Slap a 700PS badge on a car and most people will stop reading right there. But at the Taiwan launch of the Aston Martin DB12 S, the brand chose to center the story on the chassis instead — and that choice alone is worth a second look.
The DB12 S is offered in both Coupe and Volante convertible forms, powered by a 4.0L twin-turbo V8 producing 700PS and 800Nm of torque between 2,750 and 6,000rpm, sent to the rear wheels via a rear-mounted ZF 8-speed automatic. That's enough for 0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 325km/h. Aston Martin also retuned the electronic throttle response and shift logic, cutting Launch Control shift times by over 50%, and fitted a new quad-exit sport exhaust. Those figures alone make it noticeably more aggressive than the standard DB12 — but the real story is what's happening underneath.
The Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers have been retuned, paired with a stiffer rear anti-roll bar and revised chassis geometry, while the electronic limited-slip differential has also been optimized. Carbon-ceramic brakes are standard across the board — 410mm up front, 360mm at the rear — offering better resistance to heat fade while shaving 27kg off unsprung weight. That number, arguably, says more about the engineering team's priorities than the horsepower bump does: it's about how the car feels through a corner, not just how fast it hits a straight-line number.
Visually, the DB12 S wears its performance intent openly: a two-piece front splitter, hood vents, gloss black side skirts, a fixed ducktail spoiler, plus a stacked quad-exit exhaust and gloss carbon fiber aero pieces that give the rear end a much sharper presence. Taiwan's launch car came in Concours Blue over a gloss black roof, riding on 21-inch matte black Y-spoke forged wheels with red brake calipers — the kind of color combo that makes you circle back for a second look in a parking garage. Inside, Inspire S fine leather trim pairs with Sport Plus performance seats and red S-badged accents, carrying the exterior's performance language straight into the cabin.
The DB12 S starts at NT$14.88 million. It hasn't abandoned the DB12's grand-touring character — it's simply pushed chassis response, braking power, and drivetrain feedback further forward, giving the "Super Tourer" label something to back it up when the road starts to twist.
