The DB11, which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show last year, is undoubtedly the current flagship car in the Aston Martin portfolio. And it is powered by the iconic V12 engine which the British marque is renowned for. However, things are about to get smaller and more affordable for the DB11 aspirers. Aston Martin plans to plonk a Mercedes-AMG sourced V8 engine into the DB11 grand tourer, and this new car is likely to make its debut at next month’s Shanghai Motor Show.
This downsizing move for an entry-level DB11 is a part of Aston Martin’s agreement with Mercedes, which involves co-development of powertrains between the two manufacturers. DB11 already makes use of Mercedes’ electronic architecture. The 4.0-litre V8 which does its duty in the AMG GT will produce about 532bhp under the DB11’s hood, which is around 80-90bhp less than the twin-turbocharged V12 brethren. Given the lesser number of cylinders, the V8 DB11 will be significantly lighter and sprightlier than the beastly V12, resulting in on-par performance despite being lower in power output. However, on the outside, both the V8 and V12 DB11 will look identical in appearance, yet the V8 model will be a lot more affordable than the opulent V12.
Choosing the Shanghai Motor Show for the debut of the V8 DB11 maybe the perfect move since China is the second-largest market for Aston Martin in the world. Plus, the under-4000cc engine will incur lower local taxation thus making the V8 a much more attractive choice for supercar buyers there. When launched, the V8 DB11 will enter into a direct fray with the Bentley V8 Continental GT.
Stay tuned to CarWale for all the news and developments from the Shanghai Motor Show.
