M177 AMG 4.0S engine in Aston DB11

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I was giving that some thought. The outgoing Aston V12 was two Ford V6s stuck together. It sounded magnificent but I could never get that fact out of my mind. It just lacked something compared to a Ferrari V12, even if it often sounded better.

And then the six cylinder supercharged DB7 was a development of the Jaguar engine

I agree it’s better for Aston to be here with a Mercedes engine than not at all.

Peter Wheeler at TVR was very keen to get rid of the Rover V8. Credit to him for developing his own, but maybe he should have left well enough alone.

I don’t think Mercedes get enough credit for their high performance engines. The last two V8 AMG engines have been magnificent. And the supercharged 5.4 was great also. BMW and Audi haven’t produced such charismatic V8 engines.

Speaking of engine sharing, the VW group V10 is fantastic in both an R8 and a Huracan.

Soon all this talk will be nostalgia.
Thoughtful response and agree with a lot of it. Aston several rungs up the ladder from TVR though, they should have their own engine for it to be a real Aston. As you point out that finished long ago in reality!
 
Possibly. Its a bit like a porsche with a Honda engine in though innit. Would no doubt be great on one level but not really a Porsche.
Hmm, Honda make some of the most reliable engines in the business, and the precision and quality of the internal components is astonishing. Porsche engines, on the other hand… hmm.
 
I recognise you're writing style from Fchat.

Having spent 5 years looking for a Maranello and discussing it with you I put a deposit on an FF last week.
Nice choice. I wondered whether it might be an FF. which spec did you go for?
 
Nice choice. I wondered whether it might be an FF. which spec did you go for?
It's this one.


The wheels will be changed to Silver, they look wrong currently, but everything else was right.

No privacy glass, Pan roof, Grigio Titanio over Sabbia (although it looks like silver in the photography, it's not it has a blue hue to it). Suspension lifter and it's not full of carbon fibre, which doesn't look right to me on these. It's much more suited to the mid engined stuff.

It's going to Joe Macari for an inspection on 25th July.
 
It's this one.


The wheels will be changed to Silver, they look wrong currently, but everything else was right.

No privacy glass, Pan roof, Grigio Titanio over Sabbia (although it looks like silver in the photography, it's not it has a blue hue to it). Suspension lifter and it's not full of carbon fibre, which doesn't look right to me on these. It's much more suited to the mid engined stuff.

It's going to Joe Macari for an inspection on 25th July.
Very very nice congrats!
 
It's this one.


The wheels will be changed to Silver, they look wrong currently, but everything else was right.

No privacy glass, Pan roof, Grigio Titanio over Sabbia (although it looks like silver in the photography, it's not it has a blue hue to it). Suspension lifter and it's not full of carbon fibre, which doesn't look right to me on these. It's much more suited to the mid engined stuff.

It's going to Joe Macari for an inspection on 25th July.
Congratulations, that’s a really lovely thing. Looks great as it is, but I think you’re right, silver wheels will perfect. The spec look looks like it would have likely had silver wheels originally, do you know whether they have been changed to grey in the past?
 
Congratulations, that’s a really lovely thing. Looks great as it is, but I think you’re right, silver wheels will perfect. The spec look looks like it would have likely had silver wheels originally, do you know whether they have been changed to grey in the past?
They would likely have been diamond cut/grey or silver. They photograph better than they look in person.

It's a kind of satin black which matches nothing else on the car and they stand out as wrong in the flesh.

I think the leading edge of the front grill is also meant to be polished stainless steel and has also been painted, so I'll get that restored also.
 
I recognise you're writing style from Fchat.

Having spent 5 years looking for a Maranello and discussing it with you I put a deposit on an FF last week.
Ah that’s fantastic news! I thought the FF was a brilliant car. What an engine. The engine is in another league to the Maranellos - and that’s saying something! And you get back seats. Congratulations and enjoy.

Oh I just looked at your link. That’s a stunning FF. Sabbia looks beautiful in those. It’s a long interior and I found the black/black piped red in the ones I drove was too dark.

The only car you’ll ever need. Unless you want to go a bit wild..and get a GTC4 Lusso T with RWD only… 😁
 
Cool.....If you are going to have a shooting brake might as well be a Ferrari shooting brake!!.....and unlike the Merc version it actually IS a shooting brake!!!
 
Hmm, Honda make some of the most reliable engines in the business, and the precision and quality of the internal components is astonishing. Porsche engines, on the other hand… hmm.
Totally with you. Those early VTEC engines were incredible. There was nothing like them. They just carried on going at a time when every BMW M had Vanos Disease when trying to do the same thing. And Honda never had IMS problems across two generations of premium sports cars..basically any non-Metzger 911 from 1997 until 2008 has a self destructing engine. If it had been an Italian company, it would have been a joke.
 
Totally with you. Those early VTEC engines were incredible. There was nothing like them. They just carried on going at a time when every BMW M had Vanos Disease when trying to do the same thing. And Honda never had IMS problems across two generations of premium sports cars..basically any non-Metzger 911 from 1997 until 2008 has a self destructing engine. If it had been an Italian company, it would have been a joke.
Yep, not good and would never buy one. Can only assume it was the transition to mass production that caused the quality issues in that period. Probably why the Mezger engines (no "t") didn't have the same issues as their origins are in racing and from the hand-built era.They seem to have sorted with the more recent engines. The 3.6 Varioram in my 993 runs at full pressure with 315bhp on a remap/100 cell cats/SCART exhaust combo at 97,000 miles. Had to spend £200 on new lower rocker cover seals recently, thats it.

Anyway, the point wasn't about reliability! Obviously Honda engines are amongst the very best. I had an NSX a few years back that I wish I had kept - wonderful car. The character of a 911 comes froma flat 6 and the special characteristics/noise that has. A 911 with VTEC V6 would not be a 911 (might be fun tho). Astons, like Porsche & Ferrari, are all about the engine pteferably a vantage spec straight 6 😍. It used to be a real event just seeing and hearing an Aston. Not so much anymore.

Appropos of nothing very much there was a 930 at Goodwood with a detuned (550 bhp) 1.5l turbo TAG/Porscve V6 from Nikki Laudas F1 car!!!
Helps the weight balance apparently 🤣


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Oh I see what you meant. Of course yes…very different natures of engine, VTEC and flat six.

Although I think the AMG V8s do quite suit the brutish Aston character. I’m not sure why they used this particular state of tune rather than the one from the GTR or Four Door GTS.

Your 993 sounds like clockwork. And that’s quite some 930!

(The German in me always spells Mezger as Metzger, which means butcher!)
 
Shame Aston didn't buy the straight 6 from TVR to develop further. That could have been interesting!
 
The epitome of fragility…
Very true! It sounds and goes great though when working. Who knows how good it could have been with some development budget rather than money found down the back of the sofa.
 

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