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On the face of it, Aston Martin has been rather busy over the last few years. It has produced the One-77 coupe (with a production run of just 77), the Vulcan supercar (with a production run of 24); and the stunning DB10 for the James Bond film, Spectre (with a production run of just one).

But in terms of production cars, Aston has been rather quiet. The DB9 has been the firm’s footslogger over the last decade or so, but it is showing its age. Styling, performance – even its infotainment system – are all eclipsed by rivals.

Rivals which often cost a good deal less.

At long last, however, Aston lovers have something new to look forward to. The Gaydon-based firm has dreamt up the DB11, a supercar that really does merit the name. It can hit 60mph from standstill in just 3.7 seconds and boasts a top speed of 200mph.

The DB11 also reaffirms Aston's commitment to the V12 engine, fitting its flagship product with a 5.2 litre incarnation.

But no matter how good the new car sounds, Aston will need to sell a lot to stay in business.

Despite having shifted 16,000 DB9s since 2004, Aston has been struggling to turn a profit in most of that time. In fact, it hasn’t been in the black for five long years.

New investment cash from Italy and the Middle East, alongside technology from Mercedes, have given the DB11 the best chance of fighting off competition from the likes of the Bentley with its Continental GT and Ferrari with its California.

And the DB11 is just the beginning. The firm plans to have a seven-car range by 2020.

But financing those models will undoubtedly rely on the success of the DB11.

If they can eventually shift another 16,000 DB11s, Aston should be safe – especially considering each car will cost a whopping £167,000.

Whether the brand will survive for another 103 years – that’s a different question.