Aston Martin DB12

New grand tourer promises sharper handling and a more bespoke feel than its predecessor On sale Now Price £185,000

- Lawrence Cheung

IT MUST BE an exciting time to work at Aston Martin; the firm recently saw a healthy boost in financial investment, and it's itching to be less reliant on other manufacturers for hardware.

You see, recently its cars have shared parts with Mercedes-Benz; that's by no means bad in itself, but it's hard to say that your cars are unique when many of their controls can be found in an old C-Class. The new DB12, then, demonstrates what the firm is able to do when given the opportunity to be more self-sufficient - and it does it with some style.

True, one significant element is still sourced from Mercedes AMG performance division: the twin-turbo 4.0-litre petrol V8 that's the sole engine choice in the DB12. However, even this has been extensively reworked, to produce a mighty 671bhp. As a result, the dash from 0-62mph )3.6sec) takes only 0.2sec longer than in a Ferrari Roma.