Ferrari 812 Superfast vs Aston Martin DBS
The short answer on ferrari 812 superfast vs aston martin dbs: the Ferrari is the more thrilling car and the Aston is the better grand tourer. The 812 Superfast runs a 6.5 litre naturally aspirated V12 making 789 horsepower at 8,500 rpm, with a 7-speed dual-clutch and a redline near 8,900. The DBS Superleggera uses a 5.2 litre twin-turbo V12 rated at 715 horsepower and 664 lb-ft, paired to a ZF 8-speed automatic in a rear transaxle. Both are front-engine, rear-drive, and both top out around 211 mph. The Ferrari wins on sound, revs and outright pace. The Aston wins on torque delivery, ride comfort and daily usability. Buy on which of those two experiences you actually want.
DRIP JOURNAL · UPDATED AUGUST 2026
Two V12s, Two Completely Different Philosophies
Start with the engines, because everything else in this comparison follows from them.
Ferrari's F140 GA is a 6.5 litre naturally aspirated V12 producing 789 horsepower at 8,500 rpm and 530 lb-ft at 7,000 rpm. There is no forced induction anywhere in it. Peak power arrives almost at the redline, which means the car demands revs to give you its best, and rewards you with one of the last great naturally aspirated twelve-cylinder soundtracks built for a road car.
Aston Martin took the opposite route. The DBS Superleggera runs a 5.2 litre twin-turbo V12 rated at 715 horsepower and 664 lb-ft, and that torque figure is the headline. It arrives low, holds flat across a wide band, and makes the car feel enormous in a way the Ferrari never does at low rpm. You do not have to work for it.
The practical difference: in third gear at 3,000 rpm, the Aston is already delivering most of what it has. The Ferrari is barely awake. Which of those you prefer is genuinely the whole decision.
Performance: The Ferrari Is Faster, The Aston Feels Stronger
Ferrari quotes 0 to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds for the 812 Superfast. Aston Martin quotes 3.4 seconds for the DBS Superleggera. Both are rated near 211 mph.
Half a second sounds narrow and it is not, particularly above 60 mph where the Ferrari's higher output and lower weight keep pulling. The 812 also uses a 7-speed dual-clutch that shifts faster than the Aston's torque-converter automatic, which compounds the gap over a full run through the gears.
But the DBS feels quicker in the situations most owners actually encounter. Rolling acceleration from 40 to 80 mph in a high gear is where a twin-turbo torque curve buries a naturally aspirated one. On a two-lane road with traffic, the Aston makes the pass without a downshift and the Ferrari wants two.
Both cars carry serious chassis hardware. The 812 has rear-wheel steering, electric power steering tuned by Ferrari's Side Slip Control system, and a genuinely aggressive rear axle. The DBS runs adaptive dampers, a carbon fibre body over a bonded aluminium structure, and a limited-slip differential with torque vectoring by braking.
Chassis, Steering And What They Are Like To Drive Hard
Picture the same driver on the same twenty miles of decreasing-radius Florida back road in each car. They come away with two entirely different reports.
The 812 Superfast is alert to the point of being nervous. The steering is extremely quick off center, the rear axle steers with you, and the car changes direction with an urgency that takes real seat time to trust. Driven well it is astonishing. Driven casually it can feel like it is asking questions faster than you want to answer them.
The DBS Superleggera is calmer, longer-feeling, and more progressive at the limit. It is still a 700-plus horsepower rear-drive car and it will absolutely step out, but it telegraphs the move. Body control is excellent for something built to cross a continent, and the ride quality in its softest damper setting is in a different league from the Ferrari's.
Brakes are carbon ceramic on both. The Ferrari's pedal is firmer and more track-consistent. The Aston's is easier to modulate at road speeds. Cars in this class move through the DRIP inventory regularly, and driving them back to back is the fastest way to know which chassis suits you.
Interior, Practicality And Living With Either One
Most buyers in this segment treat interior as a tiebreaker. On these two it decides more than it should.
Aston Martin builds the more comfortable and more conventional cabin. Leather quality is superb, the driving position is relaxed rather than aggressive, the seats work on a four-hour drive, and there is real luggage space behind the seats plus a usable boot. Its weakness is the infotainment, which is a licensed Mercedes system from an older generation and shows its age.
