THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bonds and Bond girls come and go, but the fictional British spy has always had a constant—his Aston Martin.
Starting with a DB5 in the 1964 movie, Goldfinger, to the DB10 in the last, Spectre, the English car has a role of its own in the series. Marking over a century of operation, Aston Martin unveiled the next in the series, the DB11, in the Geneva Auto Show this year, which made its Indian debut this month.
The DB11 is part of the ‘Second-Century Plan’, the car maker’s vision to bring out a new car every year—each rivalling its predecessor in design and technology.
The DB11 is believed to be the car maker’s ‘weapon of choice’ to grab a fair market share in the high luxury car segment. “It is the most powerful, efficient and dynamically-gifted DB model in Aston Martin history, which also carries a fine balance of beauty and performance,” begins Neil Slade, the head of the car maker’s MENA operations, who spearheaded the multi-city India launch.
This grand tourer with a 5.2-litre, 600bhp twin-turbocharged V12 engine, and a lighter-yet-stronger bonded aluminium structure, can reach speeds of up to 320 kmph and clock 100 kmph in four seconds.
“When it comes to the externals, there is some innovative aerodynamics at play. Front-end lift is reduced by the gill-like curlicue, which releases high-pressure air from inside the wheel arch via a concealed vent. For the rear-end lift, there is the Aston Martin AeroBlade, which is a virtual spoiler fed by discreet air intakes,” adds Slade, who confirms that the Second Century Plan will unveil a new car a year until 2020.
The DB11 also boasts multiple driver selection modes like the GT, Sport and Sport Plus, with each adding more vigour and reducing the response time of the engine. The infotainment system, made in partnership with Daimler, has full-colour 12-inch LCD displays that support gesture control and even offer satellite-assisted navigation.
For the crowded metropolis, there is the auto park assist feature aided by a 360-degree bird’s eye view camera. “Not just this, we are also working on the RapidE, a low emission electric vehicle concept, which will hit markets in 2018. This we believe will pave way for a whole new generation of connected electric vehicles,” he concludes.
A4.2 crore onwards. Details: db11.astonmartin.com