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The DB11 is the Aston Martin of choice for those craving something sleek and graceful rather than overtly aggressive from the 2017-2023 era. This, arguably the classiest car in the Aston range from that period, is in Coupe form primarily a consummate sporting luxury GT, but can also be dynamically rewarding whenever you need it to be. It's very desirable indeed.
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History
The DB11 was, according to its makers at least, the most important car in Aston Martin's history. At its launch in 2017, it took the brand into new territory. And set out to be completely different from any Aston before it. At the same time as being a comfortingly familiar evolution of the brand.
Back then, we'd heard exaggerated claims of model significance before from this British maker - most notably with the launch of this car's DB9 predecessor back in 2003 - but this time, things really seemed different. Take the engine - which in the DB9 and mostly also in its predecessor, the DB7 was always Aston's own V12. With the DB11, you could choose a V8 too - and almost all customers did, the 4.0-litre unit (the first in an Aston to be turbocharged) sourced from Mercedes-AMG and a product of this British maker's technical partnership with Daimler.
The stiffer, more sophisticated aluminium platform this DB11 sat upon also reflects this car's completely fresh approach. As did the inclusion of technology previously foreign to the brand - things like electromechanical power steering, multi-link rear suspension and torque vectoring. In over 100 years of Aston Martin history, it was difficult to think of a more radically-orientated engineering step forward than this.
All of that promised much in terms of driving dynamics, though Aston Martin still didn't position this DB11 as the kind of out-and-out sportscar its slightly more affordable Vantage model could be. But that was perhaps appropriate. Right from the moment that British businessman David Brown first bought this brand back in 1947 (hence the DB model naming), there was also a need to produce powerful Grand Touring GTs and we've seen plenty of those over the last seventy years. The DB11 answered that call better than any model before it, whether you choose the coupe body style we look at primarily here, or the gorgeous Volante convertible. Both will be as comfortable on a trans-continental highway as on a twisty Alpine pass. And both claim to be everything a super-luxury GT sportscar ought to be. That's the promise. What's the reality? Let's check out the used proposition offered by Coupe versions of this car, which sold until mid-2023, when they were replaced by the DB12.
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What you get
Aston Martin tells us that it aspires to make the most beautiful cars in the world. Is this one of them? There are many who would say so. Prior to the DB11, modern era Astons, though sleek and elegant, had all tended to look rather similar. Here too, you get the usual long bonnet, sweeping roof line and short rear overhangs, but this time round, stylist Marek Reichman and his team wanted to build on these established design cues to create a car with a bit more of its own identity. Yet one still respectful of a historic DB line design legacy that's given us icons like the DB2, the DB4, the DB5 and, more recently, the DB10 developed specifically for the James Bond film 'Spectre', a model that provided the aesthetic inspiration for this car.
Here, we're focusing on the coupe body style. The alternative Volante convertible features a special eight-layer fabric hood. It takes just 14 seconds to lower and 16 seconds to close and can be operated at speeds of up to 31mph. Whichever version you prefer, distinctive touches are plentiful, starting with a sharply-sculpted clamshell bonnet that features twin cooling vents. The bonnet has a pronounced power dome that flows into a prominent front grille, the source from which all the body's form and surface lines seem to emanate. The full-LED headlights are another striking feature, incorporating daytime running lights and low speed cornering lights. The fact that these things had never previously featured on an Aston prior to this one tells you much about just how far behind the technological curve the company had fallen before the launch of this car.
In profile, possibly the first thing you'll notice is the dramatic roof strake, which comes either in a silver polished finish or in Gloss Black and flows in an unbroken arc from A-pillar to C-pillar. It's apparently an incredibly labour-intensive component, being first extruded, then stretch-bent, then pressed, then laser-cut, then polished and finally anodised to achieve its complex shape. Almost as distinctive is the front wing side strake, which is larger and more eye-catching than it was on the old DB9 and forms part of the so-called 'Curlicue' vent that extracts high pressure air from the front wheel arches to reduce lift.
And inside? Well it's a big improvement from what was served up by previous Aston models. Exquisitely-stitched leather combines with intricately-fashioned design highlights to attract your attention and the different construction of the aluminium monocoque has freed up more interior space too. As usual Aston has borrowed parts from another brand - in this case its technical partner Mercedes; the stalk off the steering wheel and the 8.0-inch centre dash infotainment screen for example. There's also a digital instrument binnacle screen to replace the usual dials, with a central virtual rev counter that changes its graphics to suit the particular driving mode you've chosen from two steering wheel buttons.
You get a pair of rear seats too - the kind of thing that most junior supercars at this price point make you do without. The brand insists that there's three more inches of leg room and two more inches of headroom in comparison to what was offered by the previous DB9 model, though your head will still be brushing the stitched ceiling. As usual with a 2+2 sportscar, this space remains suitable for small children, jackets or designer shopping bags only.
