Aston Martin has revealed some significant vehicle updates for the 2022 model year along with a new and improved car configurator, the latter of which we’ll talk about shortly. Starting with the DB11, the entry-level 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 engine in both the coupe and coupe and convertible (aka the Volante) versions of the luxury grand tourer has been tuned to deliver 535 PS – this is the same amount as the Vantage F1 Edition.
The 25 PS increase results in a higher top speed of 309 km/h, which is slightly more than the previous 301 km/h. Aston Martin also says the DB11 can now be fitted with optional Sports Plus seats that provide extra support to the shoulders, thorax and legs for both the driver and passenger. Elsewhere in the range, two models have been renamed to simplify the nomenclature for customers, including the flagship DBS, which loses its “Superleggera” badge. The DB11 AMR that debuted in 2018 will now simply be known as the V12 DB11, whilst retaining the improvements already made previously.
New 21-inch wheel designs will be offered for the Vantage and DBS, while the DBX can be configured with 23-inch wheels, new Sports Plus seats and wireless charging. There will also be a new series of interior trim packages, including Create, Accelerate and Inspire, with each offering combinations of materials, colours and features that were carefully curated to remove complexity in the customer specification journey. As for the new configurator, Aston Martin aims to provide customers with a more intuitive platform to personalise their cars. Developed in partnership with MHP, the configurator is based on the Elastic Content Platform and powered by Epic Games’ Unreal Engine and Nvidia RTX on Google Cloud.
These technologies allow for immersive, ultra-high-definition 3D renderings of a customer’s created car, with the ability to zoom in on fine details and even view the final creation in a cinematic video with a choice of different backdrops. Investing in an advanced configurator is deemed important, as in 2020, the Aston Martin configurator saw over two million sessions, with this number expected to grow for 2021.
