{"id":650429,"date":"2026-05-06T00:32:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T00:32:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/650429\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T00:32:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T00:32:23","slug":"driven-2026-aston-martin-db12-s-amplifies-the-grand-touring-formula","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/650429\/","title":{"rendered":"Driven: 2026 Aston Martin DB12 S Amplifies the Grand Touring Formula"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\tStay up to speed with stories written by drivers, for drivers.<\/p>\n

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Picture an Aston Martin. Is it a DB? From Le Mans to Bond, this bloodline has formed the backbone of the brand\u2019s cachet since the 1950s, and even if most of the company\u2019s sales come from the SUV side of the showroom now<\/a>, the cars sporting Sir David Brown\u2019s initials will always be an integral part of Aston Martin\u2019s DNA.<\/p>\n

The current model is the DB12, a powerful grand tourer that lives up to the idea of comfortable competence in a way that is lost on stat-chasers which tip the balance toward online bragging rights at the expense of real-world enjoyability. The DB isn\u2019t perfect, but it just got better: Continuing the path laid by last year\u2019s Vantage S and DBX S, the guys, gals, and their algos at Gaydon have recently created an enhanced S version of the big coupe.<\/p>\n

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The formula that led to the new DB12 S is directly in line with other S-ifications of Aston products, with this latest offering also sporting more power, honed handling, and new exterior and interior styling details. To the first point, the DB12 S\u2019s Mercedes-AMG\u2013sourced, Aston Martin\u2013tuned 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 makes just over 690 horsepower at 6250 rpm, compared to the base DB12\u2019s peak output of 671 hp at 6000 rpm, and while both cars produce a maximum of 590 lb-ft of torque between 2750 and 6000 rpm, the S\u2019s dyno curve stays ever so slightly flatter on the way to the engine\u2019s 7000-rpm redline. These aren\u2019t massive changes, but more power more often is a winning proposition.<\/p>\n

Combined with calibration changes to the powertrain and throttle-by-wire system that include a 43% reduction in shift times from the eight-speed single-clutch ZF automatic transaxle, the extra thrust helps propel the DB12 S from 0 to 60 mph in a manufacturer-claimed 3.4 seconds, a tenth quicker than the same sprint in the base DB12. For test drivers brave enough, reckless enough, or close enough to the autobahn, both the DB12 and new DB12 S top out at a world-blurring 202 mph.<\/p>\n

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A suite of S-specific changes to the chassis hardware and software complement the souped-up stable under the hood, including a retuning of the Bilstein DTX dampers\u2019 software in accordance with a stiffer rear antiroll bar and tweaks to the electronic rear differential settings. The car\u2019s suspension geometry (caster, camber, and toe angle) has also been fussed with in pursuit of adding agility and responsiveness, but not to the point of belying the purpose of a GT car. Besides accelerating faster and cornering more confidently, the DB12 S also receives carbon ceramic brakes as standard equipment (an option on the DB12), with 16-inch rotors at the front and 14-inch units in the rear. These are the same diameters as the standard steel brakes on the DB12, but the carbon ceramics on the DB12 S shave off nearly 60 pounds of unsprung weight.<\/p>\n

Specs: 2026 Aston Martin DB12 S Coupe<\/p>\n

Price (incl. $4000 delivery): $272,000 base \/ $400,300 as-tested<\/p>\n

Powertrain:\u00a0twin-turbocharged DOHC 4.0-liter V-8<\/p>\n

Peak output:\u00a0 690 hp @ 6250 rpm, 590 lb-ft of torque @ 2750\u20136000 rpm<\/p>\n

Layout:\u00a02+2, front-mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupe<\/p>\n

Curb weight:\u00a0 4012 pounds<\/p>\n

0\u201360 mph:\u00a03.4 seconds (manufacturer-claimed)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy:\u00a0TBD<\/p>\n

Competitors: Ferrari Amalfi, Bentley Continental GT Speed<\/a>, Mercedes-AMG GT63<\/a><\/p>\n

That\u2019s enough from the facts and figures side of the story. To find out if the lived experience stacks up to the numbers, we spent a few hours in an option-laden Synapse Orange DB12 S on some of the funnest and most scenic driving roads that Southern California has to offer, including Mulholland Drive, the Pacific Coast Highway, and a tangle of canyon snakes that rise and wind above Malibu. It was a wonderful day of \u201cwork.\u201d<\/p>\n

When shelling out a few hundred grand (or signing a spendy lease) for a car that\u2019s meant for indulging the senses at speed, one can and should expect said car to categorically Not Suck. The DB12 S doesn\u2019t, of course, but is it worth it? My recently filed taxes indicate that I am not perfectly equipped to answer that question, but I can say that the DB12 S feels like more than one car for the money. Then again, $400K goes a heck of a long way when it comes to buying a car or a few\u2026<\/p>\n

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This one, like pretty much everything else, has multiple drive modes: Wet, GT, Sport, Sport+, and Individual (which is a way to mix and match settings from each of the other modes). Unlike so many other cars, however, the deltas between these options are meaningful in the DB12 S, hence the sensation of money well spent when toggling through noticeably different versions of your new Aston on the fly. Our test route ranged from fast sweepers to pinched hairpins, lazy undulations of fresh pavement to chewed-up old asphalt well on its way to becoming gravel. Perfect stuff to spin a selector knob to.<\/p>\n

