The 2026 Aston Martin DB12 S adds real edge to an already great super tourer, challenging the Roma Spider and Continental GT in day-to-day comfort.
The 2026 Aston Martin DB12 S arrives with a simple mission: take an already excellent super tourer and add enough edge to worry Maranello and Crewe. After a first drive, the answer is clear. This is not a cosmetic trim pack. It is the DB12 turned from charming into properly sharp.
Aston finally gives the DB12 the bite its badge promised
If the standard DB12 was the car that rebooted Aston Martin’s grand touring credibility, the DB12 S is the one that gives it a harder jawline. Power from the AMG-sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 rises to 671 hp, up from 671? No — Aston’s figures matter here: the DB12 S pushes to 680 PS, or roughly 671 hp, with torque holding at a stout 800 Nm (590 lb-ft). That translates to a claimed 0-62 mph time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed just over 200 mph.
Those are not abstract brochure numbers on this car. The extra urgency is obvious the first time you lean into the throttle exiting a fast second-gear bend. The DB12 S doesn’t merely gather speed; it lunges, then keeps hauling with the kind of elastic mid-range shove that makes overtaking traffic feel rude.
Aston has not chased lap-time theater at the expense of manners. The eight-speed automatic is still a torque-converter unit rather than a dual-clutch, and that is a good thing in a grand tourer. Around town it stays smooth and polished, yet when you click into Sport+ and use the paddles, shifts land with real intent instead of luxury-car mush.
How the DB12 S drives: less gentleman, more athlete
The biggest news in this 2026 Aston Martin DB12 S first drive is not the power bump. It is the chassis tuning. Aston has tightened damper calibration, sharpened front-end response, and recalibrated the electronic differential and stability systems so the S feels more tied down without becoming brittle.
On a fast road, the standard DB12 can occasionally feel like it is negotiating with physics. The DB12 S feels like it has already read the contract. Turn-in is cleaner, body control is noticeably tighter, and the rear axle puts power down with more confidence when the road gets messy.
Steering remains a strong point. It is not old-school hydraulic-chatty, but it is precise and natural, with better weighting than the slightly synthetic helm you get in many modern exotics. That matters because the DB12 S is not trying to be a junior supercar. It is trying to be the best fast road car in the real world, where cambers, patchy pavement, and 200-mile days exist.
Ride quality is firm but still expensive-feeling. That is the key distinction. The DB12 S never crashes over broken surfaces like some supposedly sporty convertibles do, and it breathes with the road better than a Ferrari Roma Spider when the pavement turns ugly.
- Engine: 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8
- Output: 680 PS / about 671 hp
- Torque: 800 Nm / 590 lb-ft
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
- 0-62 mph: 3.5 seconds claimed
- Top speed: 202 mph claimed
DB12 S vs Ferrari Roma Spider: the sharper choice or the better one?
The DB12 S vs Ferrari Roma Spider matchup is the obvious one, because both cars target buyers who want beauty, speed, and enough comfort to justify using them more than once a month. The Ferrari counters with a 612-hp twin-turbo 3.9-liter V8, an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and a claimed 0-62 mph time of 3.4 seconds. It is fractionally quicker on paper and feels lighter on its feet.
But here is the problem with the Roma Spider: it can feel too clever by half. Its controls are fussier, its cabin interface is more annoying than luxurious, and its ride can veer from taut to tiresome on bad roads. The Aston is not as surgically crisp, but it is easier to trust, easier to settle into, and frankly more relaxing when you are not pretending every commute is a Targa Florio stage.
The Ferrari still wins if your priority is ultimate agility. It turns more eagerly, shifts harder, and has the sort of front-end immediacy that flatters a committed driver. Yet the DB12 S hits a sweeter balance for many buyers because it gives away very little pace while offering a richer cabin ambiance and less digital irritation.
