As we traverse along a pathway known as The Slades, nostalgia washes over us. This enchanting path is one among many that you’d encounter in the Cotswolds, an idyllic pocket of England located close to Oxford. Here, the road meanders through delightfully undulating hills peppered with picture-perfect villages, adorning quaint homes and bungalows composed of amber-hued stone. The scene is quite pastoral and the early signs of spring foliage provide a cool overhanging shade. Nevertheless, what utterly consumes my thoughts is the overwhelming and potent vocal prowess of the iconic lead vocalist of Slade, Noddy Holder, a glam-rock sensation from the 70s. The correlation could be traced back to the striking similarity in the name of the road and Holder’s band, nonetheless, I believe Holder’s voice, intense as a drill, is probably the only thing capable of overpowering the turbocharged V8 engine of this beast, the Aston Martin DB12 Volante.
Aston Martin resurrected the Volante moniker, first seen in 1965 on a convertible variant that bore a striking resemblance to the DB5, with technical moniker being the Short Chassis Volante. A legacy was born whereby all convertible models of Aston Martin would bear the title of Volante, the Italian term for ‘flying’.
And now, here we are with the pride of this lineage, the DB12, which is steeped with heritage. Its DB initials are a nod to David Brown, a prosperous tractor manufacturer, who took ownership of Aston Martin in the 1950s, propelling the company into superstardom that produced some of the fastest and aesthetically pleasing cars ever made. After a brief interlude under Ford, the company regained independence, with Lawrence Stroll, a billionaire in the fashion industry from Canada, taking the reins. Also having stakes are giants such as Mercedes and the Chinese company, Geely.
The DB12 receives its robust inner strength from Mercedes. Nestled underneath the elegant, elongated bonnet, contrary to its name, doesn’t hide a 12-cylinder engine, but a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 unit supplied by Mercedes-AMG. In the Aston Martin guise, this engine outputs an incredibly compelling 680hp and 800Nm of torque. The incredible might is enough to propel this sophisticated convertible from zero to 100km/h in a mere 3.7 seconds, despite the rear wheels being the only ones providing the drive.
The DB12 signifies a major advancement from its predecessor, the DB11, disregarding the minor decrease in the aural quality from this vehicle’s turbo V12 engine of 5.5 litres. The earlier DB11 possessed admirable attributes, however its handling at the extremity was difficult and the interior had a rather cheap appearance and sensation.
The DB12, on the contrary, does not exhibit any problems with its interior. A large, curved centre console is decorated with genuine, correct buttons and switches. A shallow, wide touchscreen is also present, along with a noticeably superior quality compared to the DB11.
The interior style has become more subdued, which may appear somewhat drab for a vehicle with a price tag reaching €500,000 in Ireland; I believe it may be more gratifying throughout the long haul. It’s really a four-seater, containing a 2+2 cabin, however the back seats may not be sufficiently spacious to comfortably accommodate most people.
As it’s a convertible, the DB12 Volante features a remarkably insulated roof, which folds away neatly (just 260mm deep when folded), hidden under a cover, providing the car with a sleek look from its large front to the neat rear. This vehicle is not only aesthetically stunning, but its engineering is equally appealing, boasting a moulded and bonded aluminium frame robust enough to convert into a convertible, without the need for an additional load-bearing structure, requiring only a slight adjustment of the rear suspension configurations.
The 4.0-litre V8 engine is technically positioned behind the line of the front axle, enabling this car to be classified as mid-engined. This characteristic delivers an extraordinary performance. It can be heard loudly as it rumbles and thunders through the adjustable sports exhaust when you press hard on the large throttle pedal, releasing the eight cylinders as the DB12 propels forward with incredible power.
Although the line performance is not surprising given the hefty weight of the DB12, which is around 1800kg (the conversion to a convertible adds an additional 90kg in comparison to the coupe), what is unexpected is how well this car handles the narrow, unstable roads such as those found throughout the Cotswolds.
The swift and proactive steering of the Aston DB12 makes it dart into corners at such a pace that one might think the front tyres are pumped with helium. This hefty front-engined coupe possesses surprising agility in narrow bends, not ordinarily associated with automobiles of its bulk. Although its broad dimension can be intimidating, it is indeed more malleable than one would imagine.
The DB12’s uniqueness lies in its adjustable suspension stiffness which, conveniently, can be controlled independently of the car’s mode with a real button. In Sport mode, the engine and steering can work efficiently, unaware of the suspension in Comfort mode, which is particularly useful during a bouncy ride. The car’s large tyres and well-fortified structure allow it to handle bumps very well, with only a mild amount of fidgeting and jostling.
Aston regards the DB12 Volante as an ideal blend of a Grand Tourer’s comfort and a supercar’s performance, referred to as a Super Tourer. You might find it leaning more towards a GT than a genuine supercar, in spite of its fierce acceleration.
On a still day, roof down, in GT mode, the DB12 is well-mannered and noiseless enough to listen to the surrounding wildlife in the trees. Switching to Sport+ mode sends the car into a lively and spirited mode, yet maintaining an undercurrent of comfort and pampering.
Above all, the DB12 is an aesthetic masterpiece which raises memories of why one fell in love with automobiles. When making purchasing decisions, especially at this price point, the DB12’s beauty and charisma are prominent. It holds a higher aesthetic appeal than the competing Ferrari Roma, even if the latter may be slightly more manoeuvrable on unpredictable roads.
The roar of the exhaust set at full volume urges one last drive up The Slades. Go on – surrender to the sound.