The Aston Martin DB11 is $250,000 worth of power, beauty, and soul

Aston Martin DB11 2

Power. Beauty. Soul. For many years, Aston Martin proudly displayed these three words on the instrument panels of its cars right before they roared to life. For me, these are the three words that sum up everything Aston Martin stands for. Together, they form the ethos of a brand so effortlessly cool one wonders if it's even possible for Aston to build an ugly car.

At the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Aston Martin gave its adoring fans the next object of their affection with the unveiling of the DB11.

For Aston Martin, the DB11 is one of the most important cars in company history and certainly the most important since its separation from Ford a decade ago. As storied as Aston Martin the brand may be, Aston Martin the business has had more than its fair share of run-ins with financial ruin in its history. The DB11 has to keep the company in the black for the foreseeable future.

However, the sleek luxury grand tourer will have the unenviable task of replacing the company's beloved, but aging DB9.

Like the super spy with whom Aston is so inexorably linked, finding the perfect successor is paramount. Get it wrong and hundreds of millions of dollars go down the drain. But, get it right and a bountiful decade awaits.

Recently, Aston Martin let Business Insider borrow a DB11 coupe in Magnetic Silver. The 2017 Aston Martin DB11 starts at $230,345 while our test car came to $254,084 after a few options.

Photos by Hollis Johnson unless otherwise credited.