Aston Martin Turns Up The Wick On The DB12 Volante

Aston Martin is on the performance offensive, launching mid-engined supercars, mind-bending hypercars, squeezing extra power out of its big-selling SUV and promising to make more models with manual shifters. And as these images show, it’s also making time to have some fun with the DB12 Volante.

Not that the big convertible that landed in 2023 isn’t exciting to drive – far from it. Although Aston axed the V12 option when it upgraded the DB11 to make the DB12, the AMG-sourced 4.0-liter V8 still cranks out 671 hp (680 PS) and a thumping 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. Those are better numbers than the old V12 generated, and enough to get the DB12 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 202 mph (325 km/h).

Related: It’s No Valhalla, But Aston’s DB12 AMR Prototype Knows How To Hustle

But there will always be customers who want a DB12 with a little more bite and are prepared to sacrifice a tiny bit of comfort to get it. The car seen here is by no means a stripped-out trackday special; it’ll still tick the DB12 luxury boxes. But everything from the design to the body control to the straightline performance will be massaged to make it more of an enthusiast’s car.

Bigger aero, stacked exhausts

As with the coupe version of this hot new DB12 we spied a couple of months back, this Volante looks instantly more aggressive thanks to a deeper front spoiler with three square vent holes at either end and a large-scale egg-crate grille. The new DBX S SUV has a similar spoiler with two holes on either side.

We think those changes, plus the lowered ride height that comes with the stiffer suspension, should be easy to spot on the street. But they’re not as obvious as the new exhaust layout which places the tailpipes on top of each other like the on the DBX S, rather than side by side like on the stock DB12.

There’s no chance those pipes will be venting fumes from a V12, though you can still get one of those if you step up to the 824 hp (835 PS) Vanquish Volante that’s built on the same platform. But we can expect Aston to liberate some more horses from the existing V8. For the DBX S, they fitted the engine with turbos from its Valhalla supercar to boost output to 717 hp (727 PS), and although this is just speculation, it would make sense for the hot DB12 to get the same setup.

DB12 S or DB12 AMR?

What could also make sense, given the the shared design cues with the DBX S such as the exhaust and front spoiler, is for Aston to call this the DB12 S. Previously we’d referred to prototypes as DB12 AMR, because the company had until recently used the Aston Martin Racing badge to mark out its performance models.

We’re expecting to see at least one of these DB12 performance variants make its debut before the end of this year, though the launch is likely to be staggered, with the coupe getting the spotlight first. And with Goodwood coming up next month, Aston might choose that as the venue for its unveiling.

Baldauf