Driving the Aston Martin DB12, a Powerful, Modern Super Tourer, Will Leave You Feeling Regal

The DB12 replaces the DB11 with a design that is more tweaked than overhauled, tech that is far more advanced than prior models and an interior that is elevated and modern. It reflects the input of Aston Martin’s partners, including Bridge of Weir for leather, jeweler Vaughton’s for the handmade winged badges and Mercedes-AMG for the engine and other mechanical details. 

The design and drive experience, however are all Aston Martin.

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The shape of the Aston Martin DB11 is an icon, from wide-set wheels, sloping roofline to the cylindrical headlights, tight “C” shaped tail lights and elegant rear spoiler. The DB12 advances the recipe with more pronounced wheel fenders, a slightly larger front grille and the Aston Martin name spelled out across under the rear spoiler.

Overall the feeling is familiar and distinctly Aston Martin, only more so.

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The DB in the car’s name stands for David Brown, the British industrialist who rescued Aston Martin in 1946 and infused its cars with powerful engines. That tradition continues, along with the innovative approach of getting more power from smaller engines. for 2024, the DB12 offers only one engine, a twin turbo V8, that generates 671 HP. That’s 41 more HP than the outgoing V12 and 143  more than the outgoing V8, which would no doubt make David Brown proud. 

The tech in the Aston Martin DB12 is refreshing and smart. An angled panel of controls anchors the cabin, sitting just below a 10” touch screen. This panel is where you tap a button to set the exhaust note or turn the center dial for touring or sport mode; where you can dial through the drive modes using the bezel around the stop/start button. 

The multimedia system allows you to further customize your settings, set navigation and tune the radio station. There are dials on the control panel to set the cabin temperature and change the radio volume. Between the screen and the control panel is a function bar with climate control buttons. 

Or Louis Vuitton or Prada or Gucci or YSL… take your pick. Like a handbag from an atelier, the leather upholstery is assembled and tailored, with stitching and design even in places you might never look, such as the rear shelf or the corners of the ceiling headliner, which is quilted and framed in suede. The overall feeling is more thoughtful than opulent; being surrounded by that much leather feels like a cocoon.

This one simple thing, a command center with a touch screen and buttons for key functions like changing the exhaust note and setting your drive mode, gives the DB12 a modern look and feel. 

The panel is intuitive and easy to read and functions much as similar controls from Mercedes-AMG do. Just below the screen is a glass-topped starter button; turn the dial around it to set your drive mode (GT, Sport, Sport+). Just below that you’ll find the gear shifter toggle. There are dials for climate temperature, fan speed and radio volume, and buttons for the camera, parking sensors and more.

While the controls may look and function similarly to Mercedes systems, Aston Martin took software design for all its systems in house, both to ensure control over every detail and to be able to offer updates. 

Loud. Surprisingly, in fact; its sound belies the elegant lines and pampering interior, letting you know there’s a tiger under the hood. And, that tiger is raring to go. Press the starter and after a brief second of silence the V8 twin turbo roars to life. 

Once in gear, the DB12 is anxious to run. We took it out on the back roads of Greenwich, Connecticut where it sprinted to the speed limit in seconds. Later in the day on the curving roads of New York’s Catskills I put into sport mode for a more responsive feel from the accelerator and the steering. I didn’t want the drive to end, it was that much fun.

Under the sloping roof of the Aston Martin DB12 there are four seats, which is a bit of a surprise for a coupe this small. However, the rear seat is not really ideal for adult passengers. I climbed in and while I fit, the seat in front of me had to move forward significantly. 

I did appreciate the rear seat for the added space and open feel it gives the cabin, and it was the perfect place to stow my handbag and jacket. It would also be a great place to put a tote or a grocery bag, and it’s ideal for a small to medium sized dog, though getting into the rear seat to clean out the dog fur would be a challenge. 

Two things I really came to like were the seat controls, which sit on the side of the center console and function similar to those in a Mercedes-Benz, placed in an array that is intuitive to use, and the storage cubby under the control panel. 

This cubby is small and holds a wireless phone charger but it’s also a great place to stow a small clutch bag; it tucks right into the space and is protected from sliding around the cabin and hidden from site. I was able to fit both my bag and my phone in the space. 

This is a particularly special detail: the Aston Martin badges, which have been refined slightly in the DB12, are made by jeweler Vaughton’s, as they always have. You’ll find three: One on the front, one on the rear and one on the steering wheel. 

If you’ve ever driven a Mercedes-AMG (or Mercedes-Benz) many of the buttons and controls in the Aston Martin DB12 will feel familiar but not identical: the seat settings, the command panel buttons and the steering wheel controls function in a similar way to Mercedes vehicles. But these systems have also been engineered by Aston Martin, blending confidence of the familiar with the excitement of innovation.

To ensure that the DB12 performs as expected, the company partnered with Michelin to build the perfect tire: the Pilot Sport 5 S. Using new compounds for better road grip and better performance on wet pavement, they are stamped “AML” to signify they are specified for the DB12.

Legacy can be a double-edged sword: it brings both experience and perspective, but it can be weighed down in process and expectations. Both can make it more difficult to move beyond the past and to see the future clearly. 

Not so with the Aston Martin DB12. And it’s refreshing to see this classic brand modernized but still holding the reigns of its legacy.