- Ferrari Roma Spider advantage: lighter feel, faster-shifting DCT, more immediate turn-in
- Aston Martin DB12 S advantage: stronger cabin quality, better long-distance comfort, more intuitive controls
- Verdict: Ferrari for weekend fireworks, Aston for actual ownership
DB12 S vs Bentley Continental GT: speed matters, but so does theater
The DB12 S vs Bentley Continental GT comparison is more complicated, because Bentley plays a slightly different game. The latest Continental GT Speed uses a plug-in hybrid V8 setup with a colossal 771 hp and 738 lb-ft, making it devastatingly fast for a car that weighs well north of 5,000 pounds. In a straight line, the Bentley is a sledgehammer.
It is also, bluntly, a lot of car. The Continental GT remains a masterpiece of craftsmanship, with a cabin that feels carved from very expensive club furniture. But on a demanding road, you are always aware of its mass, no matter how much chassis wizardry Bentley throws at it.
The DB12 S feels more alive. It changes direction with less reluctance, shrinks around the driver more convincingly, and delivers its performance with a sense of occasion rather than brute-force inevitability. If the Bentley is a private jet on wheels, the Aston is the tailored suit you wear when you still plan to move under your own steam.
Where Bentley fights back is refinement and effortless cruising. The Continental is quieter, more isolated, and more indulgent over a long interstate haul. If your definition of the best luxury grand tourer 2026 is maximum opulence with immense pace, the Bentley still has a very serious case.
- Bentley Continental GT advantage: cabin richness, refinement, crushing straight-line pace
- Aston Martin DB12 S advantage: lighter feel, more engaging handling, more driver-focused character
- Verdict: Bentley for wafting in maximum style, Aston for people who still enjoy driving
Interior, tech, and daily drivability: can you actually live with it?
Yes, and that is a bigger win than it sounds. Recent Astons have finally moved past the old era of gorgeous design paired with borrowed, clunky tech. The DB12 S uses Aston’s much-improved in-house infotainment system, with a proper touchscreen backed up by physical controls for key functions. Revolutionary? No. Sensible? Blessedly, yes.
The seating position is excellent, visibility is decent for the class, and the materials look and feel worthy of a six-figure GT. You still buy an Aston for the way it makes you feel when you open the door, and the DB12 S absolutely nails that sense of occasion. Quilted leather, crisp switchgear, and just enough hand-built eccentricity remain part of the charm.
As a daily proposition, the Aston makes more sense than a Ferrari and feels less intimidating to use than a Bentley in tighter urban spaces. Trunk space is acceptable for a weekend away, the cabin has enough real storage to avoid constant irritation, and the powertrain is docile when you want it to be. That last bit matters, because a 670-hp GT that cannot behave in traffic is just an expensive tantrum.
The DB12 S succeeds because it feels engineered for owners, not just spec sheets. It is fast enough to thrill, luxurious enough to justify the price, and usable enough to avoid becoming garage art.
Verdict: the best all-rounder in the class?
This Aston Martin DB12 S review ends with a rare thing in the high-end GT world: a firm answer. Yes, the DB12 S is good enough to sit right in the middle of the Ferrari Roma Spider and Bentley Continental GT, and for many buyers that makes it the smartest choice of the three.
The Ferrari is more overtly sporting. The Bentley is more lavish. The Aston, however, is the one with the broadest talent set and the fewest compromises. It has the pace to be taken seriously, the cabin to feel special every day, and the chassis composure to turn a long drive into a pleasure instead of a performance.
So, can Aston’s sharper super tourer beat the Ferrari and Bentley on speed, luxury, and daily drivability? On outright speed, the Ferrari and Bentley both land punches. On daily drivability and the crucial blend of engagement and comfort, the DB12 S comes out swinging and wins on points.
If you are shopping this end of the market and want the best luxury grand tourer 2026 without defaulting to the obvious badge or the heaviest hammer, the DB12 S is the car to test first. It is handsome, fast, expensive, and finally sharp enough to back up the attitude. About time.
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