Aston Martin finally went and did it: shoved a smaller V8 engine into their signature V12 full size GT sports car, which of this moment is the newly released DB11, which already caused a stir among AML fans as it was the first car ever produced by the British marque to be turbocharged.
In this new engine choice for the DB11, the 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 is instead swapped out for a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 sourced from the good folks at Mercedes-AMG as part of a tie-up with parent company Daimler AG. But unlike other engine sharing partnerships, such as that with Pagani which receives bespoke motors, the M178 engine is taken without mechanical modification aside from a custom map from Aston Martin that alters the power and torque curve while peaking at 380kW and 675Nm.
Those numbers are nearly identical to the tune in the AMG GT S, which produces slightly less peak torque at 650Nm. It’s still a lot of power, just as it is in the Affalterbach machine, and does result in a weight reduction of roughly 115kg over the heavier twelve-cylinder, which allows it to accelerate to 100km/h from rest in 4.0 seconds flat, just 0.1s slower than the V12-powered DB11, before topping out at 301km/h.
Not only is the new engine more fuel efficient and provide a slight improvement in its power-to-weight ratio, it emits markedly less carbon dioxide at 230-grams per-kilometre. Aston Martin expects the car to sell well in markets where vehicle taxation is structured around engine capacity, particularly in China where the brand derives much of its recent growth.
Aston Martin Chief Technical Officer, Max Szwaj, commented: “As an engineer I find the DB11 a fascinating car. One with great depth of character and ability. Of course the V12-engined variant is an icon - an ultimate, if you like, but the V8 is very much its own car. One with a distinct and carefully crafted character that’s truly seductive. It has been hugely rewarding to put our stamp on this new engine - both in the way it sounds and performs - and to use its impressive attributes as the impetus to reveal a little more of the DB11’s sporting character,"
“To be able to offer not one, but two exceptional GT cars is terrific for Aston Martin and our customers. I’m particularly proud that this car is the first to receive an engine supplied by our technical partner, Mercedes-AMG. Not least because thanks to the nature of our relationship with AMG we have been given complete freedom to tailor this exceptional power unit so that it meets the particular needs and demands of an Aston Martin.”
Instead of positioning it as a more accessible alternative to the V12, AML sees the car as a level-pegged alternative that can cater to a wider audience as, other than the engine, there’s little to split between the two variants. Both are equally luxurious, well-specified, and dynamically quite brilliant.
Andy Palmer, President and CEO of Aston Martin, said: “Having driven the car during its development phase, it is not just the engine that has changed the character of the car, but also the resulting dynamic changes to create a remarkable GT car with its own distinct personality from the V12.”
Order books have opened V8-powered DB11, which will start from £144.900 in the UK, €184,000 in Germany and $198,995 in the US. They expect deliveries to start in the 4th quarter of 2017.
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