Scaling Down For Big Rewards

Damien Reid puts the new Aston Martin DB11 V8 to the test along the backroads of Spain.

The Aston Martin DB11 V8 is proof that good things do indeed come in smaller packages.

Not that you would call a twin-turbocharged V8 small, but when you compare it to the 5.2-litre biturbo V12 that’s also used in the DB11 coupé, the old mantra shines brightly.

Regardless of engine, the DB11 is a huge improvement over the older generation of Aston Martins, being lighter, stiffer and more spacious inside.

But it wasn’t until I was mid-hustle, wrestling the V8 through some nice back roads in Spain, listening to that V8 burble and pop and feeling its fingertip light response, that I started to wonder if it was worth paying another Dhs210,000 ($57,000) for the V12 on top of the Dhs840,000 ($229,000) for this V8?

After 300kms of driving, I found the baby in the range is, for me, the better option.

The DB11 V8 is a watershed car for Aston Martin as it’s the first of many which will come to market showing the new collaboration between Aston and its five per cent owner, Daimler.