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2023 Aston Martin DBX S Sounds Like a Messerschmitt-Powered Spitfire

Aston Martin’s first ever SUV didn’t quite receive the accolades its maker was hoping for, despite the model receiving the most generous investments in Aston’s history, including the creation of an all-new assembly plant specifically for the DBX.
2023 Aston Martin DBX S 11 photos
Photo: S.Baldauf/SB-Medien
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Built in St. Athan, in Wales, the Aston Martin DBX is based on a dedicated platform that is not shared with any other Aston model.

That said, its manufacturing process is somewhat similar, since the body is constructed using bonded aluminum panels and extrusions. Thanks to the British carmaker’s connections with Mercedes-Benz, the DBX has a Mercedes-AMG developed and built 4.0-liter V8, which develops a healthy 550 PS (542 HP) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque, sent to all four wheels via a Mercedes 9-speed automatic transmission.

Those are not the only parts of German origin in the mid-size luxury SUV, as the infotainment system is also from Mercedes-Benz, albeit not the latest MBUX, which is obviously a lot more advanced.

The impressive but not exactly spectacular power figures help the rather heavy DBX hit 100 kph (62 mph) from a standing start in 4.5 seconds, onward to a respectable top speed of 292 kph (181 mph).

With all that in mind, the Aston Martin SUV is preparing to go for the next level with an ‘S’ version, which was recently spotted doing some hot laps on the Nurburgring Nordschleife in pre-production form.

Apart from a slightly sportier handling setup and some extra aerodynamic bits and pieces to complement the more aggressive stance, the 2023 Aston Martin DBX S is expected to get a lot more oomph from its AMG twin-turbo V8.

Despite the most powerful iteration of the M177 eight-cylinder mill delivering up to 639 horsepower and 900 Nm (664 ln-ft) of torque in its wet-sump version, the sportiest version of the DBX is not likely to be getting the same numbers.

Around 600 horsepower and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) of torque should be enough to give the DBX S a 0 to 100 kph acceleration time in the low 4 seconds, with the remaining performance coming from improved handling and aerodynamics.

In a world of silent but quicker SUVs, such as the Tesla Model X, the 2023 Aston Martin DBX S will have to rely mainly on the charm of its World War II fighter plane exhaust sound, which can be previewed in the following spy video.

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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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