Aston Martin DB12 2023 review

Has there ever been a time when we didn’t fear for Aston Martin’s future? During its 110 years, this much-loved British marque has battled through no less than seven bankruptcies. More recently, a disastrous IPO in 2018 saw its shares nosedive from an initial valuation of £19 to just 30p within 18 months. When Covid-19 arrived to compound the problem, it looked like Aston Martin’s luck might have run out. 

And yet… Here we are in 2023, the sun is shining and Aston Martin has taken over Monaco’s fanciest hotel to launch the DB12 – ‘the first in a new generation of sports cars’.

Former Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa is now at the helm, there is substantial fresh investment from Lawrence Stroll and Chinese carmaker Geely, and Fernando Alonso is regularly standing on the F1 podium. In the last quarter of 2022, Aston Martin even posted a small profit.

Turning heads in Monaco

The DB12 seems to imbue this newfound sense of confidence. It is unmistakably an Aston Martin, with a classic GT silhouette, but burlier and more assertive than the DB11 it replaces. A head-turner even in glamorous Monaco, it looks every inch the next Bond car. Predictably, that’s something Aston Martin execs will neither confirm nor deny.

Product boss Alex Long says the DB12 offers “the performance and dynamics you would expect of a team competing successfully in Formula One”. In practical terms, that means 29 percent more power from the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine (the key numbers are 680hp, 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds and 202mph), along with plenty of advanced chassis tech, including adaptive dampers, optional carbon-ceramic brakes and an electronic rear differential.

Long also points to the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 S tyres, which have ‘AML’ stamped on their sidewalls and a bespoke compound created specially for the DB12. Even the £3 million Aston Martin Valkyrie, by contrast, used off-the-shelf Michelin Cup 2 rubber. “The investment in this car runs deep,” I’m told.

On roads like these

The Achilles’ heel of the DB11 was its woeful Mercedes-Benz media system, already outdated when the car was launched in 2016. That has been banished by a new 10.25-inch touchscreen, developed in-house and offering over-the-air updates, plus a connected smartphone app. In truth, this is Aston Martin catching up with the competition, rather than forging ahead, but it’s intuitive to use and doesn’t distract from the driving experience.

Good thing, too, because I’m headed to one of Europe’s finest roads: the Route Napoleon. With everything from hairpin hillclimbs to epic, empty straights, it’s a stern test for any car, particularly one pitched as a rival for the Ferrari Roma and Bentley Continental GT Speed. Can the DB12 live up to its looks?

I’ll spare you the suspense: it can. Indeed, the Aston Martin does feel like a mid-point between the Ferrari and Bentley, its quick steering and nuanced body control combined with resolute and unflappable poise. The e-diff seems to lock the car onto its line, while those special Michelins serve up huge traction and immense cornering grip. 

Fast-forward to the future

The AMG-derived V8 is a fitting foil for the chassis, feeling muscular in the mid-range, then filling its lungs with a cultured snarl. While it isn’t as immersive or downright decadent as Aston Martin’s old-school V12 engine (not coming to this car, sadly), it monsters this road with awe-inspiring ease, serving up relentless acceleration as the eight-speed auto ’box blams through the ratios. 

You can never fully escape the DB12’s size and weight – the mid-engined McLaren Artura, for example, is more lucid and engaging – but this is a sumptuous grand tourer in the best tradition. There’s even space in the back for two (very) small children. Frankly, the Route Napoleon would seem special in a Dacia Sandero, yet the DB12 lends any journey a sense of occasion. 

Aston Martin’s own journey from here is, as ever, filled with uncertainties. But the impressive new DB12 is a solid bedrock for whatever comes next. 

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