Aston Martin is priming the DB11 grand tourer for an extensive mechanical and technological overhaul, which will help it to compete more effectively with the newer Mercedes-AMG SL and Ferrari Roma.
New images captured by Autocar’s spy photographers show a heavily camouflaged DB11 undergoing road testing - giving itself away as the updated car with a revised front fascia, which looks to be modelled on the Aston Martin DBR22 speedster shown in August last year.
Despite being a clear continuation of the existing DB11 – which arrived seven years ago – the updated car promises to be a thoroughly modern proposition inside and out.
Company chairman Lawrence Stroll previously said the new version will be more like an “all-new” car, bringing upgraded engines, gearboxes, suspension and, most importantly, an overhauled interior.
“How can you have an Aston Martin that sells for £150,000 with three-year-old technology?” Stroll asked early last year, referring to the ageing Mercedes-Benz-derived trackpad system the DB11 has used since launch.
An agreement with Mercedes-Benz meant Aston Martin could only use the German firm’s technology once it had been used in Mercedes models for three years – “a silly thing the previous management agreed to”, according to Stroll.
He confirmed that the new car will get a touchscreen infotainment system, differentiated from Mercedes’ tech by “our own faces, our own voices – a proper English accent”.
The choice between V8 and V12 models is likely to remain, with both subject to substantial revamps. The latter was recently uprated to 759bhp for the swansong DBS 770 Ultimate, thanks to a 7% bump in turbo pressure and ignition tweaks.
Aston Martin product and marketing boss Alex Long told Autocar the V12 is “synonymous with the brand”, adding it has “a huge emotional connection for the customers”.
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DB11 refresh - Doubling down on the ugliness with more Reichman designs...
And from what they said, if it's the Vantage based interior that found its way into the DB22, it's just smoothed off switches with haptics. Doesn't improve the situation any.
Aston are going to burn through the cash they raised with their rights issue. What form will the 2023 rescue package take?
Is it possible it could look even better?
As a current Aston Martin owner, and someone who went to order another new Aston Martin only to have Aston Martin kill that plan, I would note a few problems with, e.g., the current Vantage.
As others have noted, the interior is so inferior in quality compared to the 911 and other cars, particularly at this price point. No glovebox? Are they freaking kidding me?????
The bonnet release on the passenger side of the car for more than 80 percent of AM sales?
I wanted to order a roadste with (1) a manual gearbox and (2) I wanted to order the optional carbon ceramic brakes. Despite expecting to pay thousands more for carbon ceramic brakes and offering to pay many thousands more for a manual, Aston Martin said, even if a Q car, they would not sell me a manual gearbox Vantage and they would not sell me a roadster with carbon brakes!
Add to this Aston Martin service in the U.S. can be terrible compared to other companies.
So what does this do? It pushes people to buy Porsches....even those of us who really did not want a Porsche. Porsche will sell, for less money than a Vantage, a 911 Targa with carbon ceramic brakes and a manual gearbox....and a far better built car, inside and out....with an actual glovebox! Imagine that! And Porsche service is miles better than AM's service.
For the money Aston Martin charges for an inferior product, Aston Martin should at least give their customers what they want and are willing to pay for, otherwise, there simply is no reason to buy an Aston Martin at all.