2018 Aston Martin DB11 V8: 503 Horsepower, AMG Biturbo [Test/Drive]

Can a GranTurismo car that's synonymous with V12 power make it with a mere V8? (If you could call a 503-hp, 4.0-liter AMG biturbo V8 "mere.")

The 2018 Aston Martin DB11 is a marked improvement over the DB9, whose 15-year-old design and technology were falling hopelessly behind the competitive curve. The DB11 still uses an extruded aluminum chassis, but the updated platform incorporates “Hot Form Quench” technology (or HFQ), the fruit of Aston-backed research at the University of Birmingham and Imperial College London. Hot Form Quench refers a method of pressing and quickly cooling heated aluminum in a die. A rigid carbon-fiber driveshaft connects the engine to the eight-speed, rear-mid-mounted ZF automatic transmission.

The new, 503-horsepower V-8 model cuts mass even further. Its cooling pack and four AMG-built liters weigh in at 253 fewer pounds than the 5.2-liter, 600-horsepower V-12. Compared with the twelve-cylinder, this shorter, lighter loaf can be shoved almost entirely behind the front axle, a boon to handling that puts more mass rearward and within the wheelbase:

The V-8 shifts the DB11’s front-to-rear weight balance from 51 percent front/49 percent rear to a more idyllic 49/51. EPA economy numbers aren’t official, but the DB11 V-8 should enjoy a 1- or even 2-mile-per-gallon gain compared with the V-12’s 15/21 mpg rating, especially on the highway.


(story from: /DRIVE)