First drive · 21 August 2026
Aston Martin DB12 S Volante: the costly upgrade that adds up
Car and Driver reports a $319,000 price, but the sharper S package makes a more coherent case than that number suggests: 690 horsepower, carbon-ceramic brakes and a bundle of equipment that would cost more when added separately.
Updated 21 August 2026 · by That Car Blog
What the S changes
Seven numbers that define the proposition
The useful comparison is not simply whether this convertible is expensive—it plainly is. It is what the extra spend buys, and what opening the roof takes away. Sort the figures to examine price, power or luggage space.
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| Model or configuration | Measure | Value | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base DB12 | Engine output | 671hp, manufacturer-rated | Reference point for the S |
| DB12 S | Engine output | 690hp, manufacturer-rated | 19 hp more; difference, not a verdict |
| Vanquish | Engine output | 820hp, manufacturer-rated | Shows the range-top power gap |
| Volante, roof up | Luggage capacity | 206litres, standard luggage-volume measure | The larger of the two luggage figures |
| Volante, roof down | Luggage capacity | 169litres, standard luggage-volume measure | 37 litres less with the roof lowered |
| Standard Volante | Base MSRP | $282,000USD | Supplied base-price reference |
| DB12 S Volante | Base MSRP | $300,000USD | $18,000 above the supplied standard-car figure |
Sources: Aston Martin’s DB12 S release and the supplied comparison data. Aston Martin states 700 PS for the S; that is about 690 hp. Car and Driver reports $319,000 in its tested-car framing, so the supplied $300,000 base MSRP should not be read as an as-tested price.
Car and Driver calculates that recreating the S car’s included equipment on a standard DB12 would cost $36,800—more than the trim upcharge it cites. That does not make a $300,000-plus convertible sensible in ordinary household terms. It does make the S the internally rational version for a buyer already committed to a DB12 Volante.
These are not DB12 rivals. They show the long historical yardstick behind Harry Metcalfe’s description of the DB12 S as a “forgotten gem”: his enthusiasm sits within a collection that spans light sporting cars and full-blooded exotics. The harder consumer fact remains the Volante’s 169-litre roof-down luggage capacity. For a grand tourer—a fast car intended to cover long distances—that is the compromise you will meet before the 202 mph claim ever matters.
Further reading: Aston Martin’s DB12 S release, Car and Driver’s first drive, and our report on the Aston Martin Vantage RS testing at the Nürburgring.
Transparency: this comparison uses manufacturer specifications supplied with the story and independent driving-report context from Car and Driver. No independent instrumented performance measurement was supplied. The lead image is AI-generated and credited as an illustration.