Ferrari's cabin is the more dramatic and the more focused. Carbon everywhere, controls migrated onto the steering wheel, and a passenger display option that is a genuine novelty. It is a tighter, harder, more purposeful space. The 812 also has a surprisingly practical hatch area behind the seats, more than most people expect from a Ferrari.
For a weekend car, the Ferrari. For a car you will take from Tampa to Miami and back without planning around it, the Aston.
Running Costs, Service And Depreciation
These two diverge sharply on cost of ownership, and it is not the direction most buyers assume.
The 812 Superfast has held value considerably better. It is the last of Ferrari's naturally aspirated front-engine V12s in that line, production ran from 2017 to 2022, and the market has consistently treated it as a future collectible rather than a used supercar. Service is expensive and Ferrari-specific, though the 7-year included maintenance program on cars still inside it removes a lot of the early sting.
The DBS Superleggera depreciated far harder. That is the buying opportunity here: a low-mileage DBS often costs meaningfully less than an 812 with similar miles, for a car that is nearly as fast and considerably more comfortable. Service costs are real but generally below Ferrari's, and the specialist network is smaller.
On either car, the things that matter to future value are documented service history, original paint, and specification. A well-optioned car in a desirable colour combination is worth chasing over a cheaper example with the wrong spec, and financing an exotic or classic purchase is usually the lever that makes the better car reachable.
Which One You Should Actually Buy
Buy the Ferrari 812 Superfast if the engine is the point. Nothing else on this list of two makes that noise, revs that high, or holds its value that well. It is the more special car and history will treat it that way.
Buy the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera if you intend to drive it a lot. It is more comfortable, easier to place on a road, less demanding at low effort, and available for materially less money. In pure value terms it is the stronger buy today.
A simple test: if the drive to the car matters more than the drive in it, buy the Ferrari. If you want to cover four hundred miles and arrive fresh with something extraordinary in the driveway, buy the Aston. Either way, get a pre-purchase inspection from a marque specialist and read the service file before you read the advert.
Currently listed in our inventory: the 2021 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, with photos and full details on its own page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is faster, the Ferrari 812 Superfast or the Aston Martin DBS?
The Ferrari. It is quoted at 2.9 seconds to 62 mph against the Aston's 3.4, with 789 horsepower to the DBS Superleggera's 715. Both are rated around 211 mph top speed, and the Aston feels stronger in rolling acceleration because of its torque advantage.
Is the Aston Martin DBS a good alternative to a Ferrari?
Yes, particularly on value. It offers a similar front-engine V12 grand touring layout with more torque and a more comfortable cabin, and it has depreciated harder, so it typically costs less than a comparable 812 Superfast.
Does the Ferrari 812 Superfast have a turbo?
No. It uses a 6.5 litre naturally aspirated V12 producing 789 horsepower at 8,500 rpm. That is a large part of why the car is valued the way it is, since it is one of the last of its kind.
Which holds its value better?
The 812 Superfast, clearly. As one of Ferrari's final naturally aspirated front-engine V12s it has been treated as collectible from the start. The DBS Superleggera has depreciated significantly more.
How much does it cost to maintain either car?
Both are expensive relative to normal cars, with the Ferrari generally the higher of the two. Cars still inside Ferrari's included maintenance program carry much lower early costs. Always request the full service file before purchase.
Which one is better for long drives?
The Aston Martin. Softer damper settings, a more relaxed driving position, better seats for distance, and more luggage space make it the better car for a real road trip.
Are these cars practical in Florida?
Both work here. Heat is the main consideration, and both have adequate cooling for road use. The Aston is the easier of the two in traffic thanks to its low-rpm torque and calmer chassis.
Can DRIP Exotics source either car?
Yes. DRIP sources both the Ferrari 812 Superfast and the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera nationwide with honest condition reports and transparent pricing, arranges financing, can value or consign your current car, and handles enclosed delivery to all 50 states from Tampa, Florida.
Find The Right One, Or Sell The One You Have
Both of these cars reward buying the right example far more than buying the cheaper one. DRIP Exotics sources front-engine V12 grand tourers nationwide, reports condition honestly, arranges financing, and delivers enclosed to all 50 states from Tampa, Florida. If you already own one and are deciding between consignment and a private sale, a consignment valuation gives you a real number to work from.
Talk to DRIP Exotics about sourcing an 812 Superfast or a DBS Superleggera, or browse what is in stock now.