Aston Martin Debuts New 2024 DB12 Super Tourer

Grand Tourers are an interesting breed of car, if you really dig them. They are designed to be supremely comfortable, luxurious and supple on a variety of roads across Europe, where the style began. At the same time, they are also designed to be incredibly powerful, fast, and provide unparalleled performance for drivers when they decide to put their right foot on the unrestricted Autobahn or the higher-speed sections of many continental highways.

Aston Martin has always been at the forefront of the GT market, with legendary cars like the DB5 and even the recent DB9 and DB11 cars considered among the best in their class. However, it seems that the designers and engineers at Gaydon in England wanted to go beyond the GT and create a new class of car: The Super Tourer.

If the new 2024 Aston Martin DB12 is their proposal, they have a strong argument. Let’s look at the key points…

First of all, they definitely have the power to surpass the GT, with a turbocharged 4.0L dual twin scroll V8 engine making 670 HP @ 6000RPM and 590 lbs-ft of torque between 2500 and 6000 RPM, all sent via the attached rear axle. The ZF’s 8-speed automatic features electronic shift-by-wire and receives power from the engine via a carbon fiber support shaft housed in an alloy torsion tube. Despite the curb weight of 3,981 lbs, it’s enough to break the 60 MPH mark in 3.5 seconds. A top speed of 202 MPH makes it one of the fastest non-limited edition Aston Martins in history too.

Second, ticking every box in the convenience category. The front seats are carbon fiber sport seats that remain luxurious and are covered with full-grain leather, as befits an Aston.

The dashboard also gets a leather finish, while the center console is an exposed carbon fiber mix with leather accents, dominated by a 10.25-inch infotainment screen in front of the control cluster topped by a large Start/Stop button.

As expected, the materials are also luxurious, with a full Alcantara headliner and plush 600GSM rug. Any and all exposed surfaces are bare carbon fiber or high quality gloss black inlays. Absolutely everything is power controlled, from the 12-way seat adjustment to the mirrors and door windows. The final touch is a bespoke and carefully tuned audio system by Bowers & Wilkins, a new Aston Martin partner known for its studio-grade audio equipment and ultra-high-end speaker cabinets.

However, you can have all the power in the world and sit very comfortably, but that means nothing if your touring car’s dynamics are mellow and numb. The DB12 is, as Aston Martin claims, “Sharpsest DB Ever”, with a rear variable e-differential linked to the car’s stability control system. Unlike a traditional mechanical limited slip differential, it can go from wide open to 100% locked in milliseconds, and continuously adjusts between the two extremes to provide the best response every time.

Steering is maintained via a thick leather-wrapped steering wheel connected to a variable electric power assist (EPAS) rack and pinion system that has a supercar-level 2,375 turns lock-to-lock.

However, the real magic is in the suspension and chassis. By employing new shape aluminum ties, the DB12 is at least 7% stiffer in torsional stiffness compared to other DB models currently in production. The car also features a supple and responsive next-generation Aston intelligent adaptive damper, which has a 500% increase in force distribution bandwidth and low millisecond response time, while at the same time allowing the car to sit low on its wheels, giving it an aggressive and agile appearance. .

There will be deep dives into these systems and more coming to Supercars.net soon, as well as a full gallery, but for now, we can safely say that with the DB12, Aston Martin’s claim to be “The World’s First Super”. Tourer” is well founded, and very well supported.

No price has been announced yet, but production is expected to start in Q3 2023.