It has been 110 years since the founding of Aston Martin, the British luxury sports car manufacturer. And it has been 75 years since the company introduced the first of its most famous line of cars – the DB series. In May, Aston Martin revealed the latest in this line of luxury, thoroughbred grand tourers, the DB12, a car the company says is ‘the most complete and accomplished DB model’ in its history.
Underneath the recognisably Aston Martin body is a potent 500kW/800Nm twin-turbo 4-litre V8 that is powerful enough to deliver a top speed of 325km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint time of a touch over 3.5 seconds.
The engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and an Electronic Rear Differential (E-Diff). The differential is linked to the car’s Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system.
The DB12’s bonded aluminium structure has seen a 7 per cent increase in tortional stiffness thanks to changes to a range of underbody components; the engine cross brace; front and rear undertrays; front crossmember and rear bulkhead. With the introduction of new adaptive dampers and extensive engineering of key components such as stiffer anti-roll bars, Aston Martin says the DB12 also offers class-leading driving dynamics and greatly increased breadth of capability.
An Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) system offers four pre-defined ESP modes (Wet, On, Track, and Off) selectable via the ESP button on the centre console. The system works by taking information from sensors around the vehicle and predicts the level of grip available, as well as reacting to momentary instabilities. The same predictive, model-based technology underpins all the car’s chassis control systems (ABS, Traction Control and Lateral dynamics).
In addition to multi-mode ESP, the DB12 also features five pre-defined drive modes; GT, Sport, Sport+, Wet, and Individual.
On the inside, the cabin is luxurious and technologically advanced. There’s hand-stitched leather and Alcantara and cutting-edge a infotainment system developed in-house by Aston Martin.
The new system, which supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, is a fully integrated multi-screen system that uses two 10.25-inch displays. While some carmakers have embraced the idea of controlling everything via touchscreens, Aston Martin has kept plenty of features on the DB12 controllable by physical switches and buttons. These include gear selection, drive selection, as well as heating and ventilation. There are also override switches for chassis, ESP and exhaust, Lane Assist and Park Distance Control.
Connectivity features include a new navigation system and the Aston Martin App, from which a driver can choose a destination and send it to the DB12 ready for travel and which also offers a range of connected car subscription packages, including convenience features, vehicle management features, and vehicle services features.
Deliveries of the Aston Martin BD12 are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of this year.
VIDEO: ASTON MARTIN DB12
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (June 2023)
7 June 2023
