Introducing the Aston Martin DB12: Grand isn’t enough

New: Aston Martin DB12
Grand is not enough

Aston Martin DB12

© press-inform – the press office

Aston Martin is poaching with the DB12 in the territory of Ferrari Roma, Bentley Continental and McLaren GT. In order to be able to hold its own against these competitors, the British pack 500 kW / 680 hp and an improved chassis under the decorative shell of the long-distance specialist, which is not intended to be a simple Gran Turismo but a Super Tourer.

The Brits know how to celebrate an anniversary. Be it with their regents or on the occasion of one of the many battles that the Empire has fought victoriously in its glorious history. Aston Martin is celebrating two anniversaries this year. On the one hand, the founding of the car manufacturer 110 years ago and, on the other hand, the introduction of the DB series 75 years ago. And what grandiose vehicles with the two letters have there not been in the three quarters of a century? Of course, the best spy in Her Majesty’s service, James Bond, had them all, but none reached the fame of the grandiose DB 5. In order to follow in these great footsteps, a special car is needed as an anniversary present.

The Aston Martin DB12 is a super tourer. “Grand is not enough,” sounds the Aston Martin announcement in the best James Bond film title manner (“The world is not enough”). If you’re drumming like that, you have to deliver. In addition to the Bentley Continental GT, the British took the Ferrari Roma and the McLaren GT, each with 456 kW / 620 hp, as a reference and immediately added 44 kW / 60 hp. A four-liter twin-turbo V8 powers the Aston Martin with 500 kW / 680 hp and a maximum torque of 800 Newton meters between 2,750 and 6,000 rpm. This corresponds to an increase of 34 percent over the DB11. The DB12 thus reaches the 100 km/h mark after around 3.6 seconds and has a top speed of 325 km/h. Reason enough for the British carmaker to celebrate the DB12 as the world’s first super tourer. The radiator grille, behind which the eight-pot power plant does its work, is correspondingly impressive.

In order to tease this power out of the aggregate, the Aston Martin engineers have pulled out a number of classic tuning registers. The basis are larger turbochargers with several additional coolers. The main cooler is supplemented with two additional coolers. The new low-temperature cooler, in conjunction with the intercooler’s water circuit, ensures that the intake air does not get too hot. The temperature concept is supplemented by significantly larger body openings (plus 56 percent compared to the DB11) so that more air flows around the engine. In addition, the additional oil cooler is now twice as large. In order for the cycle to work, the hot air escapes through two nostrils on the hood. Inside the engine, a sharper camshaft and modified compression ensure more power. The eight-speed gearbox has a shortened final ratio of 3.083:1 so that the power can also develop adequately.

The Aston Martin DB12 is the first vehicle in this model range to feature an electronic rear differential (E-Diff) that can switch from fully open to 100 percent locking in a matter of milliseconds. In addition to new adaptive dampers that enable a larger tuning bandwidth and stiffer stabilizers, the torsional rigidity of the elegant aluminum body has also increased by seven percent.

These ingredients enable dynamic driving behavior and a significantly larger range of tuning options, which logically leads to a spread of the five predefined driving modes. In addition to the attack programs Sport and Sport Plus, an Eco, a Comfort and a GT long-distance program should be available. The driving modes are selected with a classic rotary knob located directly in front of the automatic stub lever. The ESP offers the settings: wet, on, off and track. Mixed tires of 275/35 and 305/30 inches ensure grip and an LED light with a distinctive light signature ensures good visibility in the dark.

The interior with the slightly rising, wide center console and the sloping 10.25-inch touchscreen is a pleasant contrast to the ambience, which reminds you of a Mercedes with every movement. The infotainment masters wireless updates and the same integration of the smartphone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The Aston Martin DB12 will be available from dealers from the third quarter of this year. The price should be based on that of the competitors, i.e. around 200,000 euros.

press release

source site-6