There are plenty of cars that you can not reason with. But only a few still look as good as our test vehicle. But let's stay with the facts.
A bit, this vehicle seems like fallen out of time. Such beautiful, chic, elegant and well-toned with a slight penchant for the acoustic exaggeration cars in times of "Fridays for Future" actually should not be more. What confirms our 16-year-old niece immediately by the Aston Martin DB 11 Volante looks respectable, but in no case would like to make a photo for her Instagram profile, on the other hand quite luxury items are shown. But the DB 11 can not do that and it was not built to save the world. Although, of course, like all the sports cars of the brand since 1962, he is predestined for it, as a fairly common official company car of James Bond in action against the evil of the world.
The Volante handed over to us for the test is a luxury product. Hand made in Great Britain, that is, the finest leather, perfect paint, pretty quirks, such as an electrically closing center console or the same engine hood. But it also means, chrome trims whose degrees do not quite correspond to the gap, which we are used to from premium cars of local provenance. Hand made just.
While we and all those who were allowed to take a closer look at the car during the test, the design was delighted on the outside, the design team had a few weaknesses in the rather noble interior. So the display on the center console is no better than what technology partner Mercedes offers to customers who do not order a command or MBUX system. The plastic air vents could also come from any small car and the display in front of the driver with the central tachometer and digital speedometer acts unnecessarily in terms of race. Here, classic analogue ads would do much more justice to the British style. The fact that the two rear seats are intended only for the storage of handbags and not for the transport of persons who still have legs, is not unusual in sports cars.
Functionally, there is nothing to moan, Mercedes drivers feel right at home whether the electronics used together with control. The Aston Martin dispenses with a classic gear selector lever and controls the eight-speed automatic with the push of a button, fits the style of the car. If you want, you can do it with paddles by hand, but that is unnecessary in everyday life and only an option when driving is a priority.
Under the, as mentioned, electrically closing hood front is still room. In the coupe lives here a twelve-cylinder Aston Martin does not offer in a convertible. The four-liter eight-end from AMG is much shorter and lighter. This compensates for the subtle weight disadvantage of the convertible roof loose. Anyway, the eight-cylinder is due to the lower weight directly behind the front axle, the agile choice. If 375 kW / 510 PS is not enough for open-top driving, it is either professional racing driver or rather insensitive when it comes to external influences. The Volante also manages the top speed of 300 km / h also open. We have tried this neither with the hood closed, but give the work statement but faith.
Rather, one can drive the terrible riders with the acceleration of the blood pressure upwards. 4,1 seconds pass until the allowed highway tempo is reached. Since you barely get your foot on the gas when trying out, you're quite often faster than the police allow. In general, the engine and the circuit react to the slightest movements of the right foot. Anyone who moves them sensitively glides with the Volante nimble and elegant on curvy but sufficiently wide roads. With heavy foot, the driving style is automatically rougher, because you have to constantly brakes again, the legality of the ride to love. Well-developed roads are the first choice, because the DB11 behind but quite expansive and always wider than you think.
If you leave the eight-cylinder in gentle Brabbel mode, even the consumption indicator is discreetly back, what we mention here only for the sake of form. You can drive the Volante with less than 12 liters consumption, who equates fun with dynamics, but has no chance. But a convertible like this is not meant to save the world with these uses. Either it is with James Bond in emergency use or it is brought out of the garage for Sunday excursion and anyway rarely moved, because the buyers also like to have one or the other everyday vehicle.
Speaking of possession. Anyone seeking this should be able to transfer just under 200.000 Euro to the dealer of their choice, of course only for a car without any extras. As far as these are concerned, Aston Martin offers a wealth of possibilities that essentially revolve around colors and materials inside and out. The sumptuous selection of colors for a variety of interior details alone makes it unlikely that someone else will receive the exact same Volante. Not on the option list, by the way, are the extras known by James Bond: rockets, smoke bombs and not even an ejection seat.