Aston Martin’s DB12 isn’t just a pretty machine. It marks the start of an almighty new era
We took an 'Iridescent Emerald' version of the British marque's latest DB12 for a test drive, and returned feeling properly wowed
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I HAVE A RUNNING game I play when it comes to how Aston Martin cars are communicated and related to, and that’s to see how long it takes before the words “James Bond” are mentioned. We talked about this briefly in the last issue of Esquire, which was film-themed and where we explored the role of cars in movies, asking the question around what Aston Martin’s marketing (and wider culture) would look like, had the makers of the film, 60 years ago now, stayed true to Ian Fleming’s books, and given 007 a Bentley to drive.
Now, while I recognise the irony of bringing this up, I do have an excuse, and a point. For years, Aston Martin seemed to treat its relationship with Bond as a flashy drawcard that helped people get into its cars. However, judging from my recent jaunt in the DB12 – the modern-day successor to Bond’s OG DB5 – Aston Martin seems to be releasing itself from the shackles of the world’s most famous spy and arming itself with enough attitude, originality and refinement to stand proud as a luxury performance car marque to be reckoned with.
It’s no coincidence that the DB12 arrived at the same time Aston Martin Racing started hitting its stride, having returned to F1 after a 60-year absence. (Recently, the team signed F1 design and engineering guru Adrian Newey as part of its mission to assemble the F1 equivalent of the Avengers – that part of the business is well worth keeping an eye on).
On the road car side of the company, a similar thing has been happening. Up until 2020, Aston had suffered under the weight of its own business. Even with a lineup of very sexy cars – the commercial appeal of the flashy, mega DBX and DBX707 SUVs leading sales – the marque had trouble escaping out from under the shadows of old clunky Mercedes-Benz systems (its ongoing partner in development). The cars looked and felt every part the lush British marque, yet the overall experience felt dated and lacked that final signature touch we’ve come to expect from this level of prestige.
While it still uses Benz systems, the Aston Martin DB12 is the first fully realised road car to emerge under Lawrence Stroll’s watchful eye. The Canadian billionaire and former fashion business mogul took over as major shareholder and executive chairman of the company in 2020, and has since invested heavily in returning the historic motor racing brand to its former glory at the top of the series.
Now, for all intents and purposes, the DB cars were true Grand Tourers – powerful and beastly cruisers made for the open road. Not quite as light and nimble as a sports or supercar (that’s the Aston Martin Vantage’s area), not as luscious as the long-wheelbase lux-o barges, like, say a Mercedes-Benz S Class, but a comfortable and sleek third thing. Aston Martin makes very good GTs, and always has – see the new Vanquish as an example. However, this DB is not a Grand Tourer, it’s a new category of car the British marque has coined: the Super Tourer.
Under the bonnet, and despite the name that might allude to a V12, the DB12 is packing a powerful, nay, extraordinary 4.0-litre V8. Sourced from Aston’s friends at AMG, it’s been turned in-house at Aston’s home in Gaydon to deliver a meaty 500kW/800 Nm. In numbers, that equates to a 0-100 km/h sprint of 3.5 seconds, a top speed of 325 km/h while weighing in at 1685 kg. It comes in a coupe or a convertible, but today, we’re driving the coupe in this divine Iridescent Emerald, a new take on Aston’s signature racing green, with a mesmerising gold fleck woven throughout the paint.
Inside, the interior has been crafted to ensure all occupants feel extremely special, with every detail considered, from the cool-to-the-touch arrow-shaped door handles to the pleasant mix of analogue, tactile dials and buttons that appear in its ‘waterfall’ designed middle control unit, and the smooth feel of the leather-wrapped wheel.
When I first drove an Aston Martin DBX and DBX707, one complaint I had was the overwhelming bulkiness of the interior. I felt like it swallowed me up – clearly, it was designed for a driver much larger than I – yet none of that appeared here. In fact, the visibility and feeling of control is almost the opposite of the DBX, for me at least.
The new in-house-designed infotainment system and accompanying software is a stratospheric improvement from those clunky older Mercedes-derived systems I mentioned earlier. It now uses two 10-inch screens, including one for the driver, which, to me, is the Goldilocks-perfect screen size: not too blindingly big and not too distractingly small.
The new system has more connectivity, it’s more intuitive and pleasant to use and brags a new navigation system with online connectivity and 3D mapping, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and now has over-the-air updates to keep it in check. Plus, the 1170w, double amplified speaker, 15 speaker system from Bowers & Wilkins is glorious, and acoustically tuned to perfection, even if you’re ringing the car’s neck in the red – it might be a new contender for best stereo on the road, which we have previously awarded to the Maserati Grecale Trofeo. It’s close.
From the moment you press the start button, the DB12 delivers thrills in a very special way. It grumbles to attention and beckons you to put your foot down, dangerously so, in the best way possible. The steering is surprisingly light and direct and it’s fun and easy to throw around. Aston Martin has made a few performance enhancements all over, especially when it comes to cooling —the large grille allows for more cold air to enter its radiators and the bonnet vents help hot air escape the turbos much quicker. Those rising haunches around the 21-inch wheels, along with its wide stance, help to suck air out from underneath which means less pitch and roll movement around the bends too.
The new chassis itself is stiffer than previous DB’s, so on the whole, it feels much more refined and stable. It’s very torque-y and growly, and, as I mentioned, one of those cars that whispers bad things in your ear and challenges you to break all the road rules. Luckily it’s also got enormous brakes, which are slightly bigger on the rear, with carbon ceramics as an option. Did I mention it’s also a beautiful work of art in the metal too? Well, it is.
By now you’re probably reading this thinking, isn’t there anything to critique about this car? I’m sure there is, but I haven’t found it yet. Maybe the small turbo lag under 3500 RPM-ish, if I’m being hypercritical. But honestly, that’s a minor worry when it comes to the overall experience of the DB12, and I doubt any owner would get too worried about that.
Ultimately, Aston deserves a standing ovation for the DB12. It’s a leap in refinement and performance and a glimmer of hope towards what will come next from the beloved marque. It looks majestic, it has a mean but approachable presence and it’s an electrifying machine to manoeuvre.
Would it make James Bond proud? Who cares. It’s for all these reasons that the DB12 now has a place in Aston Martin history, because not only is this a serious contender in the performance car space, but a vanguard for where the brand is headed.
Aston Martin DB12, from $455,000, astonmartin.com
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