Experienced by Kimatni D. Rawlins
It’s been a long week since Monterey Car Week 2026 concluded, and I’ve been missing the Synapse Orange Aston Martin DB12 S I had at my disposal for the celebratory motorsports gathering. Of course, inside every adult is a child, and I had no problem displaying my youthful energy while joyfully piloting the British GT throughout Pebble Beach, Monterey, and Carmel Valley.
The DB12 S is an evolution of the standard DB12, and “S” can be translated to “supreme.” The shifts from its ZF 8-speed, rear-mid-mounted automatic transmission are faster and the power from the hand-built 4-liter twin-turbo V8 is more assertive. Moreover, deploying the active Quad Tailpipe Sports Exhaust proved exhilarating: the vehicle roared confidently as I blew by crowds taking photos, with thunder, brimstone, and fire shooting out the pipes. But waking the British Beast on chilly morning starts was a distinct, palpable emotion I felt behind the wheel, since Aston Martin is proficient and technologically advanced when it comes to exhaust engineering.
Aston Martin calls the DB12 S the most powerful front-engine, V8 grand tourer in its class, a claim the specification sheet supports without much argument. It produces 690 potent horses for your enjoyment and runs up on other sports cars like a track sprinter walking down an opponent. “Catch me if you can” was my thought once I switched the 2-door coupe into Sport+. Yet, be careful since that alter ego mode weaponizes the DB12 S with everything it’s got! In total, four driver-selectable calibrations include GT, Sport, Sport+, and Wet, which came in handy when it rained on a particular morning in Carmel by the Sea.
The Aston Martin will hit 100 mph quicker than two blinks of an eye from a slight tap of the throttle. Yet, Michelin Pilot Sport S 5s, paired with exclusive 21” Evolution multi-spoke forged rims painted in black and housed within wide haunches, played an integral role in traction, stopping distance, and cornering grip. Designed for meticulous maneuvering and top speed, the 5th-generation track-oriented, max-performance rubber is heir to the Pilot Sport 4S. As you can imagine, my confidence was at an all-time heightened level. However, I expected more stopping power out of the carbon-ceramic brakes. Other specs include a 202 mph top speed, 3.5 seconds to 62 mph, and 590 lb ft of torque.
Stylistically, the DB12 S is exquisite and represents a formidable strategy for Aston Martin. The design language remains faithful to the DB lineage Aston Martin has upheld for more than 75 years, a shape built on purpose rather than ornament. Painted in an unblemished Synapse Orange hue that stood out like pumpkins during Halloween (a $9,700 option), its aluminum body structure, a match-to-body rear diffuser ($7,200), and Swan Wing opening frameless doors contrasted with a pompous Gloss Black 6-vane metal grille ($800 color option), a deployable spoiler with an Aston Martin Aeroblade, a Gloss Black tinted carbon fiber roof ($6,700), and various carbon fiber packs such as the side skirts and front splitter. The DB12 S has an MSRP of $272,000, but with all the upgrades and a $23,100 import cost, my vehicle totaled $400,300.
Inside, the cabin is built around 16-way Sport Plus seats that position occupants low in the chassis, hips and heels set close to the floor to reduce fatigue over distance while preserving precision at the pedals. The material palette pairs light-absorbing Alcantara with hand-sewn leather left in its natural grain, alongside technical trim finished with deliberately raw edges. The orange and Forest Green color combination isn’t one you would expect Aston Martin to spec, but it flows succinctly. Black/gray carbon fiber and 15 metal speaker grilles (atop the dashboard, between the rear seats, and on the doors) from the impressive Bowers & Wilkins audio system ($10,000) are a nice touch. Moreover, the technology suite is built around twin 10.25-inch TFT displays — one central one ahead of the driver — both capable of running Apple CarPlay Ultra simultaneously.
Aston Martin has resisted the temptation to bury the console in touch-sensitive surfaces, keeping physical switches and knurled metal barrels for the functions a driver reaches for without looking. Thank you! I felt like a jet pilot, with all the controls sloping downward. Driver assistance technology covers the expected territory for a car at this level: automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise with stop-and-go, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, and a 3D surround view camera system for tighter movements. However, for all the maneuvering I was creating, my passenger complained about the lack of grab handles.
Aston Martin positions the DB12 S as “The Definitive Super Tourer,” a sports car built for owners who cover real distance but expect the sharper responses that separate this variant from the standard. DB12. Beautiful and exotic, Aston Martin gives you permission to call upon “Bond, James Bond” whenever your attitude vicariously feels the presence of MI6’s 007. I certainly did while piloting the DB12 S!
