Aston Martin DB12 S: More Voice, Less Restraint
Aston Martin calls the new DB12 S the pinnacle of its super tourers. In reality, it is a classically British move — take an already brilliant car, add a touch more power, a dash more noise and a healthy dose of confidence. The DB12 S doesn’t reinvent anything; it simply perfects, and it does so with the composure one expects from Gaydon.
Once again, Aston Martin found a reason to add an “S” to the badge. This time it lifts the DB12’s output to 700 horsepower and 800 newton metres, trimming the zero-to-one-hundred sprint to 3.5 seconds and pushing the top speed to 325 km/h. Technically, it’s no revolution. The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 remains the same AMG-derived unit, just a little sharper in tuning. The company promises a more sensitive throttle, 50 percent faster gear shifts and a new drive-by-wire calibration intended to create a closer connection between car and driver — a phrase marketing departments adore because it cannot be quantified.
To refine its dynamics, engineers reprogrammed the Bilstein DTX dampers, stiffened the rear anti-roll bar and adjusted steering geometry. The result, Aston says, is more immediacy and feedback, though only someone who spends serious time behind the wheel is likely to notice. Updated carbon-ceramic brakes, measuring 410 millimetres at the front and 360 at the rear, cut unsprung mass by 27 kilograms — a figure that represents real engineering rather than marketing poetry.
Visually, the DB12 S looks distinctly more assertive. The extended splitter, vented bonnet and quad-exit exhaust give it a harder edge, while Aston Martin speaks of a “new depth and harmony” in its sound. The titanium exhaust is 1.5 decibels louder and 11.7 kilograms lighter — clear evidence that this car isn’t aimed at the environmentally conscious. The rear wing is fixed, not retractable, more dramatic than functional.
S badges appear on every side, just to ensure no one mistakes it for an ordinary DB12. The cabin continues Aston’s tradition of impeccable craftsmanship. Hand-stitched semi-leather or Alcantara upholstery, a red-anodised drive-mode selector, contrasting seatbelts and embroidery all deliver that blend of theatre and precision the brand is known for. Every stitch feels deliberate, every detail expensive.
A new cornering software suite combines Integrated Brake Slip Control and Vehicle Control logic to make braking into turns more predictable. It’s clever technology, though most DB12 S owners will probably encounter it only in the press release.
Key specifications
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, 700 hp, 800 Nm
Acceleration 0–100 km/h: 3.5 s
Top speed: 325 km/h
Brakes: carbon-ceramic, 27 kg lighter
Transmission: eight-speed automatic with revised logic
Body styles: Coupé and Volante
Deliveries: from Q1 2026
