Aston Martin DB11: The Second Century

The Aston Martin DB9 entered production in 2004 on the VH platform and, by 2016, was still being sold with largely the same basic architecture — a span of over a decade during which Ferrari had cycled through the 599 GTB, the F12berlinetta, and the 812 Superfast. Aston Martin knew the gap was widening. The answer was the “Second Century Plan” and its first car: the Aston Martin DB11.

The DB11 was not a facelift or a subtle evolution. It was a completely clean-sheet design. It debuted an entirely new bonded aluminum chassis, a brand-new in-house designed twin-turbo V12 engine, and a completely overhauled electronic architecture sourced from their new partners at Mercedes-Benz. It was the most important car Aston Martin had launched since the DB9, and it successfully redefined what a modern British Grand Tourer should be.

Historical Context: The Second Century Plan

By 2012, Aston Martin found itself in a precarious position. The global financial crisis had bruised the luxury car market, and the company’s product line — all beautiful, all built on variants of the same aging VH platform — needed fundamental renewal. A new strategy was required, and it came in the form of the “Second Century Plan.”

This ambitious initiative called for an entirely new bonded aluminum architecture, new in-house powertrains, a new technology partnership (eventually signed with Mercedes-Benz), and the facility investments at Gaydon to support it all. The DB11 was the first fruits of that plan — the car upon which Aston Martin’s future would stand or fall.

The pressure on the DB11 was immense. It had to be technologically credible in ways the DB9 had not been for years. It had to offer modern infotainment and driver assistance technology. It had to meet increasingly stringent global emissions regulations. And crucially, it had to do all of this while remaining unmistakably, emotionally, achingly Aston Martin.

The Design: Aerodynamics Disguised as Art

Under the direction of Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman, the DB11 maintained the classic Aston Martin proportions — a long hood, a swept-back cabin, and a short rear deck — but applied a much sharper, more modern aesthetic.

However, the true genius of the DB11’s design lies in how it handles aerodynamics. Rather than sticking a massive, ugly spoiler on the back of the car, Aston Martin integrated the aerodynamic aids directly into the bodywork to maintain its elegant silhouette.

• The “Curlicue”: Behind the front wheels, hidden within the iconic Aston Martin side strake, is a gill-like vent called the curlicue. This vent extracts high-pressure air from the front wheel arches, significantly reducing front-end lift at high speeds without the need for an aggressive front splitter.
• The Aeroblade: This is the DB11’s party piece. Air is channeled through discrete intakes located at the base of the C-pillars. This air flows inside the rear bodywork and is forced out through a narrow slot in the rear decklid. This creates a vertical jet of high-pressure air that acts as a “virtual spoiler,” pressing the rear of the car down at high speeds. A small active Gurney flap deploys only at very high speeds to assist the Aeroblade.

The result is a car that is aerodynamically stable at 200 mph but looks completely clean and uncorrupted when parked outside a hotel in Monaco.

A New Aluminum Architecture

Underpinning the DB11 is a completely new bonded aluminum structure — the first clean-sheet Aston Martin chassis since the original VH architecture was developed in the early 2000s. The new tub is significantly stiffer than its predecessor, providing a much more precise platform for the suspension to work against. Bonded aluminum construction (where panels are adhesively joined and riveted rather than welded) allows for extreme precision in assembly and excellent crash performance, while keeping the structure lighter than an equivalent steel construction.

The chassis was engineered to accommodate a range of powertrains — including the V12 and the subsequently introduced AMG V8 — and the platform proved flexible enough to later support the DB12 with further revisions.

The Heart: The 5.2L Twin-Turbo V12

The most controversial aspect of the DB11 prior to its launch was the engine. For the first time in the DB lineage, Aston Martin was forced to abandon natural aspiration in favor of forced induction to meet tightening global emissions regulations.

Purists worried that the turbochargers would mute the legendary Aston Martin V12 howl. They needn’t have worried. Aston Martin designed a brand-new, in-house 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged V12 (internally designated AE31).

The engine produces 608 PS (600 bhp) at 6,500 rpm and a massive 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque available from just 1,500 rpm. This wave of low-end torque completely transformed the driving characteristics of the car compared to the DB9, allowing for effortless, surging overtaking maneuvers without needing to drop three gears.

Crucially, the engineers spent countless hours tuning the exhaust to ensure it still sounded like an Aston Martin. While it lacks the high-pitched shriek of the old 6.0L engine, it possesses a deep, complex, and incredibly angry roar that is undeniably aristocratic.

