A Beautiful Encounter Test Drive aston martin DB11

　　[car home original test drive] In early July, my leader suddenly asked me if you had ever driven a sports car. I said I drive it every day … He added, something high-end. "Maserati GranTurismo, Lamborghini Huracan, McLaren 650S…… …" "OK, you can go to this activity!" So at the end of July, I came to Tuscany and met this aston martin DB11 in front of me.

　　As an automobile manufacturer with a history of more than 100 years, aston martin officially launched a brand-new centennial plan this year, and the DB11 is the first model launched in this centennial plan. In the next seven years, aston martin will launch a new car every year, which is actually rare among similar manufacturers.

　　First of all, I would like to tell you something about aston martin DB11 (hereinafter referred to as DB11). Its positioning is GT sports car, and the models that can directly form a competitive relationship in terms of price include Ferrari California T, Bentley Continental, Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio. In addition, DB11 is also the successor of DB9. DB10 is only a prop car in the movie Ghost Party, and it was not mass-produced, so a number jumped off the model name. Compared with competitors, the advantage of DB11 is that it is the latest model and uses a 12-cylinder twin-turbo engine.

● Appearance: Aesthetic modeling and elegant aerodynamic design.

　　　Aston martin has always been committed to the ultimate aesthetic design of vehicles, and this DB11 is no exception. The whole car uses a lot of elements of the golden ratio. The front of the car occupies 1/3 of the length of the whole car body, and the side window glass and the roof occupy 1/3 of the side of the car body.

　　In terms of body size, the length, width and height of DB11 are 4739mm×1950mm×1279mm, respectively, and the wheelbase is 2805mm. In the category of GT sports car, its body shape is relatively symmetrical. Compared with GranTurismo, Continental and California T, except for the lowest body height, all other data are sandwiched in the middle, which is not very extreme.

　　As early as March this year, DB11 was officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, and my colleagues also wrote a more detailed article on its static part, so this paper only makes some technical supplements on the basis of it, so I won’t repeat the repeated parts. Friends who want to review the static part of DB11 can click on the link to read it.

　　In addition to achieving the ultimate in aesthetics, DB11 has also greatly improved its aerodynamic design compared with its predecessor DB9. A total of four slender holes are opened on the engine cover, and spoilers are arranged on the left and right air guide holes to optimize the aerodynamic effect. Under the air outlet spoiler on the side of the car body, a convex design named curlique by the manufacturer is also used. This word literally translates to "flower decoration", while aston martin officials call it "flower aerodynamics". This design is also designed to quickly guide the airflow in the wheel arch from the side, thus improving the downforce of the front part.

Brief Introduction of 『DB11 Aerodynamic Highlights Design

　　The aerodynamics of DB11 behind the C-pillar is even more exciting. Firstly, air inlets are designed on both sides. We have actually seen similar designs on BMW i8 and other models. However, the difference is that DB11 will guide the airflow into an air duct hidden in the car body and finally discharge it upward from the rear end of the trunk. This airflow and the airflow coming down from the roof to the rear of the vehicle will meet at the rear of the vehicle, thus forming a strong downforce. This aerodynamic designer named it aeroblade-wind blade. And according to the manufacturer’s calculation, its effect can be equivalent to adding a half-meter-high spoiler at the rear of the car, but obviously the simple and rude scheme of the latter will destroy the beauty of the car body to some extent. Therefore, the designers in aston martin have opened their minds and developed the aerodynamic design that DB11 presents to us today.

"『DB11 Exhaust Sound Show"

　　Exhaust sound is the soul of a sports car, and how to adjust the exhaust system is particularly important. Although the visual effect of DB11 is sharper and more aggressive than that of its predecessor DB9, its exhaust sound is not very manic, which is in line with the image of a gentleman. However, the deep and vigorous features of the 5.2-liter V12 engine are still preserved. Although the sound made by DB11 won’t make passengers in the car or pedestrians on the street bored, you can still hear that it is definitely a tough character, just like James Bond.

　　Finally, it is worth mentioning that the rims of DB11 are all 20 inches in size, with front wheel width of 9j, rear wheel 11j, front wheel tyre size 255/40 R20 and rear wheel 295/35 R20. The turbofan-shaped rim is officially named "directional hub", which means that these four rims are actually different, and the orientation of the rim style will change after the left and right are reversed.

● Interior: Create the ultimate luxury atmosphere.

　　Aston martin is also trying to make the luxury atmosphere to the extreme when he comes into the car. In the interior part, there are more than 200 suppliers making various parts for DB11. The flowing stitching treatment on the seat is not only beautiful, but also reveals a little futuristic feeling. The leather decoration treatment of "Brock" in the center of the seat and on the armrest box not only reveals the British people’s admiration for traditional crafts, but also proves the exquisite skills of car builders by hand.

