Page 103 - Sharp September 2023

TOUR DE FORCE
ASTON MARTIN’S LATEST SUPER TOURER, THE DB12, PUTS A NEAT NEW SPIN
ON THE GT CATEGORY
By Justin Mastine-Frost
ASTON MARTIN HAS LONG BEEN SYNONYMOUS
with the world of grand touring. It’s a world where high perfor- mance meets long-distance cruising comfort; where cars don’t need to compete with the track demons designed by Ferrari, Lamborghini or McLaren. And nobody does it better than Aston’s DB franchise, a line of models that stretches back 75 years and dials down abusive rigidity in favour of creating machines that can comfortably log hours — or even days — on the world’s most winding roads. The all-new 2024 Aston Martin DB12 shifts things into an even higher gear and introduces an entirely new spin on the GT category. Welcome to the age of the Super Tourer.
For the car’s global launch, Aston invited a select few to the French Riviera, where a jaunt along the clifftops of Monaco gave us the opportunity to unleash the full potential of the DB12, allowing us to enjoy everything from its raucous, twin-turbo V8 to its dynamic chassis tuning. With 671 horsepower; a brand new 8-speed; twin-clutch gearbox; and freshly developed Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, the performance-pushing model represents part of a larger brand vision. “This is the first all-new car of ours that embodies our ultra-luxe performance ethos,” say Aston’s director of design, Miles Nurnburger, “and you’ll see more of that from the brand in the coming years.”
Seated behind the leather-wrapped wheel, foot nudging its way to the floor, the new car couldn’t feel further from the old Vantage, Vanquish, and DB9. There’s little doubt that diehards will take issue with the DB12’s cylinder deficiency — thus far, no V12 variant seems to be in the cards — but Aston’s V12s never had the same strung-out, Italian-style wail that many enthusiasts lust after. And anyway, the marque’s deep, throaty V8 provides as much auditory stimulation as one could want from a touring car.
Of all the other neat tricks up this Aston’s sleeve, the program- ming of its five drive modes is perhaps the smartest. Five are selectable: Sport+, Sport, GT, Individual, and Rain. According to the team’s engineering department, the addition of a Rain program allowed for more dynamic programming and balance between the modes and a sharper and more engaging driving experience as a result. Recent years have also seen many customers calling for a refresh of the brand’s tech systems (while the cars have always been stunning, their infotainment and controls offerings have been due for a dusting) and in building the DB12 the brand has successfully brought the software, hardware, and user interfaces up to standard.
The result is what the brand dubs its first “connected” Aston Martin. The DB12 is capable of over-air software updates and, although its infotainment system was technically in pre-production mode at the time of our drive, it proved simple and straightforward to navigate. So, while these systems have been a sticking point of Aston Martin customers for some years, the new 10.25 inch, high-resolution screen and fully digital and configurable instrument cluster sees the most glaring issues ironed out.
The DB12’s audio set-up is also worth a mention. From Bowers & Wilkins, the system has 15 speakers and 1,170 watts of sound output, and delivers sound quality perfectly suited to the ultra-luxe category. As well, each exposed speaker features a bespoke, stainless steel cover that the Bowers & Wilkins team was required to tune and shape so it would fit seamlessly into the car’s cabin. It’s a lot of work for a small detail, but such attention to the incidentals is what separates a car such as this from the wider pack.
So, while the DB12 may not be quite as performance-driven as Ferrari’s latest models or exude pure luxury in the Rolls-Royce tradition, it certainly shows that Aston Martin has found its sure-footed stride once again.
SPECS
ENGINE: 4.0 L TWIN-TURBO V8 POWER: 671 HORSEPOWER PRICE: $281,800
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