It might sound amusing, but I have always been jealous of James Bond. It could be because of the women he gets, or the gadgets he plays with, but deep down, I know that this jealousy seeps in because of the cars he drives. I always beelined to the theatre to watch Bond films only to see the cars on the big screen. Bond's weapon of choice has always been Aston Martins, and the scene from Casino Royale where Mr Bond is seen chasing bad guys in the DBS is kinda etched in my mind.
I must admit, I had tried to mimic Mr Bond plenty of times when I was younger since I realized that my dream of being him was too farfetched. But perhaps not anymore! At my disposal for a few hours was the world's most powerful SUV, the Aston Martin DBX 707. Ha! Take that, Mr Bond!!!
Just like in the regular DBX (save the sarcasm), the DBX 707 employs the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that Mercedes-AMG designed, but it produces 157 more horsepower, or 707 PS and has 900 Nm of peak torque rather than 700 Nm. Aston engineers have extracted all this power by installing a new ball-bearing turbos- to reduce the lag, changing the engine map, and installing a wet clutch in the 9-speed automatic gearbox.
If a cup of coffee can't do the trick, the soundtrack of the DBX 707 will certainly wake you up. The V8 has a deep rumble and, when in full chat, can make supercars whimper away with the noises it makes. Plus, when driving in GT mode, the DBX 707 can actually pass off as a hybrid but open the valves, and the astronauts at the space station will know that there is a DBX 707 on the move.
If you are spending so much money, you would love some exclusivity and class, wouldn't you? Don't worry. The DBX 707 doesn't feel standard in any way. Plenty of cows have sacrificed their hide to cover the interiors of the DBX 707, and the only real letdown is the old-school infotainment system that is borrowed from Mercedes of the yesteryear. Other than that, There are three interior environments to choose from- a standard Accelerate, which has a mix of leather and Alcantara, as well as the optional Inspire Comfort and Inspire Sport, which have full semi-aniline leather and embroidered Aston Martin wings on the headrest. The interior comes standard with a dark chrome finish on the switchgear.
There are more changes, too such as a redesigned lower console with new drive mode selection switches. In addition, rather than having to navigate to a sub-menu within the infotainment system, the driver now has immediate access to basic modes and settings.
We've already reviewed the DBX 707; hence I will keep this short. In simple terms, the DBX 707 is a fancy black three-piece suit with some crazy stitching. Carbon fibre can be seen on most exterior trim pieces, and the piece de resistance is the 23-inch alloys that come standard in the DBX 707. Now, if you ask me, it does seem slightly excessive for India but trust me, the way it fills up the wheel arch is blissful. The DBX 707 we drove had Aston's exclusive grey paint, which makes the super SUV a little understated but spec the DBX 707 well, and you'd be able to make even Mr Bond turn around and look at you.
Furthermore, owing to the performance upgrades, the DBX 707 looks sightly different from the regular DBX. Keen-eyed viewers will spot that the new front-end treatment includes a larger front grille, an all-new DRL design, new air intakes and brake cooling ducts, and a new front splitter profile. A new lip spoiler has been added to the roof wing at the back, with a significantly enlarged twin rear diffuser rising to meet the large quad exhaust system. It is finished in satin black to complement the diffuser's gloss black treatment. A new rear bumper with integrated quarter panel vents completes the rear-end changes.
I am having quite a hard time trying to summarise the DBX 707 experience. First things first, I was given a very short timespan to really get to push the 707 to its limits. But from what I experienced, I was left awestruck. It truly is an SUV with its underpinnings taken from a supercar. While the regular DBX had all the charisma and charm that Aston Martin is known for, it lacked the all-out performance that customers wanted. But with the Aston Martin DBX 707, all that performance is available in abundance.
The only thing that is a thorn in this otherwise gorgeous flower is its price tag. A whopping 4.63 crore is extremely steep when looking at its competition which primarily is only the upcoming Lamborghini Urus Performante. But trust me when I say this, at the helm of the Aston Martin DBX 707, I managed to fulfil my childhood dream of living a lifestyle James Bond lives like, and that memory for me is priceless.
Specifications
Engine – 4.0-litre twinturbo V8
Power – 697bhp @4500rpm
Torque – 900Nm @6000rpm
Gearbox – 9-speed wet-clutch automatic
0 to 100km/h – 3.1 seconds (claimed)
Price – Rs 4.63 crore (as tested)
