The Route Napoléon, which climbs north from the French Riviera to Grenoble, is broadly thought of among the finest driving roads in Europe, with a spectacular assortment of slim switchbacks and high-speed curves related by temporary straights. A lot of it runs by means of nationwide parkland, so visitors is mild. It is hardly a secret, although, and you will find teams of motorcyclists, driving tour teams, and—inevitably—campers additionally on the route. The best automobile for the Route Napoléon is one which’s tight and responsive within the twisties, poised by means of the quick curves, and with deep reserves of energy with a view to rip previous dawdlers within the temporary passing zones and roar triumphantly by means of the valleys. One thing like the Aston Martin DB12.

The DB12 is a giant automobile, and it feels a lot extensive whenever you’re threading it alongside the slim streets of the Côte d’Azur. Thankfully, the steering, which has been revised for higher precision each on- and off-center, makes inserting this automobile simple. It is the identical quickness as earlier than—2.4 turns lock to lock—and the ratio is fastened, which aids predictability. The extent of energy help varies with velocity and drive mode, however not wildly so. On-center precision was additionally a key high quality within the design of the DB12-specific Michelin Pilot Sport 5S tires (275/35-ZR21 up entrance, 325/30-ZR21 on the rear).

So, too, was grip, and the DB12 has a lot. Pushing it as arduous as we dared, it was inconceivable to upset this chassis—even when shocked by a tightening blind nook or out of the blue booting the accelerator powering out of a curve. Aston claims 52 p.c of the automobile’s mass rides on the rear wheels, and the DB12 feels extremely balanced, with keen turn-in and little front-end push.

Chassis tuning for the brand new DB12 was undertaken with the purpose of preserving trip high quality however sharpening dealing with. The three major drive modes—GT, Sport, and Sport+—are joined by the brand new Moist and Particular person modes. There are additionally 9 ranges of traction management as soon as you turn off ESC (though that functionality wasn’t energetic on the pre-production automobiles we drove). Director of auto efficiency Simon Newton talks about wanting to permit the automobile to “breathe,” which meant tuning the brand new Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers to permit some vertical movement even within the firmest setting. That firmest setting does protect a measure of trip high quality—extra so than most Mercedes-AMG or BMW M automobiles of their max-attack mode.

The most important mechanical change from DB11 to 12 is below the hood. The dual-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 once more hails from AMG however is way brawnier than the DB11’s. Bigger turbochargers, revised cam profiles, and the next compression ratio push output to 671 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, a further 143 horses and 77 pound-feet. The brand new V-8 additionally tops the beforehand accessible V-12’s 630 horses and 516 pound-feet. (The V-12 is not at the moment on supply for the DB12, however Aston insiders trace that it may make a return.)

As it’s, the V-8 definitely does not disappoint. The engine’s fats torque band—the height runs from 2750 to 6000 rpm—means the turbo V-8 is brutally robust all through the rev vary. And does this engine pack a punch. Aston quotes a 60-mph time of three.5 seconds, however on the transfer, the DB12 appears even faster. Out on the Route Napoléon, flooring the appropriate pedal despatched the automobile hurtling towards the subsequent nook, and it made even the diciest passing alternatives out of the blue viable. Our solely quibble is the aggressive throttle mapping in Sport+ mode.

An engine that may punt a automobile ahead with the pressure of this V-8 requires brakes which can be equally forceful when reining a automobile in. The agency, reassuring left pedal in our DB12 squeezed carbon-ceramic rotors that have been nicely as much as the duty. A brand new possibility, they save almost 60 kilos over the usual iron stoppers, though they often emit a faint squeal below mild functions. The beefy rotors are seen by means of new, 21-inch wheels (9.5 inches extensive up entrance, 10.5 inches on the rear). The wheel dimension is a rise from 20 inches within the DB11, but the brand new solid wheels are collectively lighter by some 17 kilos.

The DB12 once more makes use of a ZF eight-speed rear-mounted transaxle, and the ratios are the identical as earlier than. The ultimate-drive ratio is 13 p.c shorter, nevertheless, to help in-gear acceleration, so requires extra midrange thrust typically may be answered with out downshifting. Aston has moved the big shift paddles from the column to the steering wheel, however you will not have a lot want for them, so intuitive is that this gearbox. No matter mode, it was amazingly prescient with its downshifting into corners and holding on to a gear when accelerating arduous out of them. Within the reverse state of affairs, when motoring gently by means of a busy city heart or at parking-lot speeds, this torque-converter computerized displays not one of the jerky hesitation that may happen with a dual-clutch gearbox.

