The first customer examples of Aston Martin’s stunning new DB12 grand tourer have been claimed, with buyers battling it out with rival bidders at a charity auction held in France last week.
The final price paid was $1.6 million and the proceeds benefited the aid research foundation amfAR. The auction took place during the amfAR Gala to coincide with the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, and was attended by many celebrities including actors Ed Westwick and Amy Jackson, rapper Queen Latifah, models Heidi Klum and Bianca Balti, and athlete Alica Schmidt.
The first customer example of the DB12 was the Launch Edition which Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman said featured several “special” signatures, including those of current Aston Martin Formula 1 drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. The car also wears the DB12 hero color, a special Q paint finish by Aston Martin known as Iridescent Emerald. The paint contains a blend of gold xirallic pigments which Aston Martin says give bronze highlights in certain lights.
Unlike its predecessor the DB11, which offered V-8 and V-12 options, the DB12 is offered exclusively with the V-8, at least for now. The engine is the familiar Mercedes-Benz AMG-sourced turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 that’s also offered in the DB11, although here it’s tuned to the supercar’s 671 hp. It was mated to a rear-mounted 8-speed automatic, with drive sent to the rear wheels via an electronic limited slip differential.
Aston Martin hasn’t ruled out a return of the V-12 engine, though it may be reserved for the more extreme DB12 or perhaps a separate model line positioned like the previous DBS. There have also been rumors of hybrid technology being added to DB12 at some point.
Inside the car is a distinctive blend of leather with accents such as wood, metal and carbon fiber. In the case of Aston Martin, only genuine materials are used. For example, if the DB12’s exterior or cabin surfaces look like carbon fiber, they are. This also applies to the grille which is actually made of metal and not the metal-like coating plastic that other automakers often use.
AstonMartin DB12
New for Aston Martin in terms of interior maintenance is the DB12’s high-tech dashboard. It features digital screens for the instrument cluster and infotainment system, and lots of physical controls for frequently used functions. The infotainment system is Aston Martin’s own design and offers full support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as over-the-air updates.
Deliveries of the DB12 are slated to start in the third quarter of this year. Pricing information will be announced closer to that date. The DB12 Volante conversion has already been seen being tested, with a debut likely to take place next year. Aston Martin also has a new Vantage sports car due for release later this year.
