We've already found out that the 2017 Aston Martin DB9 successor will arrive in late 2016 with a turbocharged, 4.0-liter V-8 developed by AMG->ke8 and now we can confirm that the grand tourer will borrow more from Mercedes-Benz.->ke187 According to the latest bunch of spy shots->ke166 sent to us by our paparazzi, the DB11 (the name is not yet official) will feature 2014 Mercedes S-Class-sourced instrument dials, a rotary controller for the infotainment system, as well as switches for the air conditioning system.

Even though it's more than obvious that this isn't the final interior (notice the way the switches are taped to the passenger side of the center stack), this is proof that Aston Martin->ke13 is getting plenty of electronics from its new partner in Stuttgart. I wouldn't be surprised if the deal included a Comand infotainment system as well, but if it does, it would be specifically tuned to meet the needs of an Aston Martin.

Until further details surface one way or another, all we know is the DB9's->ke210 successor will get both V-8 and V-12 powerplants, with some rumors claiming Gaydon will turbocharge the V-12 as well in order to reduce the brand's carbon footprint. As previously mentioned, the DB11 will also ride on a new platform and feature new styling, likely based on that of the 2015 Aston Martin DB10 movie car built for the upcoming James Bond "Spectre" film.

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Why it matters

While the 4.0-liter V-8 engine from AMG seems more than suited to push the entry-level grand tourer to new height in terms of both power and fuel economy, Mercedes-sourced electronics raise a number of question. First, will Aston Martin manage to implement them without diluting the Britsh appeal of the DB11? Second, does this mean the upcoming sports car->ke506 will also get AMG-tuned chassis settings? If so, will the DB11 become less British and more German?

We won't find answers to these questions until the first examples will be put through their paces by journalists and gearheads, but what matters here is that the marriage between Aston Martin and Daimler could very well change the way we perceive Aston Martin products.

2017 Aston Martin DB11 - Spy Shots

You can check our speculative review of the model here.