Aston Martin DB11 To Be Renamed DB12 As Part Of Heavy Refresh

Not that long ago, Aston Martin CEO Lawrence Stroll told us that major updates are on the horizon for the brand's sports cars, and that the DB11 will be the first to receive such changes. With refreshed styling and more intuituve infotainment, Stroll claims that the revisions will almost count as a whole new car. And to go along with the major refresh, there could even be a new name in store for the DB11.

As first discovered by CarBuzz, Aston Martin has filed a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the 'DB12' moniker, which signals a return to even-numbered names for Aston Martin's sports car linage after the DB6 ended production in 1970. The rumored name change underlines the fact that the refreshed DBS, Vantage, and DB11 are expected to be like "all-new cars," and considering that the DB11 in particular has been on sale unchanged since 2016, it's highly likely that Aston Martin intends to market the overhauled sports car as a completely new vehicle.

But regardless of what Aston says, some aspects of the DB11 are expected to remain unchanged, so it will likely still be a facelift by definition. The Mercedes-sourced 4.0 liter turbocharged V8, for example, is likely to carry over as the main powertrain option, though a 48-volt hybrid system is rumored to be added on. And while a redesigned grille, new bumpers, and fresh lighting elements are on the way, spy shots indicate that the basic appearance of the DB11 will remain untouched.

The V-12's future, however, is unclear at the moment. The Vantage and DBS are already confirmed to lose the powertrain soon, though Aston Martin has stated in the past that the V-12 would live on until 2026. Since the DBX SUV only offers a V8, even in its sportier DBX707 form, common sense would leave us to believe that the DB12 will likely continue to have a V12. After all, there must be a reason why '12' was added to the name.

A few more notable changes are also likely to happen inside, where current Aston Martins tend to fall short. It's been confirmed that a new infotainment system is on the way, aschewing the old touchpad interface in favor of a new Mercedes MBUX-based system. We're hoping that the new interface comes with adjustments to the dash, which is in dire need of improvements. The DB12 will probably be revealed later this year.

Are you excited for the arrival of the DB12?

Images: Aston Martin