PLATINUM

whole bundle of fun if you’re in the right mood. The engine is thunderous in its delivery and sounds suitably rawer than the V12 while it’s at it. This is a worse GT – it asks a lot of attention on twisty roads to keep it pointing the right way –but it settles down nicely if you dial back its selectable driving modes, and will still cruise at a hushed pace if you want it to.

The AMR isn’t too far behind in the excitement stakes, but even with its 30bhp-higher 630bhp output over the launch V12, it’s still not a car that makes much of a fuss unless you really boot it. It sounds very good when you do, but it does rather feel inappropriate in a car so classy. It’s hellishly quick, mind, with 0-62mph in 3.7secs. You might actually manage it too; the rear axle is much better at putting all its power down with the AMR tweaks.

Inside, there’s a handmade quality to most things you touch, like the leather on the doors and the stitching around the sat nav screen. A digital instrument cluster brings the car up to date, but also cheapens it slightly – we’d prefer a physical dial with more detail for our £150,000-plus, at least for the tachometer.

Squint through the Aston fonts and you might recognise the various media displays as lifted straight from Mercedes. Which, thanks to Aston’s tie-up with the Germans, they are. This felt fresh, exciting and a big step-on back when the DB11 launched, but it’s hard to deny it’s already aged a bit in here. This is largely because Merc’s own media set-up has taken such a giant leap since. Perhaps future Aston models will use more up-to-date software.

You sit low, but the visibility is still fine, apart from the fat A-pillar when

Tech Stuff

MODEL TESTED:

Aston Martin DB11 V8

POWER: 503 bhp

SPEED: 0-62 4 secs

TOP: 192 mph

ECONOMY: 22 mph combined

PRICE FROM: £155,000 you’re pulling out of side roads. The parking sensors are so hyperactive in traffic, you’ll probably end up turning them off; important to remember when you come to parking…

The rear seats aren’t exactly big but you can squeeze six-foot adults back there for short journeys, and kids will be absolutely fine.

It’s a beautiful car and cruises divinely but although it will go fast, it doesn’t feel like you should. It’s great but there are so many better cars out there.