Stirred, Not Shaken

Review of the 2018 Aston Martin DB11

- Robert Stedman

Among the things that made James Bond films so exciting, other than beautiful women, villains and exotic locations, were the cars that 007 drove. And one luxury car manufacturer was featured more than any other. The first Aston Martin, a DB5 Mark III, first appeared in 1964’s Goldfinger. In more recent years, other Aston Martin models were also featured, with the iconic silver birch DB5 even resurfacing in Bond’s last movie, Spectre. That film also featured a DB10, too. In case you didn’t know, the ‘DB’ stands for David Brown, an engineer and industrialist who purchased Aston Martin in 1947.

What’s so special about an Aston Martin? Well, they’re exotic, graceful, beautiful, powerful, fast and expensive luxury motorcars. And Aston Martin’s newest DB11 is no exception. As renowned furniture designer Carsten Ovesen remarked after test-driving the model, “I wouldn’t change one single line or curve on this beautiful machine.”

When the DB11 debuted in 2016, it represented a bold new change for Aston Martin, and that remains true in 2018. The newly styled car was a replacement for the venerable DB9, and was the first model to debut the brand’s all-new twin-turbocharged V12. The DB11 was also the first new Aston Martin to gain from the tie-up with Mercedes-Benz, with much of the electronics in the DB11 coming from the German car manufacturer. Daimler AG, Mercedes-Benz's parent company, now owns 5 per cent of Aston Martin.

Smaller, Lighter New Engine