New Zealand, the Aston Martin DB11 has landed

4 August, 2016

Following the driving debut of the Aston Martin DB11 at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed in late July, luxury British brand Aston Martin has now unveiled the DB11 on New Zealand soil at Cibo in Parnell, Auckland.

As the first product launched under the company’s ‘Second Century’ plan, the DB11 is the new figurehead of the ‘DB’ bloodline, a bloodline with a very prestigious history.

During the DB11’s unveiling, Patrik Nilsson, president of Aston Martin in Asia Pacific, said, “We are excited to unveil DB11 in New Zealand. As the first ‘DB’ since the introduction of the DB9, we are already experiencing significant demand for DB11, demonstrating the strong affinity for Aston Martin in this market.”

The DB11 features a distinctive design, including refined aerodynamics, and is powered by a newly designed 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine. Utilizing a new lighter, stronger, and more space-efficient bonded aluminium construction, the DB11 is the most powerful and most efficient DB model in Aston Martin’s history. As such, Aston Martin are claiming the car as “the most significant new Aston Martin since the introduction of the DB9 in 2003”. 

The in-house-designed engines are rated at 600BHP and 700Nm of torque, making the DB11 the most powerful production DB model ever. Those performance figures are good enough to push the car to a top speed of 322kph and a 0–100kph time of just 3.9 seconds.

Patrik Nilsson added, “Aston Martin has a proud, 103-year heritage in the luxury automotive market, and the DB11 embodies every aspect of the brand with absolute elegance and indulgence, combining the very latest technology and finest quality hand craftsmanship.”

The DB11’s RRP starts from NZ$365K plus on-road costs, and the first local deliveries are scheduled to begin at the end of 2016.

1975 Suzuki RE5

Suzuki had high hopes for its RE5 Wankel-engined bike launched in 1975. It had started looking at the Wankel engine in the mid-60s and bought the licence to the concept in 1970.
Apparently all of the big four Japanese makers experimented with the design, Yamaha even showing a rotary-engined bike at a motor show in 1972. But Suzuki was the only one of the big four to go into production. Like many others at the time, Suzuki believed that the light, compact, free-revving Wankel design would consign piston engines — with their complex, multiple, whirring valves and pistons, which (can you believe it?) had to reverse direction all the time — to history.

Westside story

For the young Dave Blyth, the Sandman was always the coolest car and he finally got one when he was 50. “I have always had a rule. When you turn 50, you buy or can afford to buy the car you lusted after when you were 20. I was 20 in 1979 and the HZ Sandman came out in 1978. It was the coolest of the cool — I just wanted one,” he says. “Back then a Sandman cost $4500 new and a house was worth about $20,000. I made about $30 a week so it was an impossible dream then.”
Dave was heavily influenced by the panel van culture of the time. “I started with an Escort panel van and upgraded to a Holden HD panel van with a 186ci six cylinder. I started a van club, Avon City Vans.