V8 Aston DB11 seen testing
Few engines ever reach the status of being ‘legendary’, with some examples being Ford’s 5.0-litre V8, Porsche’s flat 6 and the Aston Martin V12. However a competitor for the V8 Continental GT needed to be created, and thankfully the Germans were willing to help.
Meet the Aston Martin DB11. No, this is not a new car, but do you remember the heavy V12 that powered it? Well, it’s been put on a serious diet and is now a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, courtesy of the ladies and gentlemen of AMG.
Using a very similar configuration to the Mercedes-AMG GT, this additional model will produce around 392kW of power; just 56kW shy of the granddaddy V12.
The DB11 V8 comes as part of Aston Martin’s corporate deal with Mercedes, which involves collaborating on powertrain development. The 2018 Aston Martin V8 Vantage will also inherit the AMG unit.
A closer look at the current DB11 will reveal a few more bells and whistles from Mercedes, like the electronic architecture and switchgear, which will be carried over into future Aston’s.
A few spies have noticed that, aside from engine development work, the DB11 V8 test car seen testing at the Nurburgring was being used alongside several other V12-engined mules to finalise chassis settings before the first production V8 DB11s are built.
The new model option will sport a slightly more discreet aesthetic and will definitely be lighter than the 1770kg V12 model, but despite it’s lower power output, performance will barely trail that of the flagship model. Pricing will also significantly undercut the V12 model.
