ASTON MARTIN IS ONE OF THE LATEST MANUFACTURERS TO ENTER THE SUV parade, to be followed soon by Ferrari and Lotus. But not long after the Aston DBX arrived, the company delivered this fire-breather, the DBX707. And not to be outdone by others, Aston mated its beautiful, sinewy body with a 707 British horsepower (measured in PS, which makes it about 697 horsepower). And I am here to tell you that it puts all of those several hundred ponies to good use. (Note: even with the long-term James Bond connection, Aston obviously didn’t want to have to market a vehicle with only 007 horsepower, so they had to use this nameplate number.)

Aston Martin has made beautiful cars for years. In the 1950s, Ian Fleming helped immortalize Aston Martins as the cars that James Bond drove. Fleming’s verisimilitude was on several levels, with Bond partaking of various brands of drinks, weaponry, and the like, but almost everyone seems aware that Sir James drove an Aston. Also, we can thank the movies for the extensive list of options on the Bond Astons, which were replete with ejection seats, machine guns, oil slicks, and more. What a great product placement, on which Aston Martin has ridden for many years.

The more modern Astons are closer to the top supercars of these days in that they have more sculptural forms, more sophisticated technology, and more potent motors. And nowhere is that new formula more present than with the DBX707, which can rip off 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds on its way to a claimed top speed of 193 mph. Even the quarter-mile drag race stats are impressive: 11.5 seconds with a trap speed of 119 mph. As impressive as the numbers are, the SUV feels even faster, thanks no doubt to its great exhaust note and its very fine interior.

The suggested retail price for the DBX707 is $236,000, but “mine” had a number of fine options, boosting the price to $292,186. That compares favorably to the Lamborghini Urus and the Bentley Bentayga. However, at some 700 horsepower, the DBX707 leads the power parade. No wonder it’s gotten rave reviews from many.

But back to the options. As is the case with most manufacturers these days, the DBX has many color choices, each with a price tag of note. Mine was “Satin Titanium Grey,” which added $8,900, but that was the second most-expensive option on the SUV since it also had a number of the “Twill Carbon Fibre” packages: Carbon Fibre Gloss
Upper Package for $9,200; Carbon Fibre and Dark Chrome Jewelry at $3,400; and Carbon Fibre Trim Inlay for $4,500.

As I love gray cars and carbon fiber, I owe a huge shout-out to the person who configured my SUV. When you add the 23-inch forged textured black wheels at $5,700 and Arden Green Metallic Leather (stunning!) at $2,800, along with a few other bits and pieces, you can see why the sticker was some $53,000 above the base. But, personally, I would have chosen all of those options too.

Looks are good, of course, but can the performance cash the checks that the DBX is writing? Abso-Aston-lutely. We already know the stats show it’s a straight-line performer. But it was a delight to discover how the DBX707 handles the “twisties.” It’s sure-footed and corners really well, which is somewhat surprising since most of today’s primo handlers are e-cars with a very low center of gravity thanks to the batteries ensconced at or below the height of the axles. While the 707’s motor isn’t as heavy as the Aston V12, it’s still a force to be reckoned with, especially when the DBX is as tall as it is. I really like that the car has the ability to go almost in stealth mode and then, with the choice of the steering-wheel buttons for performance and suspension modes and the stomp of the pedal, it’s a real fire-breather.

I must admit that I was always a fan of the Aston Martin brand even the exhaust sound alone plays my favorite song – but it has done a terrific job with the DBX707 in keeping the DNA of Aston’s performance, fit, finish, and sound while venturing into a whole different category of vehicles than they ever have before. Any nits or nats to mention? Not really, as I loved my time with the car and was very, very sorry to see it go back at the end of the week.