British car-maker sharpens up DB11's handling and gives it more power
UPDATED 14/05/2018 4:00pm: Aston Martin has confirmed a price tag of $428,000 plus on-road costs for the DB11 AMR — $33,000 more than the DB11 V12 on which it’s based — ahead of its arrival in Australia in the fourth quarter of this year.
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Aston Martin has celebrated the opening of its AMR Performance Centre at the Nurburgring with a faster, more hard-core version of its DB11.
Now producing a more muscular 470kW, the top-shelf DB11 AMR produces 13kW more than that standard car but churns out the same 700Nm of torque from its twin-turbo 5.2-litre V12.
As a result of the power bump, Aston’s 0-100km/h acceleration time drops from the current car’s 3.9 seconds to 3.5sec.
Top speed, meanwhile, improves by 4km/h to 334km/h.
Not content with just giving it more might, Aston engineers have taken the opportunity to improve the way the DB11 drives.
This would normally involve adding stiffer springs and dampers, compromising comfort, but not this time. Aston claims the AMR updates provide a “greater sense of connection without harming the supple ride”.
Changes over the standard set-up also include remapped adaptive dampers and an updated limited-slip differential.
Externally, the changes are for the DB11 AMR are best described as subtle.
Ditching the regular DB11’s chrome accents for lots of black gloss and exposed carbon-fibre, the AMR features a smoked front grille and a prominent carbon-fibre front splitter and door mirrors, plus black headlight surrounds.
Other DB11 differences include large black 20-inch alloy wheels, a gloss black roof panel, smoked tail-lights and carbon-fibre front fender strakes.
Inside, the AMR model brings a sports steering wheel, leather seat trim with a bright lime coloured central strip and ‘AMR’ logos on the head restraints and kickplates.
To help launch the DB11 AMR globally, Aston Martin says it will produce a 100-car limited-edition variant of its more hardcore GT wearing Stirling Green exterior paint with bright lime accents and extra carbon-fibre ‘detailing’.
As well as its unique paint, all of the special DB11 AMRs will come with a ‘Dark Knight’ leather interior and an interior that makes extensive uses of satin dark chrome and carbon-fibre trim.
Extra options for AMR customers include a carbon-fibre engine cover, exhaust tips and steering wheel.
AMR owners will also have the chance to order a tailor-made luggage set matched to their car.
In the UK, pricing will begin at around £174,995 ($A325,000) with first deliveries commencing around mid-2018. It’s not yet known when Australia will get its cars, nor how much of a premium the faster DB11 will command over the standard car’s $A428,032 plus ORCs.
It’s thought Aston Martin’s new AMR performance division will offer faster, more powerful versions of every model it makes.
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