Aston Martins have long emblazoned many of their superlative automobiles with DB badges, ‘DB’ being the initials of tractor manufacturer Sir David Brown who can be said to have founded the modern company and pointed it in the right direction. He bought the firm in 1947 after it was advertised in a newspaper for just £20,500. Will we see a DB electric car? We’ll have to wait until 2025 when Aston Martin pulls the wraps off its first all-electric model.

Aston Martin has dubbed what is probably its V-8 swansong ‘the world’s first super tourer’ and it certainly takes the grand tourer concept a stage or two further. Following the company’s subtle way of allowing cars to evolve from a design standpoint, the DB12 looks a lot like the DB11 it replaces. Glance back over the decades and you’ll see that new Astons always looked a lot like the model they replaced. They simply became more stylish and tasteful and, of course, always packed in added performance. When it comes to design, Aston Martin has always been more closely allied to the design philosophies of Rolls Royce and Bentley than other supercar manufacturers. The svelte bodywork of the DB12 is structured from bonded aluminium so performance is maximised by plenty of weight reduction.

Under the almost unimaginably sleek bonnet lies an engine of outstanding power and refinement. It’s a 4.0-litre hand-built V-8 with a pair of turbochargers to help things along and it’s mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. To the surprise of some, there will be no V-12 version of the DB12 despite its alphanumeric nameplate. The V-8 develops some 671-horsepower which should please just about anybody. This is a two-wheel drive car and no four-wheel drive model will be offered. What the DB12 does boast is an electronic rear differential that’s linked to the car’s stability control system, a first for a DB. Along with other electronics, these systems work in harmony to enhance cornering and stability at all speeds. The owner won’t notice that anything is happening in this seamless system but the car is agile and responsive and exceptionally competent on winding roads. Other advanced suspension technology has been added to this new Aston Martin to endow the car with the best possible combination of comfort and agility.

Climbing into any Aston Martin has always been a joy, again thanks to generations of designers who have stayed faithful to a formula that, as with the model’s general ambiance, is more British refined luxury than Italian supercar. Sure, the DM has its carbon fibre accents around the cabin, but the overall ambiance is more understated opulence than high tech vulgarity. The dominant material is fine leather and the overall impression is that there are lots of traditional switches and dials, but the cockpit is as advanced as anything in this class. The instrument panel is digital and there’s the usual big touch screen for infotainment but the tech effect is not overwhelming. The sound system is by Bowers & Wilkins, a new partner of Aston Martin.

The new DB12 V-8 will be almost impossible to improve on and at all events, Aston Martin may never try as it segues into the electric mobility age and focuses in that direction. A convertible Volante model is likely to appear in the next year or two but that’s the only variation we’ll probably see.

ENGINE 4.0-litre 671-horsepower twin-turbo V-8.
TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic.
ACCELERATION Zero to 100 km/h 3.6-seconds.
TOP SPEED 325-km/h.
I LIKED Superbly graceful styling and overall Aston Martin ambiance. Outstanding performance and handling. Restrained use of electronics in cockpit.
I DIDN’T LIKE Some Aston fans will rue the fact that this car did not launch with a V-12 engine, but the V-8 is a potent powerplant by any standards.
MARKET ALTERNATIVES Bentley Continental, Ferrari Roma, Lamborghini Urus, and Mercedes-Benz AMG G 63.
WHO DRIVES ONE? Long time lovers of the Aston Martin brand will be the first in line for a DB12 but the car has such eye appeal and performance it could attract buyers from all kinds of rival marques.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY €232.500, available third quarter 2023.