Michael SatterfieldIt’s not every day that a $324,000 Aston Martin DB12 graces the streets of downtown Bryan, Texas. When the DB12 arrived, it was clear this wasn’t a car designed for quiet entrances. Cloaked in Liquid Crimson—a deep, lustrous maroon that felt right at home in Aggieland—the DB12 idled with a low, menacing growl, commanding the attention of onlookers before even rolling an inch.
Aston Martin dubs this the world’s first Super Tourer, a bold proclamation in a segment dominated by grand touring legends. But one look at its wide stance, aggressive grille, and sculpted bodywork, and it was obvious—this wasn’t just another GT. Beneath the hood, a 671-horsepower twin-turbocharged V8 lay in wait, paired with an all-new adaptive chassis that promised a perfect blend of precision, power, and luxury.
I had the car for a full week, and there was only one way to spend it—driving.
Texas has no shortage of highways, but stoplights and traffic were no place for this machine. It needed space to breathe. So, I pointed the DB12 north toward Calvert, a town of just over a thousand souls, and took a long way—the kind of roads where the horizon stretches for miles and the asphalt begs for speed.
The Aston Martin DB12 Grand Tourer That Lives for the Open Road
On the highway, the DB12 was composed, confident, and deceptively smooth, devouring mile after mile with the kind of effortlessness you expect from Aston Martin. The new electronic power steering was perfectly weighted, the suspension ironed out imperfections without breaking a sweat, and the V8 hummed contentedly at cruising speeds.
But it was the winding backroads where the Aston Martin DB12 truly came alive.
The grip? Relentless. The balance? Unshakable. The 8-speed automatic transmission felt telepathic, delivering power exactly when I needed it. Engage Sport+ mode, and the adaptive dampers tightened, transforming this long-legged tourer into a precision instrument, willing to carve through corners like something far smaller.
At full throttle, the 4.0L twin-turbo V8 was ferocious. With 671 horses surging to the rear wheels, the DB12 launched forward with an urgency that felt more like a supercar than a grand tourer. By the time I reached Calvert—a town where life moves at a different pace—I had already learned two things:
- The Aston Martin DB12 is a masterpiece of engineering, seamlessly blending raw power with effortless control.
- It is impossible to go unnoticed in this car.
A Showstopper in Small-Town Texas
I met a friend in Calvert, parking the Aston Martin DB12 outside a small coffee shop. Within minutes, the entire town seemed to gather. Antique-shopping ladies, kids on bikes, older men in cowboy hats—all drawn to the Aston Martin as if it had just landed from another planet.
“Aston Martin, huh? Never seen one in real life,” one man mused, circling the car like he was trying to figure out what kind of person actually drives something like this.
A young boy, barely able to contain his excitement, finally asked, “Is it fast?”
I grinned. “You have no idea. Want to sit in it?”
He looked up at his mother for approval. She nodded, and he carefully slid into the driver’s seat. He might not have been able to see over the steering wheel, but judging by his ear-to-ear grin, that didn’t matter.
As I fired up the engine, the deep, mechanical growl of the V8 reverberated down Main Street. Phones came out, pictures were taken, and for a brief moment, the DB12 wasn’t just a car—it was an event.
Owning the Night Black Tie in the Aston Martin DB12
A few nights later, the Aston Martin DB12 had another audience to impress—this time, at Miramont Country Club for the annual American Heart Association Heart Ball. If ever there were a car made for black-tie affairs, this was it. Rolling up to valet, I found myself surrounded by a sea of King Ranch F-250s, Cadillacs, and Mercedes-Benzes.
But the DB12? It was different.
I pulled up to the front, its low, wide grille swallowing the light, the Liquid Crimson paint nearly black under the moonlight. The valet, a young guy who had clearly never parked an Aston Martin before, just stared. “We’ll keep it up front,” he said.
And that’s exactly where it stayed. The Aston Martin DB12 doesn’t get hidden away—it demands attention.
Having it up front worked out well, considering my wife and I planned on slipping out early. While we didn’t win any live auctions, we found out the next day that we had secured concert tickets through the silent auction—so, a win in our book.
More Than a Car— The Aston Martin DB12 is an Experience
Over the course of the week, I drove the DB12 as much as possible. To my office in downtown. To meetings at Lake Walk, where it once again stole the show parked in front of The Stella Hotel. Everywhere it went, it drew a crowd.
Because the Aston Martin DB12 isn’t just about looks—it’s about what it makes you feel.
It’s the kind of car that commands attention. That starts conversations. That makes even those who have never cared about cars stop and take notice. It can rip through backroads like a sports car, cruise the highway with the refinement of a Bentley, and own a valet stand like an Italian exotic.
Even the smallest interactions—like opening the trunk to toss in a bag—feel special.
After a week behind the wheel, I can confidently say Aston Martin got it right. The DB12 blurs the line between GT and supercar, combining effortless luxury with heart-pounding performance in a way few cars ever have.
Would I choose it over a Ferrari Roma? (Which I have yet to drive.) Yes. Over a Bentley Continental GT? Without question. It’s more engaging, more emotional, and far rarer.
The Aston Martin DB12 isn’t just a car—it’s an experience. And if you ever find yourself lucky enough to drive one, my advice is simple: Don’t waste it on stoplights and traffic. Take it somewhere it can breathe. Because whether you’re on an empty backroad, the streets of a small town, or rolling up to a black-tie gala, the DB12 owns every moment.