　　The instrument panel is a 12-inch full LCD color screen, but a metal ring is placed in the center to divide the screen into three areas. In the past, the mechanical pointer instrument panel commonly used on aston martin models was cancelled on DB11. The counter-clockwise tachometer once made many people feel a little unaccustomed, but it is also one of the unique designs in aston martin. Although the brand-new all-liquid crystal instrument panel has more cool visual effects and richer functions, it is really difficult to define which one is better.

　　The approximately rectangular steering wheel is also one of the traditions in aston martin, and the left and right are symmetrically equipped with a set of multifunctional buttons and knobs. The workmanship of the steering wheel is impeccable, but the rectangular style needs to be adapted. The top button on the left side of the steering wheel can adjust the suspension damping, and the corresponding right side can adjust the power output. These two kinds of setting mediation will not be linked with each other, and each has three modes to choose from: GT (Comfort), Sport and Sport+.

"Experience and Introduction of 『DB11 Interior Parts"

　　On this DB11, we also saw many achievements after the cooperation between aston martin and Daimler. It completely abandoned the multimedia entertainment system that was common on aston martin models in the past, and replaced it with a brand-new system with almost no difference from the operation mode of Mercedes-Benz COMAND system. The usability and functionality are significantly improved compared with previous models, and consumers who are familiar with Mercedes-Benz models can get started quickly.

　　The seat wrapped in leather is impeccable in both texture and padding. As a GT sports car, it is a basic requirement to be able to drive comfortably for a long distance. Like the traditional aston martin models, the electric adjustment buttons are arranged on the decorative boards on the inner sides of the two front seats. Although this design is not common, it is much more convenient to use than most models that need to reach out to the side of the seats and operate blindly.

"『DB11 shows in and out of the back row"

　　In fact, we can see from the body size of DB11 that it is not large in the same class, so its rear seat space will also be subject to this. It is almost impossible for adult men to sit comfortably in the back row, let alone enter and exit gracefully. Therefore, the setting of husband and wife sitting in the front row and children sitting in the back row is more in line with its spatial performance.

● Power system: brand-new V12 turbine engine +8AT gearbox.

　　DB11 is equipped with a brand-new V12 twin-turbo engine with a displacement of 5.2L, a maximum power of 608 HP /6500rpm and a peak torque of 700 Nm /1500-5000rpm. In fact, from the book data, the adjustment of this engine is still reserved. As a sports car that does not advocate extreme performance, this setting can be understood. Matching the engine is an 8-speed automatic manual transmission from ZF, and the official acceleration time of 0-100km/h is 3.9 seconds.

● Driving experience: it can meet your various needs.

　　Whenever I come into contact with a sports car for the first time, I will carefully test their temper first. After all, these guys who can explode 600-700 Nm at any time are quite a headache once they get stubborn. Fortunately, however, DB11 is not as cold as its appearance. When the power setting is in GT mode, it is very approachable, and I am flattered that it doesn’t even have a shelf.

　　In GT mode, the response after stepping on the accelerator pedal will become very lazy, and the whole car seems to have just woken up and has no spirit. The rotation speed is usually not more than 2000rpm, and when cruising at high speed, this engine with active cylinder closing technology will put half of the cylinders into a "dormant" state, and when the sensor detects that the temperature of the six dormant cylinders is somewhat low, the working cylinders will be switched. At this time, the speed is usually only a little over 1000.

　　However, the throttle response is not positive and the power "meat" is completely two concepts. After all, this engine can enter the peak torque platform at 1500 rpm, so if you step on the throttle more, the speed of DB11 will be relatively light with the increase of the speed. Even if you want the floor oil to surpass the car in GT mode, it can meet your needs, but whether it is downshifting or throttle response, it will be a little slow, and the process from cruising to acceleration will not be very neat.

　　In fact, at present, many powerful models will equip vehicles with such a "comfortable" mode, the purpose of which is nothing more than to enable drivers to establish some basic understanding with the vehicles, and it can also be understood as a novice mode. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand that the dynamic response of the whole vehicle in this state is actually a little boring. Fortunately, this state can be released immediately when the right thumb presses the button on the steering wheel and enters the sports mode.

　　In almost all the performance cars I have tested before, this mode between comfort and extreme sports is usually the most suitable for road driving, because everything is adjusted just right: although the throttle response is sensitive, it is never neurotic; The upshift logic of the gearbox is also within the acceptable range, and the speed will not be controlled very high, which will lead to the obvious dragging feeling of the vehicle with the speed drop when the throttle is released; The same is true for this DB11. In sports mode, the power output of the vehicle will be more harmonious with the driver.

