It’s impossible to look at the 2019 Aston Martin DB11 Volante without saying, “Wow.” I know this because I’ve tested the car’s effect on people and every single one of them said that. But beyond its beautiful looks from the outside, here are five things that you might not know about it.
Sadly, it does not have ejector seats (perfect for a convertible), motion-tracking machine guns or active camo. I performed an exhaustive search for these features and came up with nothing.
1. It Has A Front-Mid Engine Layout
Front-mid engine layouts are a real thing, despite what some of the fools I work with would have you think. Like my colleague Jason Torchinsky, I believe that there are four main engine positions: front, front-mid, rear-mid and rear. Like in the BMW M3, the Aston Martin DB11, the Audi R8 and the Porsche 911, respectively.
2. It Has A German Heart
Back in 2013, Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG struck up a partnership. The nitty gritty details of it were that Mercedes-AMG would get a five percent equity stake in Aston Martin, along with a non-voting “observational” status on the management board. Aston Martin, in return, would get AMG engines and Mercedes electrics and electronic components.
The result of that partnership can be seen in the V8 version of the DB11, which uses the 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 from Mercedes-AMG. Internally, that engine is called the M177 and it can be found in the Mercedes-AMG C63/S, E63/S, S63 and GLC63/S.
The twin-turbo V12 found in other versions of the DB11 isn’t offered in the Volante. If you want a convertible DB11, you can only get it with the V8.
3. The Steering Feels Great
Despite having electronically assisted power steering, which most people hate, the DB11 actually felt really light and responsive on its feet. It’s a large and wide car, but the steering helped it feel trim and tight, even on crowded streets. It wasn’t too heavy and it wasn’t feather-light either. It was calibrated very well.
4. You Can Get It With A Sweet Umbrella
For people who buy cheap umbrellas from CVS and never think about it again (people like me), the optional umbrella that came with the Aston was truly something else.
Double-ribbed and opening with a silky smooth action, it had “Aston Martin” and “Made In England” embossed on its brushed aluminum handle and felt like it could weather just about the worst storms in life.
Oh, and it cost $295.
5. It Sounds Goddamn Fantastic
The Aston came with a $8,330 Bang & Olufsen sound system, but why would you listen to that when you have a throaty V8 to enjoy? Aston has said in the past that it tuned the AMG V8 to give it a more “Aston” sound.
Having experienced that engine in both an AMG and an Aston, I am actually able to tell the difference. The Aston sounds less guttural than the AMGs.
So those are five things you might not have known about the DB11 Volante. It was a sad day indeed when the fleet man came back to reclaim it.