A turbo V8 engine did wonders for the dynamic appeal of the outgoing Bentley Continental GT and I’ve a feeling it may do even more for the Aston Martin DB11.

For starters, it’ll take weight out of the car — right where it needs to come out, over the front axle. Not masses of it, and some might question if you’d even notice it on a car that’s 1.9 tonnes with fluids and optional extras. But I’m betting you can, since it might also make for a more favourable weight distribution.

New Aston Martin DB11 V8 on the way with AMG engine

When it comes to performance, I suspect there will be little between a DB11 V8 and V12 on the road.

But, honestly, the biggest reason I want to drive the car is not so much because it’s a DB11 V8 as because it’s DB11 v2: Aston’s first chance to refine and update the myriad new chassis and steering systems on the car, some of which felt slightly unfinished to me when we road-tested the DB11 last year.

Cars like this always improve as they mature, sometimes in unexpected ways.