When Aston Martin lifted the veil off the DB11, it didn’t just reveal a single new model. It opened an entirely new chapter for the automaker, foreshadowing the replacements for everything the company makes.
So we knew it would only be a matter of time before we’d start seeing variants undergoing testing. And that’s just what we have here. The question is, just what are we looking at?
Given the plans Aston has for the DB11’s new platform, it could be just about anything. But while our spy photographers tell us we’re likely looking at a more potent version of the existing DB11, a closer look at the vehicle’s proportions suggest something else may be afoot.
Despite the similar design cues (and identical wheels), the shorter front and rear overhangs and smaller rear side windows suggest what we could be looking at a prototype for the new Vantage.
Expected to be based on the same architecture, the Vantage is expected to stand apart from the DB11 chiefly by its cabin space: where the DB11 is a 2+2, the current Vantage is strictly a two-seater – a smaller one and (relatively) less expensive, at that.
The new Vantage is expected to ditch the old Ford-based atmospheric 4.7-liter V8 in favor of Mercedes-AMG’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. But it will likely later get the DB11’s new 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 – and the DB11 could in turn offer the V8 option as well.
Expect replacements for the Vanquish and Rapide to spin off the same architecture, along with new Lagonda models, a new DBX crossover, and convertible versions of each two-door model. So we can look forward to seeing many more prototypes and test mules like this one crossing these pages in the coming months and years.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops
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