Aston Martin has created what it calls “the world’s first super tourer” with the stunning new DB12, a brutish, V8-toting successor to the acclaimed Aston Martin DB11, which marks the beginning of a bold new era for Gaydon’s sports car family.
Its arrival coinciding with both Aston Martin‘s 110th birthday and the 75th anniversary of the hallowed DB nameplate, the DB12 is fundamentally based on its predecessor but with a raft of wide-reaching and hugely significant upgrades carried out to its powertrain, chassis and interior with a view to claiming a competitive edge over the Ferrari Roma and Bentley Continental GT.
Aston chairman Lawrence Stroll previously said the replacements for the DB11, Vantage and DBS front-engined sports cars would be more like “all-new cars” than mere facelifts, and certainly the DB12 is related to its forebear in not much more than its general silhouette. The new name itself is a clue to the extent of the revisions, which go far beyond the reaches of a traditional mid-life update.
Aston’s director of product and market strategy hailed the DB12’s unveiling as a “really big moment for Aston Martin, particularly under new ownership. This is the culmination – and the first step, really – in an enormous overhaul of the business.
“DB12 represents the first product from a complete renewal of our range over the next 24 months under the ownership of Lawrence [Stroll]. Since he’s come in, we’ve invested very, very heavily – not just in what we see in front of us in terms of product – but in the fundamentals of the business.”
Designed according to the imposing principle that “grand is not enough”, the DB12 will enter production in the coming months ahead of customer deliveries beginning in autumn, with an anticipated start price of around £185,000.
New interior gets bespoke infotainment system and over-the-air updates
The DB12 is a thoroughly new car in all aspects, but it is inside where the reinvention is most obvious and tangible – in keeping with Stroll’s ardent belief that to keep cars competitive at this price point, they must be sumptuously appointed and accommodate the latest technology: ““How can you have an Aston Martin that sells for £150,000 with three-year-old technology?”