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Tested: 2023 Aston Martin DBX 707 Is More Than Just a Pretty Face

The 707 treatment brings a heady 3.1-second 60-mph time to Aston Martin's fetching DBX SUV.

Sports-car companies creating SUVs is a phenomenon enthusiasts have watched with varying degrees of horror, excitement, and acceptance ever since the Porsche Cayenne debuted. With its DBX, Aston Martin arguably—and, well, surprisingly—has been the most successful in transferring the design language of its sports cars onto an SUV shape. The brand, however, has also come to realize that the waning days of internal combustion are no time to hold back when it comes to horsepower. So, whereas the standard DBX develops 542 horsepower from its AMG-supplied twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8, the new DBX 707 model produces 697 horsepower—or 707 PS in the more flattering European measure.

The design of this high-test version, of course, has been tweaked, mostly for reasons of function. The 707's grille opening is 27 percent larger to permit greater airflow for engine cooling. Flanking it are revised air intakes bisected by horizontal DRL lighting elements. There are several new aero bits: a carbon-fiber front splitter, revised skirts along the rocker panels, air deflectors ahead of the front and rear wheel openings, an air outlet cut into the rear quarter panels, an extended rear diffuser, and a longer rear spoiler. The mirror caps and side strakes can be done in carbon fiber or black to match the window surrounds, hood vents, and roof rails. Fortunately, none of these addenda detract too much from the organic shape of the DBX—although we're not particular fans of the rear air outlets and that protruding diffuser. Still, this is a long way from Mansory-style aftermarket overkill.

The uprated power output comes from the same 4.0-liter V-8 as the standard DBX. Of course, the engine isn't exactly the same: There are new turbochargers, redesigned induction and exhaust systems, and a reprogrammed engine control unit to manage it all. The massaging was done at Aston Martin under head of powertrain engineering Ralph Illenberger, who, having come from AMG, knows this engine well. To cope with the extra output, the standard DBX's nine-speed automatic transmission is replaced by an AMG-sourced version that features a wet clutch pack in place of a torque converter.

HIGHS: Hold-on-tight acceleration, leather-lined cabin is an olfactory delight, sleek looks show up other SUVs.

In addition to faster shift times, the new gearbox adds a Race Start launch-control function. It's easy enough to access. In either Sport or Sport+ mode, depress the brake and accelerator simultaneously. The digital instrument display flashes a red Race Start message, and when the revs hit 4000 rpm, release the brake and enjoy being launched back into your seat. We mean that quite literally—our passenger was leaning forward balancing a phone atop the dash to capture the moment, and the accelerative force flung him rearward into his chair, resulting in a video clip of the headliner instead.

In our testing of the standard DBX, it vaulted to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and dispatched the quarter-mile in 12.4 seconds at 114 mph. That doesn't sound too shabby, until you learn that those numbers trail the Audi RS Q8, the Bentley Bentayga V-8, the Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S, and even the Maserati Levante Trofeo. Bragging rights count, and the more muscular DBX 707—which also benefits from a shorter 3.27:1 final-drive ratio—chops the benchmark 60-mph time to 3.1 seconds and can reach 100 mph in 7.9 seconds. It also ripped through the quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds at 119 mph. Top speed is a claimed 193 mph.

In the real world—which for our drive was the island of Sardinia—the DBX 707 is simply insanely quick. You're hard-pressed to find an opportunity to fully stretch its legs for more than a few seconds at a time. When you do, the accelerative thrust is so intense that even the fractional pause in power during the transmission's extra-quick upshifts creates a head-bobbing moment as the DBX 707 rockets ahead.

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