Joyfully the twelve-cylinder roars up, as the pressure on the gas pedal finally demands it and the combined force of 560 PS and 630 Newtonmeter torque on the rear wheels. A stretch of motorway without a limit now lures the Aston Martin Rapide S out of reserve. Of course in Drive Sport mode. The sucker, internally called 29, turns powerfully upwards, pushing effortlessly and without hesitation into 4,2 seconds on Tempo 100, the elegant four-door sports sedan, wrapped in subtle ultramarine black and over five meters long. The electronics communicate with the engine and the automatic system several thousand times a second, with eight gears alternating almost imperceptibly. Only the respect for the road users, who can not really appreciate the power development of the British gentleman behind his long bonnet and the typical grille, prevents the tuning to the promised maximum speed of at least 327 km / h. But the most powerful four-door Aston Martin ever produced can also be different when it comes to fine-tuning its performance.
No question, the passengers placed in tight-fitting leather seating furniture enjoy the ride over curved asphalt bands in the Bergisches Land region. There is a bit of sadness as the Rapide S finally and powerfully blubbering arrives at his current destination in Cologne.
The new 5,2 liter Twin Turbo 12 from Aston Martin is being built in a separate part of the Ford engine plant. The British have had their eight and twelve cylinders manufactured here in the Aston Martin Engine Plant (AMEP) on an area of more than 2004 square meters since 12. Aston Martin and uses the space and manufacturing expertise of the former parent company Ford. But even for a prestigious traditional company like Aston Martin, the clock no longer ticks according to a gear pattern: environmentalists and politicians set limit values and new standards that classic naturally aspirated engines can hardly keep up with. Modern turbo units need less fuel than vacuum cleaners, in which the air is not artificially compressed, and therefore emit fewer pollutants.
So it's only logical and forward when more than 100 employees of Aston Martin gather around the first mass-produced twelve-cylinder and watch proudly as Dr. Andy Palmer, President and CEO of Aston Martin, signed him. All comment in the hall:
"I have no doubt that our new twin-turbo V12 will be the beginning of an even greater era of success."
The first copies of the DB 11, which is equipped with the engines from Cologne at the Aston Martin Headquater in the British city of Gaydon, will come to the dealers at the beginning of the last quarter 2016 for at least 204 000 Euro.
With the 608 hp and 700 Nm torque of the 5,2 liter bi-turbo twelve-cylinder, the DB11 can achieve a sprint time of 3,9 seconds and a top speed of 322 km / h, making it the strongest and fastest production DB model . A lighter aluminum architecture serves as the basis for the new engine, in which Mercedes AMG was involved and which has only three parts in common with the vacuum cleaner. Despite the 0,8 liter reduction in displacement, it delivers more power and torque that was applied earlier. Intelligent cylinder deactivation and start-stop technology ensure that this power, which is passed on to the rear axle by a new eight-speed automatic, goes hand in hand with greatly improved efficiency.
The chief developer of the new twelve-cylinder engine generation, Dr. Ing. Brian Fitzsimons, assumes that Co2 output is likely to be lower than 265 grams and DB 11 consumes around five percent less fuel than its predecessor. And with a sound that continues to sound great, he adds meaningfully.
James Bond will have to get used to it and know that his company car will in the future go turner-hunting with a turbo. Clean pace when it comes to shaking off enemies or saving beautiful women.
Text: Solveig Grewe / Photos: Max Earey, Solveig Grewe