DB11 Front Wheel Vents and Sandy Driveway
Discussion
In viewing Harry’s Garage on YouTube and his review of the DB11, he noted that the vents just aft of the front wheels which mitigate some of the aerodynamic lift on the front end are problematic. More specifically, how dirt and road debris will splash on the inside of the hood/bonnet and along the side of the vehicle.
My situation and question is this. Both of my homes have long driveways (1/3 of a mile), one is moss covered and littered with long pine needles and the other is sand. I’m not too concerned about the moss covered driveway but am super concerned about the sand one.
For those who own a DB11 and have to deal with sand, how much of an issue is having sand enter into the engine compartment, air intake, along the side of the car etc?
We drive ~5 mph to keep our vehicles as clean as possible but there is definitely dust and the sand itself. Thanking you in advance for your valued assistance.
https://youtu.be/sCWXqn8rYk8
My situation and question is this. Both of my homes have long driveways (1/3 of a mile), one is moss covered and littered with long pine needles and the other is sand. I’m not too concerned about the moss covered driveway but am super concerned about the sand one.
For those who own a DB11 and have to deal with sand, how much of an issue is having sand enter into the engine compartment, air intake, along the side of the car etc?
We drive ~5 mph to keep our vehicles as clean as possible but there is definitely dust and the sand itself. Thanking you in advance for your valued assistance.
https://youtu.be/sCWXqn8rYk8
Edited by Moonpie on Monday 7th December 19:27
This is my 'hobby horse'.
If there was something which didn't need a redesign, this is it, the 50 year old side strake. A registered design and a functional object of beauty. Together with the traditional winged slatted grille, another registered design, they were long recognised as being associated with Aston Martin.
At the DB11 and new Vantage unveilings, being able to look down through the wing and see tyre tread was most peculiar. Obviously road dirt would sometimes come out through those openings.
All that marketing guff about curlicues and front downforce. Tosh. The slatted plate is made of plastic and not supported on all sides. Does that small plate really have the strength and rigidity, to lever the car downwards. Even if it did, then above what speed would a driver even notice any improved cornering.
Aston Martins have achieved many class wins at Le Mans, without having this mud splattering device.
Phew, where is my whisky?
Edited by Jon39 on Monday 7th December 20:34
Agree.
Even TVR backed out of a similar idea with the Sagaris; the original plan was to have the 'slashes' on the wing tops open but the practicalities of dirty water / dirt coming through onto the paintwork won through. Fine for racing, not so good on Joe Bloggs' new car.
On, I trust that you meant Whisky, not Whiskey
Even TVR backed out of a similar idea with the Sagaris; the original plan was to have the 'slashes' on the wing tops open but the practicalities of dirty water / dirt coming through onto the paintwork won through. Fine for racing, not so good on Joe Bloggs' new car.
On, I trust that you meant Whisky, not Whiskey
Jon39 said:
AstonV said:
Well, well, I learn something new every day.
They do look functional, so Sir David Brown fooled me then.
If I might comment as a DB11 owner. A DB11 that has a winged slatted grille no less .....
I very much doubt that at low speeds sand would ingress much, if at all, into the engine bay. In normal driving conditions however, I find that dirt does collect on and around the aforementioned unsupported slatted plastic plate as shown in the photo, and also all along the rubbers that run from there and up to the headlamp housings. Looks somewhat unsightly when the bonnet is opened but is very easily cleaned off. I notice that the rear quarters and the lower side rails get dirtier more than the rest of the car, but whether or not that is solely due to the dreadfully designed mud splattering device, which in my opinion looks great, I couldn't say.
DB11's are fantastic machines. I wouldn't worry about a bit of extra dirt that may accumulate.
I very much doubt that at low speeds sand would ingress much, if at all, into the engine bay. In normal driving conditions however, I find that dirt does collect on and around the aforementioned unsupported slatted plastic plate as shown in the photo, and also all along the rubbers that run from there and up to the headlamp housings. Looks somewhat unsightly when the bonnet is opened but is very easily cleaned off. I notice that the rear quarters and the lower side rails get dirtier more than the rest of the car, but whether or not that is solely due to the dreadfully designed mud splattering device, which in my opinion looks great, I couldn't say.
DB11's are fantastic machines. I wouldn't worry about a bit of extra dirt that may accumulate.
