Maldives, sustainability and luxury blend harmoniously
Luxury resort Patina Maldives recently partnered with natural skincare brand Haeckles to craft a bespoke wellbeing range
By Mary Cleary Published
-
Cast House by Bureau de Change offers a contemporary take on an Edwardian home
Concrete tiers bring a distinctive edge to Cast House, Bureau de Change’s bold reimagining of a London Edwardian home
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Saint Laurent unites with Juergen Teller on career-spanning exhibition (and it comes with merch)
Saint Laurent is the official sponsor of Juergen Teller’s upcoming ‘i need to live’ Paris exhibition, and has also created an exclusive lifestyle collection adorned with the photographer’s works
By Tianna Williams Published
-
The J.Laverack Aston Martin .1R bicycle is a pedal-powered, two-wheeled hypercar
Aston Martin and J.Laverack reveal their exquisitely crafted road bike
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Zoute Grand Prix is a car fest like no other at a pristine Belgian beachside town
Amy Serafin takes to the well-heeled streets of Knokke-Heist to experience the Zoute Grand Prix, its annual cavalcade of classic car-related events, from a rally to an auction
By Amy Serafin Published
-
Aston Martin Valour celebrates 110 years of the British sports car manufacturer
Unashamedly macho, the limited-edition Aston Martin Valour is a birthday gift for moneyed enthusiasts of old-school driving sensations
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The Little Car Company’s garage of pocket exotics are small, speedy and beautiful
The Little Car Company specialises in bespoke ‘junior classics’, exacting, scaled-down reinterpretations of iconic (and expensive) automobiles injected with electric driving delight
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Aston Martin’s Q New York showroom blends classic modernism with cutting-edge technology
Q New York is an invite-only space on Park Avenue, Aston Martin’s latest foothold in the American market
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Aston Martin DB12 makes its debut, offering new interiors and a muscular look
Aston Martin gets the fundamentals right. The DB12 may look like a gentle evolution of the DB11, but under the skin it’s a very different car, a ‘Super Tourer’ with classic style and high technology
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Aston Martin waves goodbye to its grandest of tourers with the DBS 770 Ultimate Edition
Power, beauty and control: we drive the Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate Edition, a final slice of V12-powered automotive muscularity
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Peugeot’s sparky 308 gets hybrid power and handsome lines
The Peugeot 308 proves that mass-market design needn’t be dull, blending hybrid power with sharp lines and excellent detailing
By Jonathan Bell Published