New Aston Martin DB11 Leaked Before Geneva

The modern take on the Aston Martin look.

byWill Sabel Courtney|
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There was never any doubt that the Aston Martin DB11 was going to be sexy. Yes, Aston Martin's current lineup has its issues. The cars are underpowered, at least compared to the competition; the technology is a half-generation behind the rest of the automotive world. Sometimes, build quality isn’t what you’d expect from a six-figure sports car. But we forgive them for their flaws, because all their cars are really, really, ridiculously good-looking. Aston Martin: The Derek Zoolander of sports cars.

But ever since the DB9 first debuted (all the way) back in 2003, Aston Martin designers have largely been sketching variations on a theme. The DBS, the Rapide, the Vantage, the Vanquish—they’ve all been gorgeous, but even enthusiasts have trouble telling them apart at a glance. The new turbo V12-powered DB11 doesn’t suffer from that problem.

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That's based on leaked images via Carscoops, which have surfaced before the car’s Geneva Motor Show debut. From the front, the DB11 is a largely evolutionary update of the classic Aston cues: a long hood, upturned mouth of an air intake, and headlights that look like they’ve been stretched back by Saffir-Simpson-grade winds. It’s a little sharper and blockier than the DBs that preceded it, but still very much an Aston.

The rear angle, though, makes clear that the DB11 is trying to set a new design course for the brand. The traditional bootylicious rear identified with Astons is gone, replaced by a boxier, modern tail. It's aesthetically pleasing, but doesn’t quite inspire in the same way as the DB9’s curvy J.Lo hips. And the blacked-out indent where the rear arch of the “floating roof” meets the body? It reminds us of nothing so much as the 2016 Nissan Maxima’s C-pillar.

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So the DB11 is a thoroughly modern take on Aston Martin design, inspired as much by the million-dollar Lagonda Taraf as by the DB9 it replaces. It’s stylish and modern and beautiful, and we’re sure it’ll be a hit at the Geneva show. But it just doesn’t move us as much as we’d hoped it would.

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Then again, we’re basing all these thoughts on a handful of leaked images. In person, the DB11 may be the sexiest piece of Aston to ever touch pavement.

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