For some high-end sportscar drivers, a British V12 is as extravagant as it gets, and there is the notion that, barring the formal production of the 9L V16-equipped Rolls, the V12 represents the culmination of accelerative possibility when winding country roads beckon on fine warm days. As short-story writer Thom Jones put it re the V12 Jag, ‘Va-ROOOOM!’

But, if you don’t mind trading power to gain performance dexterity, then the fact that Aston Martin will this year offer the DB11 model with a Mercedes-AMG V8 will come as good news.

With the increasing efficiency of gasoline engines, the optional V8 doesn’t represent a massive loss of power, although it is significant; the DB11 so equipped manages to pump out 503 horsepower, while the V12 raises the bar to 600. When the dust settles, though, the 250-pound weight loss from V12 to V8 may present more of an overall boon when driving. And, while launch speed will be noticeably diminished, 0-60 time differential between the two engines is only a tenth of a second. The AMG V8 also represent savings on the sticker price, and at the pump: Euro fuel economy hovers at around 28 MPG, a record high for an Aston.

With the AMG V8, the DB11 looks a little bit different; the most immediately recognizable change is the presence of two hood vents, instead of the V12 DB11’s four, which, almost impossibly, gives the V8 iteration a more fluid appearance. Mechanically, the V8’s engineering is altered with a different suspension, dampers, and stability control, and a new ECU tailored to the way the car will perform with the AMG engine.

$199K will get you behind the wheel of your very own—possibly overall improved—DB11. U.S. deliveries begin later this year.