Mercedes-Benz AMG GT vs Aston Martin DB11

What's the difference?

This is no Lotus, but damn if it ain't a hell of a good time, and proof positive that electrification can enhance the V8 experience, rather than ruin it.

The Aston Martin DB11 AMR is fast, capable and beautiful. It has a unique character and charisma its Italian and German competitors can’t match. That said, some important media and safety-tech features are absent. So, it’s not perfect... just brilliant.

It's a mean, but somehow still sleek, looking beast, this big AMG, but it's also immediately recognisable as a thing of intent.

Up front, there's the huge vertical-slat grille that looks like it drove straight out of a Stephen King novel, a massively domed bonnet, and these vacuum-like side intakes that look like they could suck in stray animals.

Then, at the back, there are twin dual-pipe exits (for four in total), and an automatic wing that pops out of the rear bodywork. And all of that's capped off with these massive 21-inch forged alloy wheels hiding golden ceramic-composite brakes.

Mean, yes, but not quite as aggressive as you might expect the most powerful AMG to date to come across, perhaps.

Inside, it's more subdued again, with the AMG presenting a pretty passenger-friendly space, with all the Benz tech you'd imagine, including the massive screens, and — thanks to its air suspension and drive modes — the ability to tailor the ride to your liking, meaning a comfortable and premium experience, despite the power under your right foot.

For a while there it looked like Aston Martin had fallen into the ‘everything looks the same’ trap, with Ian Callum’s breakthrough DB7 design in the mid-‘90s writing the script for the DB9 that followed, and heavily influencing everything else in the brand’s subsequent portfolio.

But in 2014, Aston’s design chief Marek Reichman sent a message with the DB10 Concept that things were about to change.

James Bond had Q and MI6 to thank for his DB10 company car in Spectre, but real-world Aston Martin customers were soon offered the DB11, which combined the muscularity of Reichman’s work on the ultra-exclusive One-77 from a decade earlier with the swooping, long-nosed proportions of his track-only Vulcan hypercar.

The hallmark of a well executed 2+2 GT is that it looks bigger in photos than it does in reality, and the DB11 is a perfect case in point.

Appearing limo-sized in our accompanying images, the DB11 is in fact 34mm shorter end-to-end than a Ford Mustang, but it’s exactly 34mm wider, and no less than 91mm lower in overall height.

And as any fashionista worth their salt will tell you, dark colours are slimming, and our ‘Onyx Black’ AMR, with gloss black 20-inch forged rims and black ‘Balmoral’ leather interior accentuated the car’s tightly drawn, shrink-wrapped surface treatment.

Signature elements in the shape of a broad, tapering grille, divided side vents, and sharply curved, two-level (smoked) tail-lights clearly identify the DB11 as an Aston Martin.

But the smooth integration of the car’s broad haunches (very One-77), gently tapering turret (optional exposed carbon) and flowing bonnet is masterful and fresh. The dash-to-axle ratio (the distance from the base of the windscreen to the front axle line) is Jaguar E-Type-esque.

And it’s all subtly aero-efficient, For example, the door handles fit flush to the body, the mirror housings double as mini ‘wings’, and the Aston Martin ‘Aeroblade’ system channels air running from carefully crafted openings at the base of the C-pillar, through the rear of the car to generate downforce (with minimal drag) across a lateral vent on the trailing edge of the bootlid. A small flap rises at “high speed” when more stability is required. 

The interior is all business, with a simple instrument binnacle showcasing a central 12.0-inch digital speedo-within-tacho combination, flanked by configurable engine, performance and media read-outs on either side.

Aston has form with squared-off steering wheels and the DB11’s is flat on the bottom and decidedly straight on the sides, affording a clear view of the gauges without compromising purpose. A leather and Alcantara trim combination is (literally) a nice touch. 

The teardrop-shaped centre stack sits in a slightly recessed section (optionally) lined with ‘carbon-fibre twill’, while the form and function of the 8.0-inch multimedia screen at the top will be immediately familiar to current Mercedes-Benz drivers, as the system, including the console mounted rotary controller and touchpad, is sourced from the three-pointed-star brand.

A band of proudly illuminated buttons across the centre includes gear settings for the transmission and a winged stop-starter in the middle. Strange, then, that the plastic knobs on the adjustable air vents look and feel so cheap and bland. This a $400k-plus Aston Martin, where’s the knurled alloy? 

