Aston Martin's turbocharged DB 11 spotted

In 2001, Aston Martin introduced the Vertical-Horizontal (VH) architecture its current models rely on. After 14 years of VH-based sports cars, the automaker is ready to shift to a new platform.

Spy photographers captured spied the 2016 Aston Martin DB 11, this time going through its paces in the Austrian Alps.

Since it’s an Aston, we should look at aesthetics first. The prototype is still heavily camouflaged but its silhouette can be distinguished.

DESIGN EVOLUTION

The new sports car looks to be a style evolution revealed by the DB 10 bespoke creation Aston Martin made for the new James Bond movie ‘Spectre’. The car has morphed the elongated lines of the outgoing DB 9 into a more compact-looking proposal such as the DB 10.

IMAGE GALLERY: 2016 Aston Martin DB 11

The move isn’t without its risks since many have criticised the DB 10 for being too close to the Jaguar F-Type Coupe.

Its gaping front end shows what appear to be intercoolers, which makes perfect sense. That’s how Aston Martin’s new platform will be able to please both natural aspiration and turbo fans, the latter will be thrilled thanks to the presence of a Mercedes-AMG V8.

POWER

Power will be provided by a four-litre V8 borrowed from the AMG GT – the same engine is also present on the Mercedes-AMG C63 but sans the dry sump of the sports car.

The V8 is expected to produce about 372kW, since the flagship engine will come in the form of the six-litre V12 that Ford will continue to supply at least until 2018. Forget the 380kW AM11 V12 used in the outgoing DB 9, the AM29 V12 powering the new DB11 could deliver 423kW.

Automedia reports the interior seems to be adorned with a digital instrument cluster.

WHAT HAPPENED TO DB 8 OR 10?

The Aston Martin DB 9’s successor is expected to arrive in 2016 as a 2017 model. As for the designation, the automaker trademarked the DB 11 moniker, as the DB 10 has already been used.

Although being touted as the DB 11, it’s not clear what the new model will be officially called. Aston has a long history of DB models but its naming nomenclature has not been consistent – DB 8?

Given the trademark, it’s likely the automaker may repeat its miss-a-generation trick and call its latest sports car the DB11.