Aston Martin has filed a trademark application for the name 'DB12' with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, confirming that it will move away from the odd-numbered naming convention, dating back to the DB7 introduced in 1994. The discovery by CarBuzz suggests that the upcoming DB11 facelift will be renamed, supporting CEO Lawrence Stroll's claims that the update will be almost as substantial as an entirely new car.

The trademark was filed in Class 12, which covers passenger cars. It also filed for six additional classes in the USA, covering everything from toy cars to sugary breakfast cereal. This is standard practice, however, effectively ensuring a brand has complete control over whatever its name is associated with.

In February 2022, Stroll said that its models would be heavily redesigned and that they would be like "all-new cars." That's likely the justification the British brand will use to defend a new name, even though there will be some carryover.

To be fair, we've only caught a glimpse of the DB12's exterior so far. Already we can see the usual updates like new bumpers, lights, and grille. The most notable change is the fitment of a more traditional hood instead of the complex clamshell unit used on the DB11. This is likely a cost-saving measure, but Aston Martin must also spend money in the right places if the DB12 wants to be more competitive against its main rivals.

We expect to find the most significant updates on the inside. Aston Martin said it would finally ditch Mercedes-Benz's old Comand infotainment system to favor a next-generation state-of-the-art interface. Aston's reliance on old Merc bits has been the most prominent criticism against the brand in recent years, with execs telling CarBuzz last year that an in-house developed system with contemporary functionality was on the way. Simply allowing customers access to wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay will be a massive improvement.

As for what will power the DB12, rumors have suggested the V12 would be axed. It's already been confirmed that the big 12 would not feature in the Vantage family again after the most recent Vantage V12, while Aston bid farewell to the DBS with the DBS 770 Ultimate featuring its most powerful V12 to date. However, ex-CEO Tobias Moers had previously suggested the V12 would live on until 2026, meaning it may be retained for the DB12 alongside twin-turbo V8 options.

Whether other engines will be available remains to be seen. While Aston sells a DBX in China with a Mercedes-sourced straight-six, this variant will not be expanded to other markets. However, its place in a sports car could be a nice throwback to old DB models - the DB7 was the last of the DB series to feature six-cylinder power.

This is not the first time Aston Martin has applied for this particular name, though it is the first filing in the USA. In 2014, before the introduction of the DB11, Aston filed trademarks for DB10, DB11, DB12, DB13, and DB14, effectively covering all its bases. The DB10 became the hero car for the James Bond film Spectre, and the DB11 became the new production halo.

The "DB" in the name stands for David Brown, who purchased Aston Martin from the original owners in 1947. The now famous naming structure has been all over the show for decades, and the odd-numbered cars are relatively modern. There were DBs 1 to 7 and a DBS version thereof from 1967-1972. Subsequently, Aston took to increasing the naming scheme by two for production variants, starting with the DB9 in 2004.