Other highlights include elegant sports seats trimmed in a combination of premium leather and Alcantara. Aston offers various levels of leather and our car’s black ‘Balmoral’ hide is taken from the top shelf.

The key accent colour inside and out on our test example was a screaming lime green, picking out the brake calipers, centre strips on the seats, and contrast stitching throughout the cabin. Sounds awful, looks amazing.  

It's not overly practical, given its size, with AMG locking in a four-seat configuration with a fixed rear pew that limits boot space. You can get folding seats, but only as part of an option package.

What you're left with is a vehicle that stretches 5054mm in length, 1953mm in width and 1447mm in height, but that serves up rear seating for only two – albeit very comfortably – and, because of the electric battery and motor being housed at the rear, boot space of just 335 litres.

There is triple-zone climate control, and the rear seating is lounge-like and luxurious, while the up-front space is ample for two full-size riders, too.

There's no spare, with AMG's 'Tirefit' puncture repair system on board.

On one hand it’s hard to describe a supercar like the DB11 as practical when its primary purpose is to go ridiculously fast and look incredibly good in the process.

But this is, in fact, a ‘2+2’ GT, meaning a couple of occasional seats have been squeezed behind the front pair to allow obliging contortionists, or more likely small children, to enjoy the ride.

No one is claiming full four-seat capacity, but it’s a trick that has for decades made cars like Porsche’s 911 a more practical choice for high-end, high-performance sports car buyers.

At 183cm I can verify the chronically limited space back there, without anything in terms of connectivity, specific ventilation or storage options provided. Good luck, kids.

For those up front it’s a very different story. First, the doors are hinged to move up slightly as they swing out, which makes entry and egress a more civilised process than it might otherwise be. That said, those doors are still long, so it pays to pre-plan a workable parking spot, and the high-mounted, forward-facing interior release handles are awkward to use.

Storage runs to a box between the seats, complete with a two-stage electrically controlled lid, housing a pair of cupholders, an oddments space, two USB inputs and an SD card slot. Then, there are slim pockets in the doors, and that’s about it. no glove box or netted pouches. Just a small tray for coins or the key in front of the media controller.

And speaking of the key, it’s another strangely underwhelming part of the DB11 AMR’s presentation. Plain and insubstantial, it looks and feels like the key to an under-$20k budget special, rather than the heavy, polished and glamorous item you’d expect to be subtly placing on the table in your preferred three-hat restaurant.

The carpet-lined boot measures 270 litres, which is enough for some small suitcases and a soft bag or two. In fact, Aston Martin offers a four-piece accessory luggage set “expertly tailored to match the car’s specification.”

Don’t bother looking for a spare wheel, an inflator/repair kit is your only option in the case of a puncture.

Head into the $400k new car zone and expectations are understandably high. The DB11 AMR’s is a continent-crushing GT after all, and you want your fair share of luxury and convenience features to go with its huge performance potential.

For $428,000 (plus on-road costs), as well as the safety and performance tech (of which there’s plenty) covered in later sections, you can expect a lengthy standard features list, including a full-grain leather interior (seats, dash, doors, etc), Alcantara headlining, multi-function ‘Obsidian Black’ leather-trimmed steering wheel, electrically adjustable and heated front seats (with three memory positions), heated/folding exterior mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, and 360-degree ‘Surround View’ parking cameras (including front and rear cameras).

Also standard are cruise control (plus speed limiter), sat nav, dual-zone climate control, the electronic instrument cluster (with mode-specific displays), keyless entry and start, a multi-function trip computer, 400-Watt Aston Martin audio system (with smartphone and USB integration, DAB digital radio and Bluetooth streaming), plus the 8.0-inch touch-control multimedia screen.

Then there are LED headlights, tail-lights and DRLs, ‘dark’ grille, headlight bezels, and tailpipe finishers, 20-inch forged alloy rims, carbon-fibre bonnet vent blades and side strakes, dark anodised brake calipers and, to reinforce the car’s motorsport DNA, the AMR logo sits on the door sill plates and is embossed on the front-seat headrests.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality is a surprising omission, but our test car more than made up for it with a motherload of optional extras including an exposed carbon-fibre roof panel, roof strakes and rear-view mirror caps, as well as ventilated front seats, the vivid ‘AMR Lime’ brake calipers, plus a ‘Dark Chrome Jewellery Pack’ and ‘Q Satin Twill’ carbon-fibre trim inlays to add presence in the cabin. Along with some other bits and pieces this adds up to an as-tested total of $481,280 (before on-road costs).

