“Super Tourer” which is more Super than Tourer

Aston has billed the DB12 as a “super-tourer,” meaning a “grand tourer” that doubles as a bona fide supercar. This commitment to both comfort and athleticism in one car is admirable when you’re selling it to people who can usually only afford one car – that’s why we have modest hot hatchbacks – but I struggle with it in this tax bracket. 2024 year Aston Martin The DB12 Volante starts at $269,000.

Let’s not fool ourselves. Most people shopping the DB12 end of the market aren’t looking for a one-of-a-kind car. So why does it have to be universal? Why can’t it be really, really good at one thing and one thing only?

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Basics

Here’s the part of the Aston review where I address how it looks and try to come up with something new and different that doesn’t boil down to “She’s really pretty, isn’t she?” As good as the DB12 looks in pictures, it’s even better in the metal. It’s definitely eye-catching and unlike, say, a Lamborghini with a reception that may not always be positive, the public response to Aston is almost always one of awe and respect. I can’t say I’m too good at reading people, but general looks from passers-by can be described as “I didn’t know cars could look this good.”

In terms of actual sheet metal, the DB12 isn’t dramatically different from the DB11 it replaces. Officially, it is declared as a new model, but in reality it is a more serious facelift. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find complaints about “the gorgeous new Aston looking too much like the gorgeous old Aston.”

Open one of the DB12’s ever-so-slightly upturned doors and you’re met with an interior that’s far superior to what you got in the DB11. First observation: This thing smelled like a Porsche. Not necessarily bad, Porsche reeks of quality. Visually, the interfaces are clean and well thought out.

There are a lot of buttons and scroll wheels that make interacting with this car’s systems a breeze, the materials feel expensive, and I don’t like the combination of green leather and open-pore dark wood on this particular Slytherin-coded example. Sun visors are wrapped in stitched leather and the joints shine. I miss the cool Bowers speaker grills that the new Vantage and Vanquish have, although I’d be shocked if they didn’t make an appearance on the DB12.

Since this is a Volante convertible, the boot is small and the top refused to open when carry-on luggage was in it. Given that people usually have luggage when they travel, this is the first mark against the DB12 as a Grand Tourer. (There will be more, cancel.)

Another annoying thing that gets in the way of this proper GT-dom is the screens, which now run proper software, yes, but the hardware can’t seem to dim to a comfortable level at night. They are distracting, searingly bright as the retina, and the problem was not resolved even after I took it up with the Aston. Also, you know how Apple CarPlay temporarily mutes the music every time Google Maps issues audio directions? This DB12 had a glaring bug: every time Maps would kick in to tell you where to go, Spotify would freeze completely and not resume until I manually hit the play button again.

Moreover, the build quality is nowhere near as high as that of such major manufacturers as BMW or Lexus. The glossy black control center in the middle might look nice, but it becomes a squeaky town if you press it even lightly; and there was an annoying screeching sound coming from where the passenger door meets the dashboard.

Driving an Aston Martin DB12 Volante

As the DB12 is the more established and grander entry in Aston’s current sports car line-up, it rides quieter and smoother than the Aston. An advantage. However, in the context of other big-dollar grand tourers, it’s only okay as a true grand tourer. It’s louder and rougher than I expected, and it’s not quite a replacement in my opinion Bentley Continental GT (or even a Lexus LC, which remains, dollar for dollar, the greatest GT car on sale today). The two are more refined than that, which to be fair matches Aston’s new ‘super-tourer’ angle on this car.

The ride isn’t so wobbly that it could be considered sharp, but it isn’t smooth either. For true GT duty, it should drive better and quieter than this one. The seats also appear to have been made with a sporty look in mind – they’re not andcomfortable, but they could definitely be more luxurious. There’s wind noise, the V8 refuses to make itself known even during casual cruising and, as mentioned, the cabin of this particular example liked to squeak a bit when going over bumps.