　　In the most radical sports+mode, the real strength of this V12 engine will be fully revealed without reservation. When switching to this mode, the exhaust valve will be fully opened. No matter which speed range, you can feel the obvious difference. First, tell everyone audibly, "I am ready for full horsepower at all times."

　　At this time, the response of the accelerator pedal will become extremely sensitive, and any movement of the right foot will be intuitively reflected in the tachometer and power output, and the gearbox will maintain the engine speed above 3000rpm, thus ensuring that it is always in the peak torque output stage. In this test drive, I basically drive this DB11 on narrow country roads and mountain roads, plus vehicles are driving in formation. Under this road condition, the power of the V12 engine is actually a little surplus, so it is completely unnecessary to use the sports+mode. At this time, DB11 is more suitable for playing on unlimited speed highways or racetracks.

　　DB11 is built with a brand-new platform, instead of the VH platform used by all departments in aston martin. The chassis is equipped with front double wishbone and rear multi-link independent suspension, and has an adaptive vibration reduction system named "Skyhook". The suspension damping can also be adjusted manually according to requirements.

　　Compared with the power output, the three kinds of damping adjustment of suspension are much easier to understand. The popular points are nothing more than the softest mode, the harder mode and the uncomfortable mode. The difference between the three modes is obvious, which is much better than its predecessor model DB9, which has only two kinds of adjustable damping and is hard in sense, and there is not much difference.

　　GT mode, as its name implies, is the most suitable mode for travel. The shock absorber can absorb all kinds of road bumps to a great extent and maintain a strong chassis integrity. Unlike some models equipped with air suspension, the chassis will be a little loose in comfort mode, and the four wheels seem to fall off at any time. I think GL8 is the softest suspension among the models currently in production. If I give it a score of 10 for comfort, I am willing to give it a score of 7 for DB11 in GT mode. After all, this is a sports car, and even the GT suspension can’t be adjusted as soft as MPV.

　　In sports mode, the suspension will be much harder than GT mode, and the road information will be transmitted to the driver more directly through the chassis, steering wheel and seat. When the road conditions are good, adjusting the suspension and power to the sports mode can get the most comfortable driving experience, and I think the pleasure of driving a sports car can be felt to the greatest extent in this state.

　　As for the sport+mode, it is the other extreme, and the ride comfort is almost completely sacrificed, thus gaining maximum maneuverability. The mountain road is very well matched with the sports+mode, and the tough suspension can suppress almost all the roll; In this mode, the steering ratio of the steering wheel will become larger, and the feedback will become heavier. With the appropriate power output mode, the driving experience at this time can be described as hearty. It’s just … if you don’t pay attention to the potholes on the road, you will feel obvious impact in the car. Therefore, the motion+mode in suspension setting puts high demands on the road. If the road condition is not very good, don’t try it, you will make a vibrato when you talk.

"『DB11 Road Test Drive Experience"

　　This time, I also recorded some driving videos briefly. Due to the limited contact time with vehicles, I didn’t arrange sentences to talk about driving feelings with the videos. I’m really sorry … Let’s watch the fun.

● Summary:

　　It’s actually quite interesting that aston martin chose Italy as the test drive place for DB11, knowing that Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati were all born in this country. Brainstorming a long list of pictures of big sports cars from Britain driving in Italy, although it is cool, it is inevitably reminiscent of a little provocation. But it may not matter. As a GT sports car, the DB11 was originally used for traveling.

　　Back to the product level, DB11 has beautiful appearance, extremely luxurious interior, strong power, very elegant aerodynamic design, rich configuration and mode adjustment that can meet the needs of drivers at all levels … It is almost impeccable. Although the guiding price of 3.259 million yuan is a little far away for many consumers, it is still worth the money. After all, it is difficult to find a 12-cylinder sports car in this price range. Although Bentley’s Continental GT is also a 12-cylinder engine, the starting price is 3.68 million, which is still more expensive than DB11. Ferrari’s GTC4Lusso will cost 5.38 million yuan, which is completely another level.

　　In fact, it seems a bit redundant to analyze whether a sports car, especially a supercar, is worth buying. First of all, my consumption power is not up to this level, so it is difficult to imagine the consumption concept of these people. In addition, a sports car is originally a commodity with no "cost performance", perhaps it is an eye-catching, perhaps it is sentimental, or it may be paying attention to the unique charm of the brand … These inexplicable reasons are just like a beautiful encounter that suddenly appeared but was memorable, which makes people intoxicated. (Text/Figure car home Peng Chuwen)

Related videos:

　　Finally, we have the honor to invite Uncle 40,000 (Xu Qun), a senior in the automotive media industry, to share with you this DB11 in his eyes.

More exciting videos are all on the car home video platform.