LONDON: Even before I got behind the wheel of a DB11, one fact had already sold me on the new Aston Martin super car: the leather chosen for the interior upholstery was from one specific herd of Scottish long haired cattle grazing on land not enclosed by barbed wire.
As designer Marek Reichman explained at the Aston headquarters in Gaydon, UK, the manufacturer is so concerned about even the most seemingly trivial detail on the DB11, that it sought to avoid any pits and pockmarks that might disfigure the seat leather.
The Aston long hairs don’t get their hide caught on the barbs, nor get bitten by mosquitos, so there are no blemishes on the finished article.
If the designer pays so much attention to the smallest detail, you can be sure the finished product is pretty close to motoring perfection.
And so it was as I put the car through its paces on the winding lanes and country roads of Warwickshire. I’m no petrol head, but even I know a superb piece of motor engineering when I drive one. I’ve tested many of the Aston range in the past, and the DB11 is a few gear-changes up from the others.
It’s sporty, but not really a sports car. It’s a grand tourer (GT), and therefore rather bigger than traditional two-seaters. But the body lines — designed on the geometrical proportions of a Nautilus shell, as Reichman had also explained — make it look as elegant as any of its bigger luxury rivals like Bentley.
Powerful too, although less gas-guzzling than its predecessors. A 5.2 liter V-12 twin-turbo engine delivers acceleration of 0 to 100km in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 320km per hour. Fast enough to lose your license, if you’re not careful.
But as I say, I’m not really into the torque talk, so other things impressed me on the DB11 more than just performance. The interior is spacious for a GT, with rear seats conformable enough to accommodate passengers on a long journey without the risk of rigor mortis — a definite improvement on predecessors.
And it’s stacked with hi-tech gadgetry, much of it courtesy of Daimler-Mercedes, which has a 5 percent stake in Aston. Windscreen display, 360 degree radar and cameras, and self-parking function are rounded off with a Bang 7 Olufsen sound system to blast out those hard-core road tracks.
It handled and performed as well on congested British motorways as on the country roads. But I can’t wait to open it up on the Middle East’s wide open highways.
Aston Martin DB11 super car: Sporty, but not really a sports car
Aston Martin DB11 super car: Sporty, but not really a sports car
School, hotel outlays keep Saudi POS weekly spending above $3bn: SAMA
RIYADH: Spending on education in Saudi Arabia increased by 4.3 percent for the week ending Jan. 10, while hotel outlays saw a 0.9 percent increase, aiding the total weekly spending to stay above $3 billion.
According to the latest data from the Saudi Central Bank, the overall point-of-sale value dropped 16.6 percent to SR14.2 billion ($3.79 billion) with transactions representing a 7.3 percent week-on-week decrease to 236.7 million.
This week saw negative changes across all the remaining sectors.
Spending in the freight transport, postal, and courier services sector saw the biggest decrease at 35.9 percent to SR47.60 million, followed by telecommunications, which posted a 26.2 percent drop to SR188.42 million.
Expenditure on apparel and clothing saw a fall of 19.3 percent to SR1.3 billion, followed by an 18.3 percent decrease in spending on books and stationery. Jewelry outlays saw a 22.3 percent decrease to reach SR422.54 million.
Spending on car rentals in Saudi Arabia fell by 14.2 percent, while airlines saw a 6.3 percent decrease to SR48.04 million.
Expenditure on food and beverages saw a 23.6 percent decrease to SR2.07 billion, claiming the largest share of the POS. Restaurants and cafes retained the second position despite a 7.3 percent dip to SR1.76 billion.
The Kingdom’s key urban centers mirrored the national decline. Riyadh, which accounted for the largest share of total POS spending, saw a 13.6 percent dip to SR4.85 billion, down from SR5.61 billion the previous week.
The number of transactions in the capital settled at 74.78 million, down 6.1 percent week on week.
In Jeddah, transaction values decreased by 9.5 percent to SR2.02 billion, while Dammam reported a 15 percent decrease to SR707.12 million.
POS data, tracked weekly by SAMA, provides an indicator of consumer spending trends and the ongoing growth of digital payments in the Kingdom.
The data also highlights the expanding reach of POS infrastructure, extending beyond major retail hubs to smaller cities and service sectors, supporting broader digital inclusion initiatives.
The growth of digital payment technologies aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, promoting electronic transactions and contributing to the Kingdom’s broader digital economy.
