Aston Martin V8 safe, V12 to return in DBS

Mercedes-AMG’s move to electrified four-cylinder powertrains in some of its high-performance ‘63’ models does not spell the end of the biturbo V8 in future Aston Martin models.

An updated and upgraded version of the Mercedes-AMG 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 debuted in the new Aston Martin DB12 this month.

With outputs of 500kW and 800Nm, the latest iteration of the muscular twin-turbo bent-eight is built specifically for the British marque.

Indeed, with Mercedes-AMG trimming the number of models in which the V8 is used, Aston Martin could soon be the largest customer for the powerplant.
 
“Essentially, they’re building the engine for us,” one Aston Martin insider told carsales, referring to the volumes of engines the British marque is expected to reach across the DBX SUV, Vantage (soon to be updated) and new DB12.

“There’s no end date in site, supply is secured and we’re happy we can achieve what we need to do in terms of emissions and the like,” the Aston spokesperson told carsales.
 
Aston is also quietly bullish on the prospects of its own 5.5-litre V12 – the engine that will power the new-generation DBS when it debuts in late 2023 or early 2024.
 
Aston execs poured water on speculation it would be electrified for its next chapter.

“The V12 is already a heavy engine. Hybrid would just add more weight and our customers are not telling us it’s something they need or want,” one Aston insider stated.
 
And despite news Honda will partner with the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula 1 team for 2026 and beyond, don’t expect any Honda Type R-engined Aston Martins any time soon either.
 
“It’s track-only. Not a road car alignment,” Aston Martin’s head of communication Kevin Watters told carsales.