2019 Aston Martin V8 DB11 Volante *POV Drive*

Summer POV Drive in the V8 DB11 Volante! The 2019 Aston Martin V8 DB11 Volante in any of its forms is a car anyone would want to be seen in. Classically proportioned yet entirely modern, it moves Aston Martin forward without breaking too abruptly with its past. In creating the droptop Volante version, designers made sure not to mess too much with the coupe’s gorgeous silhouette. Despite a fair bit of reshaping of the rear haunches to accommodate the mechanism for the folding softtop, they’ve largely succeeded. The Volante maintains the long, low, athletic stance of the coupe, and, when raised, the eight-layer fabric roof itself suffers none of what one Aston designer calls the “soggy umbrella” look. Aston Martin organizes the DB11’s chassis modes separately from the powertrain settings, although both calibrations share three levels: GT, Sport, and Sport Plus. We appreciated the considerable personality shifts offered by these configurations. Set everything to GT mode and you get a relaxed cruiser that combines the aforementioned supple ride with somewhat languid throttle response, lazy downshifts from the eight-speed automatic transmission, and a pleasant, subdued exhaust note. Sport and Sport Plus chassis modes are hardly transformative, but they add increased heft to the accurate steering and a bit less compliance from the dampers. It’s the Sport and Sport Plus powertrain modes that really bring the car to life. In these settings, the glorious twin-turbo V-8 wakes up, with more immediate response to throttle inputs, snappier shifts from the gearbox, and a truly thrilling soundtrack filled with characterful pops and crackles. The Volante is best enjoyed with the top down, the suspension left in the relaxed GT mode, the powertrain in its most aggressive Sport Plus mode, and a heavy foot on the right pedal. After all, being heard is a surefire way to ensure being seen.