Out back, this car's 65mm overall length increase over the DB9 led us to expect a larger boot and sure enough, that's what you get. That previous model's restricted 186-litre trunk is here replaced by a much more usable well-shaped 270-litre space that sensibility might dictate you should fill with the optional bespoke 4-bag designer luggage kit, so that you can maximise every inch of it.
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What to look for
This DB11 was much better built than its predecessors, but you still need to be careful - and insist on a fully stamped-up service history. You don't expect a hand-crafted car of this kind to be faultless as it ages - and the DB11 very definitely isn't. If you want something closer to perfection in this segment, buy something German.
Based on our ownership survey, here's some things to look out for when perusing used examples. Examine the electrics carefully, especially on earlier models. We heard of a passenger window failure from one owner, requiring a new module. And the same owner had a 'bonnet open' warning light come on during a journey, which was traced to a faulty bonnet latch, plus there were several random alarm malfunctions. We've heard of various starting difficulties, usually caused by dead batteries, either the main one or the one in the key fob. Often, the spare key doesn't work, so make sure you check it. We've also heard of issues with the navigation system and the climate setup, so check those thoroughly.
Check the bodywork carefully, particularly the panel edges. Make sure you inspect the boot and the cabin carefully for damage to the trim and the leather. Otherwise, it's just the usual things - like scuff and scratches in the huge, expensive wheels.
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Replacement parts
(approx based on a 2020 DB11 Vantage Coupe ex VAT - euspares.co.uk) Front brake pads are around £42. An air filter's in the £27-£58 bracket. Brake discs can sit in the £18-£40 bracket, but the pricier brands you'll probably want are in the £70-£125 bracket. A replacement headlight bulb is in the £57-£88 bracket. A starter motor is in the £274 bracket. A wheel hub's in the £102-£132 bracket. A shock absorber's around £20-£47.
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On the road
On the move, first impressions are encouraging. Almost all DB11s were sold with a Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-litre V8 twin turbo up-front. If that's a disappointment for you, the rich booming engine note won't be, painstakingly tuned by Aston Martin for a unique sonic signature. This engine's properly potent too, developing 503hp and a thumping 685Nm of torque, developed from just 2,000rpm. That's enough to hurl coupe or Volante convertible versions of this car to 62mph from rest in no more than around four seconds, on the way to a top speed that Aston has decided to limit to 187mph. That's to leave room for the alternative 5.2-litre V12 AMR coupe DB11 model that sits at the top of the range, a car that offers 630hp and improves those figures to 3.7s and 208mph. It's quite a bit thirstier than the V8 though: thanks to clever use of cylinder deactivation, this 4.0-litre model managed 28.5mpg on the combined cycle and 230g/km of CO2.
So, this DB11 is quick and aurally magnificent, just as Astons have always been. Can this one though, walk the walk as well as talking the torque? The answer's yes. This machine is a GT, not a track-tamed sportscar, as the brand kept reminding us, but this part of the company's model line did at last here boast have a sportscar-style CV. Multi-link rear suspension, near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution, the adoption of torque vectoring and a far stiffer chassis than the previous DB9 certainly all bode well for this DB11's prowess in twistier tarmac territory. And, sure enough, it handles better though the turns than any GT sportscar weighing the best part of two tonnes has any right to.
You'll start to feel that weight a little more on particularly tight secondaries, but even then, the seemingly endless reserves of engine boost mask that mass very cleverly. The steering could use a touch more feel 'in extremis' but otherwise it's brilliantly feelsome and is one of the parameters you can alter to suit your preferences via the 'GT', 'Sport' and 'Sport+' settings of the driving mode system. There's also a three-stage Bilstein adaptive damping system too. And overall? Well it's true that there are better cars from the 2017-2023 era you could choose in this segment for track day heroics. There are few though, I'd want over this one if, say, late at night at an exclusive party in Cannes I suddenly realised I needed to be in Paris at daybreak. For such a jaunt, a DB11 would be, well, just about perfect.
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Overall
The DB11 was the Aston that began the company's crucial 'Second Century Plan' to bring its model range up to date. It proved to be the first modern era contender from the marque able to take on its German and Italian rivals head-to-head, wheel-to-wheel. Faster, more sporting cars have since followed it from the Gaydon factory, but there's still nothing quite like this one from its era when it comes to pure GT-style elegance. There are certainly quicker, higher-tech or more sharply handling options in the market from this period. But when you've miles to put on the clock and want the journey to feel special rather than just effortlessly rapid, it's hard to think of anything much better.
True, in certain areas, the brand's limited resources show; the relative lack of sophisticated safety kit; the absence of autonomous driving tech; the need to borrow Mercedes-sourced cabin parts. But none of this will really matter once you've fired that glorious engine and heard the inimitable Aston growl. And in summary? Well as a GT sportscar with classic brand heritage for someone who wants a junior supercar but couldn't quite live with one, from its period, the DB11 is difficult to better.
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