Aston Martin DB12 Makes First Asia Pacific Debut in Singapore

The DB12, the successor to the DB11, was previewed in Singapore as its very first pit stop in Asia. Said to be a ‘Super Tourer’ as a combination of ‘supercar’ and ‘grand tourer’, Aston Martin believes the DB12 brings upon a new era for the brand with its new benchmarks in performance and luxury.

It is based on the platform of the DB11, but up to 80% of its parts are new. The DB12’s bonded aluminium structure has seen a 7% increase in global tortional stiffness thanks to changes to the engine cross brace, front and rear undertrays, front crossmember and rear bulkhead. The DB12’s electric steering was carefully tuned with the fitment of a non-isolated steering column, which gives an enhanced dynamic feel.

Its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 has been significantly uprated from the DB11 to 680 PS and 800 Nm, powering the DB12 from 0-100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds. While the DB12 retains the 8-speed automatic transmission, it features a shortened final drive ratio of 3.083:1, plus unique transmission shift calibration. The former works to deliver punchier in-gear acceleration, while the latter reduces shift speeds and creates different shift characteristics for the car’s five pre-set driving modes.

It also features an all-new Bilstein suspension system with intelligent adaptive dampers. For the first time, there is an electronic rear differential (E-diff). Also the DB12 is the first-ever production car to wear the Michelin Pilot 5S tyres, which are also bespoke to the car with ‘AML’ on its sidewalls.

The most obvious change to the car is made to its interior, which has been completely redesigned. There is a 10.25-inch infotainment system that’s completely designed in-house with proprietary Aston Martin software. Apparently, Aston Martin has hired the best in the Big Tech world to work on this. However, the brand has taken effort to ensure all core functions are still easily accessible via physical buttons.

Quality, fit and finish seems to have risen up a notch as well. Despite the display DB12 being a pre-production model, it feels as complete as a final production car with precise panel gaps and leather stitching. The trademark hand-stitched Bridge of Weir hides are still intact.

The announcement of the DB12 comes as Aston Martin celebrates two significant milestones in 2023; its monumental 110th anniversary and 75 years of the illustrious DB model line.

Pricing for the Singapore market is yet to be announced.

Photos by James Wong

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