EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT ASTON'S NEW SUPER TOURER

A new name, a new role and no V12 for Aston's core model

- Ollie Marriage

“The world’s first super tourer,” says Aston. Actually, it’s a title that’s been attributed once or twice before to cars that bridge the GT/supercar divide, cars such as the latest Porsche 911 Turbo. But let’s take it at face value, because it accurately describes what Aston is trying to do here.

The mission is sports cars. The Valkyrie has (finally) arrived, the development of other mid-engined machines is ongoing and Aston’s quest to become the British Ferrari is basking in the reflected rays of F1 success. Alongside this, the grand tourer seems a dated concept. And besides, the DB11 was never the finest exponent of the breed.

But it’s not replacement time yet. The DB11 has only been around for seven years, when the DB9 that preceded it lasted the best part of double that. Aston needs the platform to pay its way. So it’s been given a very thorough overhaul.