It's not just what's under the bonnet, but what's at the rear axle, too.

But let's start at the front, shall we? Here, a familiar twin-turbo V8 engine lurks, producing a potent 470kW and 900Nm, which is fed through a nine-speed automatic, complete with paddle shifters and several drive modes, including the traction-limiting 'Race'.

But that is then joined at the rear by an electric motor with its own two-speed transmission, and which produces 70kW and 320Nm – or up to 150kW for 10-second blasts under heavy acceleration.

Combine both, and you're tapping into around 620kW and in excess of 1000Nm, enabling a sprint to 100km/h in just 2.9 seconds, and a flying top speed of 316km/h.

The DB11 AMR’s (AE31) 5.2-litre, twin-turbo V12 is an all-alloy unit, tuned to deliver 470kW (up 22kW on the old model) at 6500rpm, while retaining the previous DB11’s 700Nm of maximum torque from 1500rpm all the way to 5000rpm.

As well as dual variable camshaft timing, the engine features a water-to-air intercooler and cylinder deactivation, which allows it to run as a V6 under light loads.

Drive goes to the rear wheels via a ZF-sourced eight-speed (torque converter) auto transaxle with column-mounted paddles, recalibrated for faster shifting in more aggressive Sport and Sport+ modes. A limited-slip differential is standard.

Fuel efficiency is surprisingly impressive for a vehicle this big and powerful, with Mercedes claiming 7.7L/100km and 175g/km of CO2 on the combined cycle.

Helping that is a the 6.1kW battery, which delivers just 12km in all-electric driving range, but helps reduce overall fuel use.

This AMG is AC power only, meaning you can't recharge using fast chargers, but the brand says its secret trick is its ability to recharge itself using captured kinetic energy incredibly quickly – largely negating the need to plug in unless you want to unlock that EV range – with Merc suggesting that, on a race track for example, the battery will discharge and charge itself continuously as you're lapping.

Minimum fuel requirement for the DB11 AMR is 95 RON premium unleaded and you’ll need 78 litres of it to fill the tank.

Claimed economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 11.4L/100km, the big V12 emitting 265g/km of CO2 in the process.

Despite standard stop-start and cylinder deactivation tech, in roughly 300km of city, suburban and freeway running we recorded a figure exactly nothing like that, according to the on-board computer we more than doubled the claimed number on ‘spirited’ drives. The best average figure we saw was still in the high teens.

There's a lot of big numbers surrounding the Mercedes-AMG GT63S E Performance, but let me throw another one at you – 245km/h.

That was the high score I saw pop up on its digital speedo as the big and electrified Mercedes flew down the main straight at Sydney Motorsport Park (formerly Eastern Creek), before my courage ran out and my foot found the brake.

That kind of velocity is mind-bending in a vehicle this big, and so is the way that power is delivered, with the AMG's big brain deciding how and when to maximise power from the engine and electric motor to deliver a constant surge of torque that shoves you back, and the GT63S E Performance into the future.

But big acceleration is hardly surprising with that much power. What is a little more impressive is how easy this four-door supercar is to wrestle around a racetrack.

Sure, the feeling-out process is a little more involved, as you figure out how and when you'll feel the weight shifting, and as your brain struggles to compute how what's happening is even possible, but after a couple of laps the AMG settles into an easy, flowing rhythm that, while never feeling light on its feet, also doesn't feels like you're piloting a bus.

At least part of that is down to the wizardry on board, like the 'AMG Air Suspension', the rear-axle steering and the limited-slip diff, all of which combine to make the GT63S feel tighter and sharper than it would otherwise.

But it's also partly down to the prodigious power on offer – perfect corner entry and exits are less relevant when you have a cruise missile strapped to your right foot that doesn't just quickly make up for any driver errors, but shrinks the space between corners to the blink of an eye.

Yes, it's heavy, and there isn't much that's pure about the go-fast experience, but it left an ear-to-ear grin on my face, and isn't that priority one for any new AMG?

How does it drive on the road? That I don't know, as this was a track-only drive day. But we will get one on a proper test soon and let you know.

The moment you press the starter the DB11 begins a theatrical performance worthy of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

A high-pitched whine reminiscent of a Formula One air-starter precedes a raucous blast of exhaust noise as the twin-turbo V12 bursts into life. 

