It's the Bond car. That's the only reason we'd need to buy an Aston Martin. No car represents power and understatement like those that have served Her Majesty in a dozen spy thrillers. If the guns and gadgets don't grab you, the drop-dead style will. The 2017 Aston Martin DB11 is the newest arrival.

The DB11 is a grand touring coupe that succeeds Aston's DB9, a car that ended a 12-year production run last year. The new model doesn't look much different, but underneath is a new aluminum body and structure. Larger strides are more apparent inside the cabin, and underhood is an all-new turbocharged 12-cylinder engine.

Aston calls the DB11 a "2+2," which in theory means you could seat two passengers in the back. In practice, you won't want to, at least no one you consider family or friend. These are very small rear seats.

No matter. A stately English lord like the DB11 needs only one other seat for a companion, a seat swathed in fine leather, decorative stitching and surrounded by a cabin swollen with luxury comforts. But it's the driver who gets the ultimate benefit, using fingers and foot to dole out up to 600 horsepower from a 12-cylinder engine. Sound, speed and sheer gravity force — the new DB11 is more sensory experience than mere locomotion.