Brooks Weisblat of DragTimes is back with a new video in which he reviews the hideously underrated Aston Martin DBX707. Still a twin-turbo V8 affair like the regular DBX, the 707 is called as such after the 707 metric ponies (697 horsepower) it makes.
Peak torque is rated at 900 Nm (664 pound-feet) by Aston Martin, which sources the 4.0-liter mill from the folks at Mercedes-AMG. Assembled by hand in Affalterbach, said engine was modified by the Brits with ball-bearing turbochargers. It also received a more aggressive mapping, making this version of the M177 more powerful than any other M177 produced by Mercedes-AMG as of February 2024.
That's not all, though. Aston Martin also gained access to the MCT 9G-Tronic. The regular DBX and China-exclusive DBX Straight-Six make do with the 9G-Tronic, a torque-converter auto rather than AMG's multi-clutch transmission. As opposed to a dual-clutch transmission, the MCT uses a single input shaft. The wet starting clutch that replaces the torque converter is lighter and further improves throttle response during load changes and from a dig.
More power and quicker upshifts wouldn't mean anything without proper suspension upgrades. Aston Martin knows this very well, hence the 707's new damper valving and the recalibrated dynamic spring volume. The Gaydon-based company further worked its magic on the Electronic Active Roll Control (eARC) system to improve agility. An updated electronic limited-slip rear differential with a shorter final drive ratio (3.27 instead of 3.07) is featured as well. The finishing touch comes in the form of standard carbon-ceramic brakes with 16.5-inch rotors up front and 15.4-inch units out back.
At the time of its launch (February 2022), the DBX707 was described by Aston Martin as being "the fastest, most powerful, best handling, and most engaging car of its kind." The engaging part is a bit subjective, whereas the handling part can easily be determined by pitting the DBX707 on a track against the Urus Performante and the Purosangue.
Photo: DragTimes on YouTube
The DBX707 is rated at 193 miles per hour (311 kilometers), whereas Ferrari lists the Purosangue with a top speed of 193-plus miles per hour. Considering that the Fezza has more power and weighs less, there is no denying the Purosangue is faster than the DBX707 in a straight line. Brooks has one on order, but in the meantime, Brooks can hardly believe how quick the Aston Martin is to 60 mph (97 kph) and in the quarter.
He squeezed out 3.25 seconds and 11.26 seconds at 122.41 miles per hour (197 kilometers per hour), which puts the DBX707 ahead of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT and Lamborghini Urus Performante. The Volkswagen Group twins clocked bests of 3.32/11.40 seconds and 3.53/11.58 seconds, respectively. The Aston Martin also proved in a league of its own in the pull from 60 to 130 miles per hour (97 to 209 kilometers per hour), posting 9.61 seconds compared to 10.72 and 10.76 for the other two.
The man behind the DragTimes YouTube channel believes that – on a prepped surface – the DBX707 could improve to 11.1 seconds, maybe 11.0 seconds flat. Be that as it may, Weisblat cannot stand the outdated infotainment system. The DB12 dropped the Mercedes-supplied COMAND unit of its predecessor. The Vantage's mid-cycle refresh is due on February 12 with a touchscreen as well.
However, it's not clear when the DBX line will also be elevated to a touchscreen. Hearsay suggests late 2024 for the 2025 model year, although early 2025 should also be taken into account.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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