Top of the DB tree: behold the new 690bhp Aston Martin DB12 S

This is the shiny new Aston Martin DB12 S, where S stands for ‘Sorry if you went ahead and bought a standard DB12’. For that one little letter adds boons of power, pointiness and most importantly, noise.

It’s now the fastest and most powerful iteration of the lovely DB12, via a 19bhp boost to the 4.0-litre AMG V8 lurking under that vast bonnet. So where the not-at-all-regular regular car churned out 671bhp, this one’s got 690bhp.

Torque remains unchanged at 590lb ft, but thanks to powertrain tweaks, launch control and gearshift times have both been cut, meaning 0-62mph now takes just 3.5s vs 3.6s in the non-S DB12. One entire tenth! What will you do with all that time?

Maybe… revel in that biturbo V8. Aston’s given the DB12 S a quad-pipe stainless steel exhaust system “tuned to accentuate the engine frequencies throughout the rev range for added depth and potency”. Yes, we’ll always miss the snarling old nat-asp 6.0-litre Aston V12, but this is 2025 – let’s just celebrate what we can, where we can, m’kay.

Said exhaust cuts the DB12’s weight by a considerable 11.7kg and adds 1.5dB of Good Noise, while further tweaks include a more “progressive” throttle pedal feel (it recycles and cares for the environment, maybe?)

Meanwhile, new settings for the Bilstein DTX dampers (less roll and pitch), tweaked camber/toe/castor settings, and a stiffer rear anti-roll bar join other screws Aston has tightened in the DB12’s chassis. Like tweaking the steering and e-diff to allow use of the throttle “earlier in the corner for maximum satisfaction from corner entry to exit”. Yup, Aston wants you to get lairy.

Carbon ceramic brakes arrive as standard fit, and they’re bigger and lighter (they alone save 27kg of unsprung weight versus the DB12’s steel setup). Driver assists have also been sent to finishing school, while the suit’s been tweaked.

You’ll spot the new front splitter and bonnet louvres – functional as well as another ‘outta my way, puny non-S DB12’ sign – gloss black sills, lots of S badges, a new rear diffuser, those pipes, and a new rear spoiler. Inside you’re offered three trims laid over the very adjustable sports seats, while there’s the option to option the heck out of it. Just ask Q nicely.