Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Aston Martin DB11 to come out swinging at Goodwood hill climb

By

The Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England, is an annual treat for gearheads and racing enthusiasts alike, but if you have a thing for British metal, 2016 will be extra special. Along with tons of other stars from the U.K., Aston Martin will showcase four vehicles that are equally at home on a bedroom poster as they are on the racetrack.

The Vantage GT8, V12 Vantage S, Vulcan hypercar, and all-new DB11 will participate in Goodwood’s famous hill climb, and one of them will have a very distinguished driver. Aston Martin President and CEO Dr. Andy Palmer will pilot the DB11 up the legendary incline, where he will take full advantage of the grand tourer’s 5.2-liter, 600-horsepower twin-turbo V12.

“The Goodwood Festival of Speed is one of the best events of the summer season and Lord March’s beautiful estate has become a place of pilgrimage for car enthusiasts,” said Palmer. “Being the first person to drive the new DB11 up the famous hill climb at Goodwood is a great honour on behalf of all our employees.”

Aston Martin Vulcan
Aston Martin Vulcan Image used with permission by copyright holder

Making its second appearance at Goodwood will be the track-only Vulcan. It should be a fitting return to form for the hypercar as the Vulcan made its world debut at the event last year, and Aston says it should reach speeds of 100 mph as its 820-hp V12 pushes it to the top. Unfortunately for the rest of us, all 24 of the carbon-fiber-laden beauties are sold out.

Read more: Aston Martin’s 12-cylinder opus reaches its crescendo in the last-ever DB9

As if the brand needed any more presence, two variants of the long-standing Vantage will wow the crowd with speed and sound. The Vantage GT8 — heavily inspired by the V8 Vantage GTE race car — will participate in the Supercar Shootout portion of Goodwood with a 440-hp V8 as its primary weapon. Finally, the V12 Vantage S will appeal to purists with a seven-speed manual transmission and a dog-leg first gear.

The 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed kicks off on June 23.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Andrew Hard
Andrew Hard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
Mercedes-Benz G580 first drive: old-school off-roader goes electric
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

American car buyers mostly know Mercedes-Benz as a luxury brand. But for decades, the automaker has also produced the tough, rugged G-Class (also known as the Geländewagen or G-Wagen), an SUV not afraid to get its leather upholstery muddy. And now, this iconic Mercedes is going electric.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology — the final name of the SUV previously known as the EQG — isn’t the first electric off-roader. The Rivian R1S and R1T and GMC Hummer EV have proven that electric powertrains and off-roading are a great combination. But the electric G-Wagen is different because it’s based on an internal-combustion model — and a very traditional one at that.

Read more
Honda believes hydrogen semi trucks will make the case for fuel cells
Honda hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck.

Honda remains committed to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, but the market for those vehicles remains limited. So Honda is looking at other uses for fuel cells -- including commercial trucks.

To show how that could work, Honda converted a semi truck to fuel-cell power, replacing its diesel engine with three fuel-cell modules. Together, the three modules produce a combined 321 horsepower, and can propel the truck to a top speed of 70 mph. There's enough onboard hydrogen storage capacity for a 400-mile range with a full load, Honda claims.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz G580 vs Rivian R2: Is the much cheaper Rivian actually better?
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

Mercedes-Benz has finally taken the wraps off of the new "Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology." Yeah, it's a mouthful, but it's basically a new electric G-Wagon. It looks a lot like the G-Wagon you know and love, but with an electric powertrain and a battery. It's not the only electric SUV out there, however, and there are some great ones -- like the Rivian R2.

Both the Mercedes G580 and the Rivian R2 have a lot going for them, but they also approach the electric SUV slightly differently. Is one better than the other? I put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The approach that the two vehicles take to design is quite different -- and you might like one better than the other.

Read more