DBS or Vantage? Perhaps the most popular question asked of a prospective Aston Martin purchaser. On the face of it, the middle DB11 option is completely disregarded. So is this a case of 'middle child syndrome', the psychological 'decoy effect' trick or purely underrated?
Introduced in March 2016, the DB11 succeeded the DB9, far from the easiest of tasks. But ask any car fanatic the current Aston Martin line up and the DB11 will surely be low on that list. Seemingly, the DB11 suffers from sibling rivalry from a smaller but feral Vantage and an incredibly well engineered DBS.
The Vantage And DBS Outplay The DB11
For the general Aston buyer, the Vantage is the starting point, and a DBS Superleggera the next step. Despite, holding sleeker looks than both, the DB11 is completely dismissed. Buyers either want a wild and raucous supercar or rounded GT from Aston and let's face it, Aston owners are super rich; hence the DBS is chosen as the GT.
This certainly looks a case of the DB11 suffering from being itself. An amazing car but victim to the badge on the front. It hardly competes directly with others, perhaps because of its age, but also lacking perfection in a certain sector. The Continental GT Mulliner hits the nail of the head in terms of luxury as does the 911 Turbo S in terms of handling. As a result of not headlining a certain sector, but competing well in all, it can be a struggle to market.
The Aston Martin badge will forever hold the presence of the iconic luxury British sports car manufacturer, and this is why the DB11 will always get sales. But competing with the Vantage and DBS, the DB11 struggles being an Aston. Likened to the middle child syndrome, the DB11 is ignored, maybe even by Aston themselves...
Feasibly, the DB11 could be acting as a decoy choice between the Vantage and DBS. The DB series will forever go on, but could Aston Martin be implementing an insanely clever marketing strategy. Known as the 'Decoy effect', by asymmetrically pricing the DB11 with respect to the Vantage and DBS, this decoy represents a shift in preference between the available prices, so the supreme option is more appealing, hence increasing revenue. With the absence of the DB11, it would be sure, that DBS sales would decrease.
For Aston, this is a potential a win-win, bearing in mind the DBS and DB11 sit on similar platforms, hence ample money isn't wasted on research and development; and that the DB11 will always sell, even if little, due to its historical stronghold and uniqueness.
Why The DB11 Is The Underrated Pick From Aston
Yes, the Vantage will turn heads and the DBS radiate wealth, the DB11 is perhaps the understated pick of the bunch, sporting a low-key look (similar to the 911 GT3 Touring) especially in a Frosted Glass Blue finish. The DBS is the clear winner in terms of power, 715 horsepower and 664 lb ft of torques but on the road it is near impossible to use all of that power. In fact the DB11, when specced with a majorly less powerful V12 (630 horsepower and 516 lb ft of torque) goes all the way up to 208 mph only 3mph off the DBS and comfortably faster than the fastest V12 variant.
Also, holding the most grand but sleek looks, it is design perfection and can still seat up to 4 albeit the rear seats will only suffice for children. The smoothness of design is described immaculately by Aston: 'The clean lines continue at the rear, with a sloping roofline that smoothly blends into boldly sculpted tail-lights to create a new and unmistakable graphic.'
The DB11 also features impressive aerodynamic goodies, for the price bracket it sits in; the sleek design serves purpose too with 'clever management of airflow both over and through the bodywork aiding stability'. Additionally, rear-end lift is reduced by the Aston Martin AeroBlade – a virtual spoiler fed by discreet air intakes located at the base of each C-pillar. Air is ducted through the bodywork, before venting as a jet of air from the aperture in the rear as a spoiler. - sounds fancy.
As the previous Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Andy Palmer said on the DB11: “This is not only the most important car that Aston Martin has launched in recent history, but also in its 103-year existence. The DB11 rightfully places Aston Martin once again as a leading brand in the luxury automotive market”.
Source: Aston Martin