Jon39 said:
At the DB11 and new Vantage unveilings, being able to look down through the wing and see tyre tread was most peculiar. Obviously road dirt would sometimes come out through those openings.
Seeing the tyre when the clamshell was open was a Design (Styling) whim. I think another car did it first and someone amongst the Design team thought it looked cool. 
Jon39 said:
All that marketing guff about curlicues and front downforce. Tosh. The slatted plate is made of plastic and not supported on all sides. Does that small plate really have the strength and rigidity, to lever the car downwards. Even if it did, then above what speed would a driver even notice any improved cornering
Aston Martins have achieved many class wins at Le Mans, without having this mud splattering device.
I don't think anybody has ever claimed that the slats were aerofoils or the grille exerted downwards force. The theory behind the venting is that it allows the high pressure air that builds up in the front wheelarch at speed out through the curlicue at the side, thus reducing front lift. As you mention winning Le Mans, you can see a similar approach taken by the teams putting holes in the top of the front wheelarches on some Le Mans LMP cars.Aston Martins have achieved many class wins at Le Mans, without having this mud splattering device.
As far as the speed where this becomes fully effective? Obviously high, considering the Vmax of a DB11 is somewhere north of 200mph. It would also be progressive as aerodynamic forces grow in proportion to the square of the speed. To put the potential effect of a small aerodynamic device into perspective you may recall the original Audi TT, with the almost symmetrical, Bauhaus side profile? Do you remember that there was a recall to fit a small aerodynamic spoiler to the rear edge of the tailgate? (oh, how the Stylists must have wept at this corruption of the pure form of their creation) This was allegedly because, at high speeds when cornering and under certain wind conditions (the sort of conditions one might see on the autobahns) the rear of the car was developing enough rear lift (or losing enough downforce) that it could fall backwards off the road.
Aerodynamic performance is rarely as a result of one action (unless you bolt a bloody great wing on the back) but a combination of small changes to manage and direct the airflow. Take a look under your DB11 and I think you'll see a couple of small rectangular plastic tabs sticking down in front of the front wheels (my V8V has them). They are not there to warn you when you might ground the car but are to try to manage the air around the front tyres at speed. Would I notice the fact that the previous owner has machined a few millimetres off by grounding my car? Not even at illegal UK speeds, no. But I'll bet you could see the effect at 170 mph in the CFD model.
Edited to remove disparaging nickname for the Design team
Edited by LTP on Tuesday 8th December 11:01
Thank you very much for your informative replies, especially those from DB11 owners. I agree that the lines of the DB11 are stunning and the main reason why I am contemplating one.
I do wonder if an aftermarket kit will be available to block the top of the wheel well so that no debris can enter the engine compartment or exit out of the side vents.
I do wonder if an aftermarket kit will be available to block the top of the wheel well so that no debris can enter the engine compartment or exit out of the side vents.
I believe there is a rubber seal that the bonnet should press down on to reduce dirt ingress into the top of the engine, the dirt is mainly thrown out along the car’s sides at higher speeds, as the others have said you shouldn’t have that much at a very low speed....
Anyway who needs an excuse to clean their DB11, more dirt = more cleaning = more pleasure it is a thing of beauty that deserves TLC.
Anyway who needs an excuse to clean their DB11, more dirt = more cleaning = more pleasure
it is a thing of beauty that deserves TLC.Grant3 said:
I believe there is a rubber seal that the bonnet should press down on to reduce dirt ingress into the top of the engine, the dirt is mainly thrown out along the car’s sides at higher speeds, as the others have said you shouldn’t have that much at a very low speed....
Anyway who needs an excuse to clean their DB11, more dirt = more cleaning = more pleasure it is a thing of beauty that deserves TLC.
Probably worth getting PPF with the dirt being thrown out, we did.Anyway who needs an excuse to clean their DB11, more dirt = more cleaning = more pleasure
it is a thing of beauty that deserves TLC.
westhumbler said:
Tarmac your dive? 
