Though it still turns, Aston Martin DB11 has reached the end of its life cycle. Its successor, Aston Martin DB12, keeping the same proportions but introducing a new design language while offering more technological features and a much more powerful twin-turbo V8.
Marketed by the British brand as the Super Tourer (as opposed to the Grand Tourer), the DB12 is an extensively updated evolution of the DB11. “DB12” [has] New components 80% compared to the old machine DB11“, a company spokesman told me.
The designers gave the front end a larger grille, new lights and a redesigned signal splitter. They also widened the front and rear grooves to give the coupe a more muscular look, and the DB12 inaugurated Subtle redesigned icons that all future Aston Martin models will wear. The special air vents behind the front wheels remain the same and the visual changes made to the rear end are smaller.
Inside, the big news is a newly developed in-house touchscreen-based infotainment system. This is important: Many of the brand’s current models use an older infotainment system, derived from Mercedes-Benz, controlled by a touchpad and dial. The new system is displayed on a 10.25-inch touchscreen and is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Aston Martin notes that this is the first infotainment system it has developed on its own, and it makes more sense to assume the software will be applied to other cars in the coming years.
And yet, DB12 is not 100% digital. Sure, the driver faces a digital instrument cluster, but buttons on the tilting center console give passengers access to many key functions including climate control, system volume, and more. sound system and exhaust installation. A surprising addition is the gear lever: It replaces the gearshift buttons found in the DB11 and will make steering easier.
Power comes from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that produces 671 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 590 lb-ft of torque from 2,750 to 6,000 rpm. Aston Martin borrowed this engine from Mercedes-AMG; it’s the same basic unit found in cars like the E63, G63And DBX, but it has been tuned in-house. It turns the rear wheels through a carbon fiber drive shaft and eight-speed automatic transmission.
This is a huge increase. For context, the upcoming DB11 uses this eight-cylinder version with 528 horsepower and 513 pound-feet of torque. Buyers can also opt for the 5.2-liter V12 – not available in the DB12 – with numbers 630 and 516 respectively.
Aston Martin says the 0 to 60 mph time is 3.5 seconds and the top speed is 202 mph. The layout of the powertrain should ensure that the DB12 handles as well as accelerates: The engine is centered in the front and the transmission is integrated into the rear axle for better weight distribution. Enthusiasts will have five driving modes: wet, GT, sport, sport plus and individual to choose from.
There’s more electronic magic hidden under the sheet metal than we’ve come to expect from Aston Martin. Its engineers have added an electronic rear differential — a first for the brand — for quicker cornering, torque vectoring and four ESP modes. Steel brake standard, and carbon ceramic brake system helps reduce brake fade, and a spring-free weight of nearly 60 pounds is optional.
Deliveries of the Aston Martin DB12 are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2023. Pricing will be announced later and the final figure will depend on how many boxes the buyer ticks the options list. Sounds like the sky is the limit: Customers can pay extra for special paint colors color (including colors borrowed from the company’s classic models), carbon fiber exterior trim and carbon fiber sport seats.
