On the face of it, the V8-powered Aston Martin DB11 doesn’t make a lot of sense.

It has 97 hp less than the twin-turbo V12 DB11, is slightly slower and simply doesn’t have the allure of the V12. If you’re driving a V8 DB11 and pull up alongside a V12 DB11 at the traffic lights, you could feel pretty dumb.

However, the V8 model has one huge thing going for it and that’s weight. It is a significant 253 lbs (114 kg) lighter than the V12 and that means it only takes an extra 0.1 seconds to hit 100 km/h (3.9 seconds vs 4.0 seconds). More significantly, that reduction in weight transforms the way the DB11 drives, as Henry Catchpole explains.

The seasoned journo mentions that the lighter weight, chassis and steering adjustments made by Aston Martin makes the V8 DB11 the more ‘sporty’ and driver focused of the two, making it the one to buy.

If money was no object, would you prefer the V12 or the V8?

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