It’s spine-tingling, but for those wanting to remain on good terms with their neighbours a quiet-start setting is available.

At this point, rocker buttons on either side of the steering wheel set the tone for what follows. The one on the left, marked with a shock-absorber graphic, allows you to scroll the adaptive damping set-up through Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ settings. Its ‘S’ branded partner on the right facilitates a similar trick with the drivetrain. 

So, throwing urban serenity out the window, we pushed into maximum attack mode for the engine, and by extension the exhaust, selected D and began to enjoy the first act.

A launch-control function is standard, so purely in the interests of science we explored its function and can confirm it works exceptionally well.

Aston claims the DB11 AMR will accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.7sec, which is properly fast, and two tenths of a second faster than the standard DB11 it replaces. 

Keep the pedal pinned and two things will happen; you’ll reach a maximum velocity of 334km/h and generate headline news across the country while making your way directly to jail.

With 700Nm available from just 1500rpm, and remaining on tap to 5000rpm, mid-range thrust is monumental and the thundering exhaust note accompanying it is the stuff automotive dreams are made of.

Peak power of 470kW (630hp) takes over at 6500rpm (with the rev ceiling sitting at 7000rpm) and delivery is impressively linear, without a hint of turbo hesitation.  

Aston claims the DB11 AMR will accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.7sec, which is properly fast.

The eight-speed auto is simply superb, picking up gears at just the right point and holding on to them for exactly the right amount of time. Select manual mode and the slender shift levers on either side of the steering column allow even more control.

In Sport and Sport+ drivetrain modes the howling exhaust is accompanied by an entertaining array of pops and bangs on up and down shifts. Bravo!

The DB11 AMR is underpinned by an ultra-stiff bonded aluminium chassis, with a double wishbone front/multi-link rear suspension set-up attached to it.

Spring and damper rates are unchanged from the previous DB11 and even on enthusiastic back-road runs we found suspension in Comfort and driveline in Sport+ to be the best combination. Flicking the shocks into Sport+ is best kept for track days. 

Steering is (speed dependent) electrically power-assisted. It’s beautifully progressive, yet pin-sharp with excellent road feel.

The big 20-inch forged alloy rims are shod with high-performance Bridgestone Potenza S007 rubber (255/40 front – 295/35 rear), developed as original equipment for this car and Ferrari’s F12 Berlinetta.

They combine with the 1870kg DB11’s near perfect 51/49 front to rear weight distribution and standard LSD to deliver confidence-inspiring balance and ferocious power down on (quick) corner exit.

Braking is handled by huge (steel) ventilated rotors (400mm front – 360mm rear) clamped by six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston at the rear. We might have put them under decent pressure from time-to-time, but stopping power remained prodigious and the pedal firm.

In the calm of urban traffic the DB11 AMR is civilised, quiet (if you prefer) and comfortable. The sports seats can be adjusted to grip like a vice at speed or provide more breathing room around town, the ergonomics are spot-on, and despite its striking looks, all around vision is surprisingly good.

Overall, driving the DB11 AMR is a special event, flooding the senses and raising the heart rate no matter what the speed.

Big speed demands serious active and passive safety, and the DB11 comes up short on the former.

Yes, there’s ABS, EBD, EBA, traction control, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Positive Torque Control (PTC) and Dynamic Torque Vectoring (DTV); even a tyre-pressure monitoring system, and the surround view cameras.

But more recent crash-avoidance tech like active cruise control, bling-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, rear cross traffic alert, and especially AEB, are nowhere to be seen. Not great.

But if a crash is unavoidable there’s plenty of back-up in the form of dual-stage driver and passenger front airbags, front side (pelvis and thorax) airbags, as well as curtain and knee airbags.

Both rear-seat positions offer top tethers and ISOFIX anchors for baby-capsule and child-seat location.

The DB11 hasn’t been assessed for safety performance by ANCAP or EuroNCAP. 

The GT63S E Performance is covered by Mercedes' five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, and you can pre-pay your service costs to keep the prices down.

Service pricing for the electrified model is yet to be confirmed.

While Kia leads the mainstream market with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, Aston Martin sits further back with a three-year/unlimited km deal. 

Servicing is recommended every 12 months/16,000km, and an extended, transferable 12-month contract is available, including everything from provision of a taxi/accommodation in the event of breakdown, to coverage of the vehicle at “official Aston Martin organised events.”