CarBrandLogos archive · Aston Martin · 2023

Aston MartinDB12

A grand tourer sharpened hard enough that the maker refuses to call it one.

Photo: Alexander-93 · CC BY-SA 4.0

The story

A defining chapter in Aston Martin history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Aston Martin DB12, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

The DB12 replaced the DB11 in 2023 and was presented not as a facelift but as the opening statement of a new range. The bonded aluminium structure was substantially reworked and stiffened, the rear track widened, and the suspension, steering and electronic differential retuned towards a car that could be driven quickly rather than merely covered ground quickly. Aston Martin coined the phrase super tourer for it, which is marketing, but the change in intent is real.

Aston Martin DB12 1X7A1928 · Alexander-93 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Design and engineering

Only one engine is offered: the 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 from Mercedes-AMG, through an eight-speed ZF automatic driving the rear wheels. The V12 that had been available in the DB11 did not carry over, which says something about where the range's centre of gravity now sits.

Aston Martin DB12 Volante IMG 9314 · Alexander-93 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Aston Martin DB12 Volante MYLE Festival 2025 DSC 9598

In production

Marek Reichman's team widened the grille and lowered the roofline over a shorter, more muscular profile. Inside, the more consequential change is invisible from outside: after years of running licensed Mercedes infotainment, the DB12 introduced Aston Martin's own system, developed in-house, with physical controls kept for the things drivers use while moving. A convertible Volante followed, and the Vantage and Vanquish that came after it were built on the same reset.

Aston Martin DB12 Volante MYLE Festival 2025 DSC 9598 · Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance