Aston Martin DB12 review: The marque’s most accomplished sportscar yet

Coming from a long line of cars dating back to 1948 and etched into our cultural fabric thanks to James Bond, the new DB12 not only builds upon the beauty and athleticism of its lineage, but also heralds an entirely new era of Aston Martin.

DB12 is the first generation of Aston Martin’s new sports cars that see the marque enter a more refined and dynamic space – and importantly, much more modernised. Gone is the grand tour moniker too, and in its place, ‘super tourer’, putting the DB12 in contention to stand up against recent, high-performance competitors like the Ferrari Roma and Porsche 911 Turbo. And stand up it does; this is without a doubt, Aston Martin’s most accomplished sportscar. In its new guise, DB12 is assertive, but not aggressive; emotional yet athletic; and in the divine new special gold-flecked paint of Iridescent Emerald, it’s certainly a head turner.

At the heart of the new DB12 is a formidable, 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged, front mid-mounted V8 engine. While it’s sourced from Mercedes-AMG, it’s been meticulously tuned and developed to fit the confident character of an Aston Martin – and sounds and feels substantially different from say, a C 63.

The new engine’s output, sent primarily to the rear wheels, is a visceral 500kW of power and a mega 800Nm of torque, thanks to a number of improvements like a higher compression ratio, bigger turbos, and enhanced engine cooling. This combination, especially in the sportier and more track-focused drive modes, achieves a grunty and exhilarating acceleration of 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds, and a top speed of 325km/h.

There’s also plenty of new intuitive driver tech at play in the background and five preset drive modes, plus the option to tailor the chassis, powertrain and traction to one’s preference – this was a particular joy out on the roads beyond Sydney’s CBD, where we wanted to feel the power of the powertrain, but not the bumps of NSW’s famously uneven surfaces.

Inside, the DB12 benefits from some extensive new changes that help to release Aston Martin from the shackles of its recent-past reliance on older Mercedes-AMG-derived interior tech, and into the highly crafted and elevated feel of what the marque should be. Finally, the DB12’s cabin feels more like a signature than an afterthought. The super tourer debuts a new infotainment system, and is the first to be completely designed in-house. Gone are the old Merc dials and buttons, and in their place, a touchscreen with a button layout that is clearly designed with the user front and centre.

In a world where in-car tech seems to get ever more complex to use, the DB12’s controls are intuitive (limiting driver distraction) and blend an analogue-like feel with the new tech – very nice to look at. The cockpit graphics are also not overdone, and take the DB12 into the future without leaning too far into that galactic place other marques seem to be so keen to adopt. Over-the-air updates are coming to DB12 soon, so its systems will be able to evolve with age. There’s also a new navigation system, connected app features, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the option of a killer 15-speaker, double-amplified 1170W Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound system.

The interior is seriously handsome too, particularly small details like the arrow-shaped door handles, which appear like cufflinks when paired with the surrounds of our car’s dark brushed-aluminium trim.

On the road, DB12 is exquisite, mean, yet sophisticated – all hallmarks of the DB cars throughout history, especially the iconic DB5. That ‘super tourer’ flavour translates to a feel that’s planted and focused, and installs a sense of pure joy, confidence and control, especially when pushed to its limits around underrating, highly curved roads.

If this highly accomplished, meticulously developed and stunning machine is where the British marque is planting its flag for the future, electric or not, Aston Martin’s place on the altar of cool refinement will be unshakeable.  

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