Power is routed to the rear wheels via a rear-mounted 8-speed ZF automatic transaxle, providing perfect 51:49 weight distribution. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes 3.9 seconds, and the top speed is a verified 322 km/h (200 mph).

Designing the New V12: A Clean Sheet Engine

The AE31 engine was developed entirely in-house at Gaydon — a significant achievement for a company of Aston Martin’s size. The block is an all-aluminum 60-degree V12, with twin turbochargers mounted in a “hot V” configuration (nestled between the cylinder banks). This packaging approach keeps the engine compact, reduces turbo lag by shortening the distance exhaust gases must travel, and allows for a lower hood line.

The flat-plane crankshaft (unusual for a V12) contributes to the engine’s revving character — it winds up with genuine enthusiasm rather than the more sedate, loping quality of some large-displacement V12s. Combined with the exhaust tuning and active bypass valves, the AE31 delivers a soundtrack that, while different from the old naturally aspirated motor, has a depth and authority entirely its own.

The AMG V8 Option

In 2017, Aston Martin broadened the DB11’s appeal by introducing a second engine option: a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 sourced from Mercedes-AMG.

Producing 510 PS, the V8 was less powerful than the V12, but it was also 115 kg (253 lbs) lighter, and that weight was removed almost entirely from the front axle. Many driving enthusiasts and automotive journalists actually preferred the V8 model, arguing that the lighter nose made the car significantly more agile and willing to change direction on a winding road, turning the DB11 from a pure cruiser into a genuine sports GT.

The V8 also made the DB11 meaningfully more affordable, opening the car to a wider audience. At the time of its introduction, the V8 cost approximately £30,000 less than the V12, while delivering a driving experience that many considered more enjoyable in real-world conditions.

A Modern Interior

The interior of the DB11 marked the end of Aston Martin’s reliance on outdated electronics. Thanks to their technical partnership with Mercedes-Benz, the DB11 adopted a heavily customized version of the Mercedes COMAND infotainment system, featuring a sharp 8-inch central screen and a fully digital 12-inch instrument cluster.

Despite the German electronics, the cabin ambiance remained distinctly British. The interior is swathed in vast quantities of hand-stitched Bridge of Weir leather, intricate brogue detailing, and beautiful open-pore wood or carbon fiber trims. It is a supremely comfortable place to spend hundreds of miles at a time.

Competing in the Super GT Market

When the DB11 arrived, the super GT market was ferociously competitive. The Ferrari GTC4Lusso offered all-wheel drive and a naturally aspirated V12 with an intoxicating soundtrack. The Bentley Continental GT combined extraordinary refinement with a twin-turbocharged W12. The McLaren GT (later) would offer a mid-engine layout. And the Porsche Panamera Turbo S addressed the four-seat requirement more practically.

The DB11 carved its own distinct space in this company. It was not trying to be the fastest or the most practical. It was instead offering something none of those rivals could quite replicate: a genuinely emotional, distinctly British character combined with genuinely modern technology and performance. The DB11 succeeded in making the case that Aston Martin’s unique atmosphere — the sense that driving one is somehow more romantic than driving anything else — could survive the transition from analog to digital.

The AMR Evolution

In 2018, Aston Martin replaced the standard V12 model with the DB11 AMR (Aston Martin Racing). The AMR received a power bump to 639 PS, a louder exhaust system, and heavily revised suspension tuning. The AMR addressed early criticisms that the original V12 was slightly too soft, tightening body control without ruining the ride quality.

The AMR designation would become recurring shorthand in Aston Martin’s lineup for driver-focused, sharpened versions of standard models — a tradition that continues today.

Legacy and Production

The DB11 remained in production through 2023, when it was replaced by the DB12. During its production run, Aston Martin built the DB11 in both coupe and Volante (convertible) forms, the latter retaining the full structural integrity of the aluminum chassis thanks to a comprehensive system of supplementary strengthening.

The DB11’s legacy is the car that genuinely modernized Aston Martin. It proved the brand could build a clean-sheet bonded aluminium chassis, develop an in-house turbocharged V12 from scratch, integrate Mercedes-Benz electronics without losing British identity, and hide aerodynamic downforce — 180 kg at maximum speed through the Aeroblade — inside clean bodywork rather than bolted-on wings. Without the DB11’s commercial success, the DB12 and Aston Martin’s continued independence as a manufacturer would have been considerably less certain.