4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 borrowed from the Mercedes produces 671 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, allowing the DB12 Volante to sprint to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and have a top speed of 202 mph. It’s a powerful engine with a rumbling sound, while the gearbox, ZF’s eight-speed automatic, shifts deliberately slowly with paddle shifters in GT mode, but accelerates well in Sport and Sport+ modes.

In these modes, in fact, the whole car wakes up. This V8 gets downright raucous, with crackles on acceleration and throwing on twisty roads, the “super” part of this “super tourer” reveals itself to the full. The steering is the highlight. It feels precise, light, quick, responsive and pleasant, as befits a bona fide sports car boot. It’s certainly nice and strong on the highway, but around town the DB12 is quite easy to handle. In my opinion, the DB12 is better in the super part of its spirit than the touring part, and I find myself simply thinking, “What a good thing.”

The brakes—carbon in this example—worked well as brakes, and the pedal feels sure-footed. Although their constant squeal, which I’m told is known and expected, was annoying enough to recommend you stay away from them as an option if you plan to drive this car in the famous company or nearby. It’s a supercar trait that really hampers its credentials as a purportedly relaxing and sophisticated grand tourer.

Legislative theater

The weirdness of the Aston Martin DB12 doesn’t stop there because, on top of everything else, the most aggravating thing that came with this vehicle was the very annoying chime that cut off every time I went even slightly over the speed limit. You can turn it off, but it’s hidden in the touchscreen menu and, like auto start-stop on most cars that have it, it’s on by default every time you restart the car. The technology exists to make the DB12 compliant with a new European law mandatory introduction of Intelligent Speed ​​Adaptation (ISA) technology in every new car sold.

To Aston’s credit, it’s rolling out software updates that will disable it for the North American car market, and this press loan even came with a short video made by Aston’s PR people teaching me step-by-step how to disable the technology.

I’d like to take the opportunity to speak, not to Aston, but to European legislators: every time I heard that bell, all it did was make me want to accelerate even more out of pure anger. Maybe that makes me a jerk here, of course, but I’m willing to bet that a good portion of the European driving public has the same psychological reaction. Safe drivers don’t need a bell reminding them not to exceed the speed limit. And really dangerous drivers won’t let a call stop them from being dangerous drivers.

This is pure legislative theater. Is it a TSA agent making you throw away a perfectly good sandwich or, you know, your homemade friendship bracelet so they can go home at the end of the day feeling like they accomplished something. And if that’s what you need to do to get a good night’s sleep, more power to you, but let’s not pretend it accomplishes anything more.

Judgment

Even ignoring some annoying honks and horns, the DB12 is by no means the do-everything Aston Martin that Aston Martin wants it to be. It’s too stiff and sporty to be a class-leading GT, which pays off when you have a good chunk of road, but how often does that happen? And even if it does, I have a feeling that most DB12 owners already have a Vantage, which is much better equipped for the task. Or a 911 GT3. Or Caterham.

If you want an Aston that’s equally good on the road as it is at crossing continents, you’ll need to check out the sofa cushions for a bit more coin and get Win.

Given the job of off-road driving, a rival Bentley would be a much better tool than the DB12. Hell, neither does Lexus. And while it’s made big strides in the interior and tech department, small but annoying quirks like eye-searing night screens and pointless CarPlay bugs make those taking it seriously have to wait and wait. shopping and daily driving offer.

The 2024 Aston Martin DB12 Volante is one of those cars that tries to be good at a lot of things – it mostly succeeds, but at the cost of not the best in any of these things. The only exception to this, of course, is how it looks.

Don’t get me wrong, the DB12 is objectively a fabulous luxury product. It’s beautiful, it’s fast, and it’s an indication of how far this particular brand has come when it comes to the pesky “handling excellence” department. But look a little closer and, given the context it exists in, I can’t help but wish it was better than just being a grand tourer.

Have a tip or question for the author about the DB12 Volante? You can contact him here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com