Aston Martin will unveil its next-generation grand tourer – an overhauled version of the DB11 that was previously spotted testing on road and track – on 24 May.
It will bring a technological overhaul, with teaser images released by the British firm confirming that the ageing Mercedes-Benz infotainment system from the DB11 has been replaced.
Company chairman Lawrence Stroll confirmed in early 2022 that the Mercedes system was to be discontinued, asking: “How can you have an Aston Martin that sells for £150,000 with three-year-old technology?”
An agreement with Mercedes-Benz meant Aston Martin could only use the German firm’s technology once it had been used in Mercedes models for three years – “a silly thing the previous management agreed to”, according to Stroll.
He confirmed that the new car will get a touchscreen infotainment system, differentiated from Mercedes’ tech by “our own faces, our own voices – a proper English accent”.
The official teaser images also show that the DB11’s silhouette is largely intact, with changes concentrated on the styling at either end.
There is a new headlight design, for example, and more aggressively sculpted bonnet vents.
Prototypes were previously spotted with a lip spoiler at the rear end, but it is unclear whether this has translated to the production car.
The choice between V8 and V12 models is likely to remain, with both subject to substantial revamps. The V12 was recently uprated to 759bhp for the swansong DBS 770 Ultimate, thanks to a 7% bump in turbo pressure and ignition tweaks.
Aston Martin product and marketing boss Alex Long told Autocar the V12 is “synonymous with the brand”, adding it has “a huge emotional connection for the customers”.
The eight-pot is anticipated to be the upgraded version of the M177 unit found in the new Mercedes-AMG SL 63, which produces 577bhp and 590lb ft – an uplift of 49bhp and 92lb ft compared with the current DB11 V8.
That a test mule was previously captured wearing 305-width rear tyres – 10mm broader than those fitted to the existing model – hints at a power uplift substantial enough to require the additional rubber.
The new car is expected to go on sale later this year, carrying the DB12 nameplate. Aston Martin filed to trademark ‘DB12’ in the US in March, but denied it would use the name on a car.
An official statement said: “Aston Martin regularly files international trademark applications to protect names for possible future use.”
