An early drive with a prototype DB11 reveals the inherent virtues of a continent-crushing GT.

The new DB11 represents the dawn of a new era for Aston Martin and not just because of its turbocharged powerplant.

Underneath the evolved design language of the British marque which now incorporates clever aerodynamic solutions, lays a lighter yet stronger bonded aluminum structure while the in-house developed twin-turbo V12 offers no less than 600hp and 516lb.ft (700Nm) of torque.

The successor of the DB9 is accompanied with a very serious set of numbers then, including a 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 200mph (322km/h).

The cabin is crafted with the best materials only, blended with cutting-edge onboard tech features, including a 12-inch TFT display used in the instrument cluster and an eight-inch screen for the infotainment, courtesy of the brand’s technical partnership with Daimler.

Aston Martin hasn’t finalized the production model yet but allowed some lucky journos -including Auto Express– to get a first taste of their new product in Bridgestone’s test track in Italy. Front-engined GTs were always Aston Martin’s thing and the first signs are definitely positive.

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