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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.

More to the point

6 March, 2026

This Daimler SP252 is so rare, few people know it exists. It’s one of a kind. It’s the only surviving, in fact the only SP252 ever completed; the would-be successor to the SP250 Daimler Dart. It is also the last sports car to have been designed by Jaguar’s legendary founder, Sir William Lyons.
Perhaps one of the original Dart’s biggest problems was it’s somewhat-divisive looks. It certainly went well enough to win fans, although Sir William wasn’t among them. It crushed the opposition in the Bathurst six-hour race, finishing five laps ahead of anyone else, and it was snapped up by police forces in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, as it was the fastest thing on the road.
So you’d think a stunning new body with the magic Lyons touch would have been a surefire success. Why this car never made it into production is still something of a mystery, as the official explanations barely stack up.

Polishing to perfection

26 February, 2026

The secret to a show-stopping finish is colour sanding, no matter which paint system you use. Even a good painter, no matter how experienced or talented — like my mate Bruce Haye, CEO at Ace Panel and Paint in Whitianga — can’t shoot to a perfect mirror finish. To get that level of perfection, you need to colour sand.
It used to be called ‘rubbing out’ or ‘cutting’, and it was done with pastes that came in cans. They worked — sort of — but the compounds really just rounded off imperfections instead of eliminating them, and they removed a lot of paint in the process. But now your new finish can be made flawless, thanks to microfine sandpapers that come in 1000, 1500, 2000, and even 2500 grit ranges, and Farecla G3 polish — available from automotive paint suppliers.