There are several reasons as to why we would not pave the main driveway. Firstly it looks beautiful with Saw Palmetto, Palm Trees and Live Oaks with its hanging Spanish Moss. Paving the driveway would ruin that look. Secondly, our Greyhounds love running on the sand driveway and if we pave it they will no longer be able to do this. I solved part of the issue by purchasing a Vantage instead of a DB11. It was delivered last week and so far I have not noticed any sand in the engine compartment and the car is staying surprisingly clean. When I reach the main road I go pretty slow until the sand is off of the tires so I don’t sandblast the wheel arches. Hoping the sand remains a non-issue.
Thanks again for your thoughts and ideas.
Moonpie said:
There are several reasons as to why we would not pave the main driveway. Firstly it looks beautiful with Saw Palmetto, Palm Trees and Live Oaks with its hanging Spanish Moss. Paving the driveway would ruin that look. Secondly, our Greyhounds love running on the sand driveway and if we pave it they will no longer be able to do this.
I solved part of the issue by purchasing a Vantage instead of a DB11. It was delivered last week and so far I have not noticed any sand in the engine compartment and the car is staying surprisingly clean. When I reach the main road I go pretty slow until the sand is off of the tires so I don’t sandblast the wheel arches. Hoping the sand remains a non-issue.
Thanks again for your thoughts and ideas.
I solved part of the issue by purchasing a Vantage instead of a DB11. It was delivered last week and so far I have not noticed any sand in the engine compartment and the car is staying surprisingly clean. When I reach the main road I go pretty slow until the sand is off of the tires so I don’t sandblast the wheel arches. Hoping the sand remains a non-issue.
Thanks again for your thoughts and ideas.
That does indeed sound beautuful.
The gardeners amongst us, would be delighted to see photographs.
Which model Vantage ? Have you bought a classic Vantage, with the traditional side strakes to eliminate your particle spread problem, or the new Vantage which has the open gills ?
In debating whether to purchase a new or lightly used Aston I considered several factors. First was the loose promise of a redesign of the exterior and interior by the new leadership at AML during their 3rd quarter presentation. If they did in fact do this, and the end results were ultimately well received, my concern was that any of their 2020 offerings would plummet in value. Having absolutely zero patience and unwilling to wait for the aforementioned promise by AML, I searched for a lightly used one owner Vantage that was in mint condition with full dealership service records. Thankfully I found it.
Buying a lightly used and well depreciated Aston will now allow me to experience this iconic brand and see how it fares with the closest dealership being 255 miles away. If all goes well and I become comfortable with my dealer so far away, I then have the option to purchase a new or newer model in the future.
Below are a few pictures of my driveway and Tungsten Silver Vantage I was fortunate to obtain. These pictures were taken today in Coastal Georgia where it is currently winter. Many of the leaves are off of some of the trees and the lawn has gone dormant. During the summer months it’s like a tropical forest. I hope I do not disappoint Jon39 as there are no formal gardens here. If however you are a fan of Jurassic Park you will feel right at home. Wild Boar, roaming Panthers, and if you’re totally bored, six types of venomous snakes.
The driveway starting at the main road.
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/HhepBs98.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/HhepBs98" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/HhepBs98.jpg)
Buying a lightly used and well depreciated Aston will now allow me to experience this iconic brand and see how it fares with the closest dealership being 255 miles away. If all goes well and I become comfortable with my dealer so far away, I then have the option to purchase a new or newer model in the future.
Below are a few pictures of my driveway and Tungsten Silver Vantage I was fortunate to obtain. These pictures were taken today in Coastal Georgia where it is currently winter. Many of the leaves are off of some of the trees and the lawn has gone dormant. During the summer months it’s like a tropical forest. I hope I do not disappoint Jon39 as there are no formal gardens here. If however you are a fan of Jurassic Park you will feel right at home. Wild Boar, roaming Panthers, and if you’re totally bored, six types of venomous snakes.
The driveway starting at the main road.
Thank you for posting your photographs Rob.
What a beautiful Aston Martin you have found. I am sure that you will like that car. It solves your original concern and probably no need ever to update, because you now have a wonderful timeless classic. If it looks great now, 17 years after the original unveiling in Detroit, it will always look great.
Your garden too is beautiful, a natural landscape, much of which might not require too much maintenance work. The brown ground cover I guess are lawns. Gosh it must have been dry.
Not sure that I would swap for England though, particularly when you mentioned, 'Wild Boar, roaming Panthers, and if you’re totally bored, six types of venomous snakes'.
Enjoy your new car.
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