Aston Martin DB11: A supercar with unearthly allure, supernatural speed

The $230,345 beastly beauty has won critical and popular worship as a masterpiece

For me, a deep appeal of the luxury automobile lies in the way it speaks to you through your senses, and also what it communicates to the rest of the world. So lately, after having driven an impressive collection of incredible V12 engine cars, which surge with power and cutting-edge technology underneath your feet, I began to think about all the energy that went into designing everything else that makes them great. The perfectly-crafted mirrors. The thunking doors. The headlights that can either flirt, or threaten.

That the Aston Martin DB11 is beautiful is no news. Since it made its debut last year, the $230,345 coupe has won critical and popular worship as a masterpiece. Somehow the folks at Aston figured out how to make the four-wheeled equivalent of Michelangelo’s David: curved across its clamshell hood, muscled along the side haunches, edged across its bladed 20-inch diamond-turned rims and casually potent, from the slender veins of his feet to the curled locks on his brow.

Er, from the new wide front grill to the rear aero blade and deployable spoiler, I mean. I’m talking about the car.

Anyway, photos don’t do (either piece of art) justice. But what I would like to offer for your consideration is the idea that this four-seater is the most capital-B “Beautiful” 12-cylinder car on the market today. Even sweeter: it’s fairly priced, when compared with the others in its class.

This car will elicit feelings in you that will go unprinted here. 

Its lateral-rung grille, spread long and low across the front, is a totally new look for Aston, as is the soft clamshell style hood and those cool rims bladed like the knives of a sushi master. New also are the full LED headlights slanted seductively along the front; their beams can even corner along with the road as the car moves forward. If there is a car that could make something like the good-looking Jaguar F-Type look stubby, this is it.

What’s more, and unlike some others in its segment (Lamborghini Huracán, ahem) visibility and road clearance aren’t sacrificed for looks. 

Better yet, unlike many supercars, here the interior is as deluxe and well thought-out as the exterior.

Photo: Hannah Elliot/Bloomberg

To recreate the $255,000 DB11 I drove will cost roughly $20,000 in cosmetic upgrades. (That’s just on the inside.) Sitting in this cabin is like sitting inside a beautiful blond-leather Birkin bag — it smells like the inside of a Birkin, too, with a feel as soft to the touch as the calfskin in the Wraith, which costs nearly twice as much. You’ll want to spring for the warm blond interior tone called All Sahara Tan and make sure the top of the ceiling matches the seat insets as well ($2,270). You’ll also need the brogue detailing on the doors ($2,270) — richer than I’ve seen on a new car, swirled in hue like Turkish coffee and milk.

The contrast stitching ($570) and intricate quilted design splayed like fans across the top of the seats and the ceiling ($2,270) are great. They are a welcome change from the diamond-stitched designs that have become ubiquitous in cars of this calibre over the past few years. A “Satin Tan Lace Wood” trim inlay ($500) and gloss black speakers ($920) help complete the look. Consider it your own personal blonde calfskin cocoon. 

Those familiar with this brand will be delighted with other interior upgrades from past Aston Martin models as well. Instead of starting the car by inserting a sleek key fob into the dashboard, the DB11’s fob simply must be in proximity to the car to activate the push-button start. The interior lights illuminate by touch, and a large storage compartment in the centre console slides open and closed at the flick of a tiny lever in the centre console. On the dash, a single round LCD dial in the middle of a 12-inch screen tells speeds and engine status. You can see which of the three drive modes you’ve engaged there as well.

And the back, well, it’s smaller than what you’ll find in the four-seat, four-door Aston Martin Rapide. It’s far more beautiful, though, with the same fanned-out stitching and lush leather wrapping you at every turn. It’ll just require a pronounced hunch and knee swivel to the side for any adult to sit among its charms. 

As for performance, well, this column is about beauty. But it’s worth saying that in the DB11, precision and personality cohabitate flawlessly, as in a driver’s dream.

Where something like the McLaren 570S masters precision, and the Lamborghini Huracán gives personality, each are rather weighted to one end of that spectrum or the other. Meanwhile, DB11 is smooth and balanced, and fast, and powerful. 

 

© Bloomberg