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Want to waft along a coastal road and let the car melt into the background? Turn the wonderfully weighted metal dial in the center console and select \u201cGT,\u201d which softens and soothes the DB to the point of being pillowy. The exhaust won\u2019t pop and grumble and constantly announce your presence. The suspension eases into a level of compliance akin to that of a well-maintained midsize sedan. The throttle-by-wire system makes the power come on smoothly, unless you really want it to shift down a few gears and go. Counterintuitive as it is to praise detachment in a car that\u2019s meant to be fun to drive, it\u2019s pleasantly docile when you want it to be; driving to work early in the morning, road-tripping and chatting with your codriver over some music, trying not to try too hard when leaving cars & coffee. Even in the world of bright orange exotics with nearly 700 horsepower, civility should be a virtue, and the DB12 S won\u2019t make you feel like a wannabe boy racer when you just want to cruise around.<\/p>\n

GT mode was well suited for enjoying the views from the coastline, while the canyon roads that climb into the clouds called for some more urgency and driver involvement. Sport+ was happy to oblige by tightening the throttle response, stiffening the suspension, dialing some extra aggression into the electronic diff, and freeing up the exhaust. Before you rotate into the first apex or fully plant the accelerator, the aural ante is raised considerably (we would have liked to hear the DB12 S\u2019s titanium exhaust option in the metal, but the standard kit will still stand your hair up when you boot it on an on-ramp), which puts you in the right frame of mind for the other side of this big Brit\u2019s personality.<\/p>\n

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You can certainly do some hard charging in the DB12 S, as long as the lanes are wide enough for its sizable footprint. It rotates, weaves, and changes vector impressively for a car of its size and heft, but the fact remains that it weighs over two tons. Even in S spec with Sport+ selected, there\u2019s no confusing this Aston with a more focused sports-first car like the Vantage S<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not totally off base to make comparisons to the other side of the brand\u2019s lineup, but the more apt comparison is found between the DB\u2019s drive modes, which cover a lot of ground between GT and Sport+. Does that mean there\u2019s a lot of compromise baked in to achieve this dichotomy? A grand tourer inherently sacrifices some comfort for performance and vice versa, but these tradeoffs become less significant when the hardware involved has such a wide breadth of function paired with software that can change the settings in fractions of seconds. Left forever in the Goldilocks \u201cSport\u201d setting, the DB12 S nails the balance; on-the-go adjustability adds the ability to tip the scales in either direction at the driver\u2019s discretion.<\/p>\n

\"Synapse-Orange-Aston-Martin-DB12S-Vertical_07\"Aston Martin<\/p>\n

This dual personality is also skin-deep. Big GTs are typically more reserved in appearance and presence than the snortier and sportier side of fast-car world, but Aston has added some bling to the DB12 S, and plenty of optional exposed carbon-fiber pieces are integrated into the S-specific hood, rear spoiler, rear bumper (including those excellent stacked exhaust tips), and front splitter. Handmade (read: expensive) \u201cS\u201d badges adorn the front fenders and can be seen around the interior as well in the headrests, sills, and on the screens.<\/p>\n

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The interior controls are the same mixture of screens that you get in the core group of today\u2019s Aston Martin products\u2014a 10.3-inch gauge cluster plus a 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen\u2014paired with a lovely array of tactile knobs, rollers, buttons, and toggles on the center console. Our tester was equipped with the optional $10,000 Bowers & Wilkins audio system, which was, as always, a welcome treat. We\u2019ve been acquainted with that HiFi quality in other Aston Martin press cars, and while it seemed a bit unnecessary for a Vantage, it suits the DB12\u2019s touring sensibilities.<\/p>\n

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The pricey audio bundle was just a small piece of the options package on our tester, which sported more than $100K in add-ons. For starters, it was built with $46,800 worth of carbon-fiber options, and the very loud Synapse Orange paint job ($9700, plus an extra $7200 to color-match the rear diffuser) was all but totally out-wowzer\u2019d by the tricolor interior ($11,200). The cabin was a quiet and comfortable place to spend a few hours, and we reckon it wouldn\u2019t wear one down on a much longer cross-country jaunt, either. The DB\u2019s air-conditioned seats, a good playlist to work out the B&W system, and a good conversation partner in the passenger seat would be a great road-trip recipe, but forget about putting anything besides extra luggage in the rear seats.<\/p>\n

Such a journey would include many a gas station convo and probably some extra radar gun activity from police, so a subtler palette (maybe a nice deep blue over light gray seats) would help stave off some unwanted attention, but that\u2019s not to say it doesn\u2019t look damn good in this supercar-esque color combination. The DB12 S can pull off attention-grabbing specifications as handily as it can swap its on-road personality with the turn of a dial, and for those who value a historic nameplate but want modern automotive tech, the DB12 S is a worthy choice.<\/p>\n

2026 Aston Martin DB12 S Coupe<\/p>\n

Highs:\u00a0An exceptional GT car that bolsters a classic formula with impactful but not invasive tech to create a good-looking and competent multitool.<\/p>\n

Lows:\u00a0For the amount that it costs, you could buy a great sports car and a plush luxury vehicle that collectively out-do this Aston.<\/p>\n

Takeaway:\u00a0The DB12 S is easy to live with, look at, and have fun in, but it comes at a steep price, especially after taking a pass at the options menu.<\/p>\n

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\"AstonAston Martin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Stay up to speed with stories written by drivers, for drivers. Get automotive news, DIY tips, market trends,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":650430,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[585,49,48,241610,241609,20407,209,61],"class_list":["post-650429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-aston-martin","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-car-aston-martin-db12-2026","tag-db12","tag-new-car-reviews","tag-reviews","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=650429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650429\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/650430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=650429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=650429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=650429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}