The Route Napoléon is not a lot of a spot for stylin’ and profilin’, however the French Riviera definitely is, and in that regard, the DB12 simply holds its personal, although onlookers could not be capable of inform it from its predecessor. Take a look at the DB12, and also you’d assume that—type of like Fonzie trying out his excellent ducktail within the mirror and simply placing his comb again in his pocket—Aston Martin’s designers rolled a DB11 into the studio and determined, “Eh, we actually cannot enhance upon that.” Really, Aston chief artistic officer Marek Reichman claims that many of the physique panels are new or altered (the doorways carry over, and the roof is from the DBS). The look is so comparable, although, that the DB12 giveaways are largely within the particulars: a bigger grille that raises the nostril, reshaped headlamps, a extra outstanding entrance splitter, and new sideview mirrors with minimalist housings perched on reshaped arms.

The near-identical physique is draped over Aston’s bonded and riveted aluminum construction, tweaked for DB12 responsibility. Modifications to the engine crossbrace, the entrance crossmember, the rear bulkhead, and the underbody trays have inched up the structural rigidity by a claimed 7 p.c. The entrance observe is fractionally wider (0.2 inch) and the rear barely extra so (0.9 inch).

Whereas Aston strived for continuity outdoors, that was not the case with the inside, the place it changed the earlier poofy sprint with a slimmer unit that makes the entrance compartment really feel considerably extra spacious, though the greenhouse (which is unchanged) stays fairly shallow. Three totally different seats are on supply: Our automobile had the midrange Sport Plus seats, which had loads of lateral help, however the controls on the facet of the console are considerably fiddly. As earlier than, token rear seats are sized for a briefcase or backpack moderately than a human being. Aromatic Bridge of Weir leather-based and Alcantara coated nearly each inside floor of the automobile we drove, which additionally featured carbon-fiber trim, though patrons face a plethora of decisions.

Aston has binned the Mercedes-sourced infotainment system from the DB11 in favor of a brand new unit designed in-house. The display screen, now absolutely built-in into the ramp-like heart console, could appear undersized at 10.3 inches, however it appears good, and the house display screen exhibits a number of capabilities directly, together with climate-control shortcuts similar to “heat fingers.” Apple and Android smartphone mirroring are current and wi-fi. And the system is about up for over-the-air updates.

Fortunately, Aston did not go full touchscreen in a misguided quest for modernity, as a substitute preserving the tactility of high-quality switchgear, together with curler switches for temperature, fan velocity, and audio quantity, plus a smattering of buttons for main driving points (damper firmness, exhaust quantity, and stability management), in addition to the parking digital camera and a few local weather capabilities. Contact-sensitive nubs on the steering-wheel spokes are much like Mercedes and are not any higher right here. You choose the drive mode through a big dial on the middle console with the beginning/cease button at its heart. The wi-fi smartphone charging mat is positioned on the console’s open decrease tier, which can trigger some anxiousness for many who don’t love their cellphone out of sight; a wired connection may also be discovered inside the middle armrest.

Aston Martin factors out that in current instances, a wholesale mannequin change has been accompanied by a plus-two enhance in mannequin designation: DB7 to DB9, DB9 to DB11. (The ultra-limited DB10 apparently does not depend.) The brand new automobile’s DB12 nameplate, together with its continuity in look, tells you that that is extra of a complete improve. But it surely’s one which places this Aston on the pinnacle of the world’s high-glam sports activities tourers, and it makes the DB12 an excellent machine for taking up considered one of Europe’s most celebrated roads.

Deputy Editor, Critiques and Options

Joe Lorio has been obsessive about automobiles since his Matchbox days, and he bought his first subscription to Automobile and Driver at age 11. Joe began his profession at Vehicle Journal below David E. Davis Jr., and his work has additionally appeared on web sites together with Amazon Autos, Autoblog, AutoTrader, Hagerty, Hemmings, KBB, and TrueCar.