And the best Aston Martin for Q is really the best Aston Martin for you, dear millionaire.
Now as much as Aston Martin will want to deny it, the primary reason as to why anyone buys their cars is really in order to live out their James Bond fantasies. Sure, the British supercar marque may tout its rich heritage of uber-luxurious grand tourers, and its recent involvement Formula 1 has surely injected some spice into the brand, but it is nevertheless undeniable that the main reason why any layperson even knows of its existence is simply because it are the preferred chariot of choice for 007.
And this does kind of pose a problem when it comes to its DBX. That is because as much as the marketing department at Aston Martin would like it to make it happen, James Bond driving around in an SUV is unfortunately almost as nonsensical a sight as the secret agent drinking a Heineken instead of his usual dry martini (shaken, not stirred).
Though while 007 may still be best suited to any one of Aston’s svelte supercars, Q on the other hand should probably hope that MI6 has a pretty good staff car deal set up with Aston Martin. That is as having spent some time with the top-flight version of the DBX recently — in the form of the DBX707 — this super SUV is pretty much the perfect car for the long-suffering head of MI6’s R&D department (and for that matter to a certain extent, anyone who actually wants to drive their Aston Martins).
Funnily enough too, the DBX707 also fits rather well into the actual definition of a true Q car, which is a term used to define a car that has high performance, while retaining an unassuming exterior (aka sleeper). And this is because while no one expects an Aston Martin to be slow, the sleek and subtle look that was retained for this top-flight DBX does not really immediately signify for it to actually be the world’s most powerful SUV.
Now going full Q for a second here and delving into the technical details of the DBX707 for just a bit, this world’s most powerful SUV claims the aforementioned title by packing a whopping 707 PS and 900 Nm of torque from its AMG-derived 4.0-litre V8. A significant jump from the standard car’s already healthy 550 PS and 700 Nm figure, this extra dollop of grunt comes (very over-simplistically) courtesy of a new pair of ball bearing turbochargers, as well as a revised engine map.
In any case, the main takeaway from all this talk of power is essentially for the DBX707 to be (pardon my French here) absolutely ****ing fast. With it being capable of sprinting to 100 km/h from a stand still in just 3.3 seconds and onto a top speed of 310 km/h, there really could hence be a chance for Q, if called to the field, to actually beat Bond in a drag race to the villain’s hollowed-out volcanic lair.
What more is that, if the route to the volcano gets twisty, the DBX707 could rather hold its own too, thanks to its rather direct (and in Sport mode, weighty) steering and minimal body roll. The more enthusiastic driver would likely also give particular praise to the new quick-shifting nine-speed wet-clutch automatic transmission, in addition to beefy standard carbon ceramic brakes that seems to have enough power to stop a train.
For Q however (and most probably the typical Aston Martin buyer as well), being likely the type to enjoy the finer things in life, more pleasure will perhaps be derived from just how magically supple the ride is on the DBX707 is. Being the super SUV that it is, there is still inevitably plenty of road feel through one’s bottom, but the three-chamber adjustable air suspension does a pretty masterful job in isolating out all the imperfections on it, to the point that even the roughest roads in town feel freshly paved.
Q would probably also appreciate how comfortable the DBX707’s sports seats were, and perhaps how surprisingly well-isolated from the outside world its cabin could be too, especially with the quad-pipes set to their quiet setting.
Though the supremely refined cabin ambience is but a small side note compared to just how surprisingly spacious the DBX707 is on the inside. Contrary to its rather visually compact body after all, this Aston Martin SUV has the almost TARDIS-like quality whereby within it there is actually ample room for even the biggest of lads up front, with the same again too when discussing the space right behind.
Even then however, the true party piece of the DBX707 has to simply be its ability in making this massive car shrink around the driver. A feat that is almost as impressive as Q developing a vanishing Vanquish, the wizards at Aston Martin had somehow made driving this behemoth of an SUV a breeze in even the most stressful of situations, by magically making it feel almost the same size as piloting its titchy Vantage.
Going immediately from one of the best features of the DBX707 to one of its weaker aspects though, said roomy and refined interior is unfortunately let down somewhat by an infotainment system that is decidedly last generation. How last generation you might ask? Well, the fact that its central screen isn’t a touchscreen should pretty much answer that question…
It is also somewhat up for debate as to whether the hand upholstered interior (and its minor imperfections) gives the DBX707 character or is just a sign of typically British workmanship. Still, in spite of all this little foibles, just having the opportunity to stare at the iconic Aston Martin badge while driving down the road is nevertheless still a rather special experience.
Said special-ness however for the DBX707 at least should not be conflated with the conventional Aston Martin special. This is because this super SUV’s special-ness comes from its competence as a car, instead of the usual Aston Martin sexiness as an accessory.
And this is exactly why the DBX707 is pretty much the perfect car for Q. While other Aston Martins may be more for Bond with their sex appeal oozing from every orifice after all, the DBX707s specialness in just being a really refined yet brutally competent car is quintessentially Q.
Lets also not beat around the bush here too, while Aston Martin buyers think of themselves as wanting to live the Bond life with their Walther PPKs and Omega Speedmasters, they really aren’t to be heading off on Her Majesty’s Secret Service without a Q. And as Q is unfortunately not to be a commodity to acquire for even the most affluent of men, the next best thing therefore would be acquiring one’s very own DBX707.
The literal million (and a bit) dollar question is though, is a Q worth the RM 1.188 million (before duties and the inevitable customisation)? Well dear millionaire, the only way for you to answer that is to visit the Aston Martin showroom and find out for yourself.
Oh, and just one final point for any Malaysian Bond wannabes, while the Urus are a dime a dozen and there is the odd Bentayga and Cullinan in the more affluent parts of KL, the number of DBX707s around town could be counted on two hands. So not only is it unlikely to see another one coming the other way outside of a dedicated Aston Martin meet-up, you would actually be treated like (insert era-relevant 007 actor here) coming out onto the red carpet every time you pull up anywhere with your super SUV.
Odds & Ends
- The DBX707 interestingly runs perfectly fine on RON 95 fuel. So it is a-okay to fill’er up on that sweet, sweet subsidised petrol.
- Aston Martin Kuala Lumpur currently offers extended warranty coverage of up to a staggering 20 years for the DBX707. Though it will cost an extra RM 18,000 per year (at the current rate) after the first five year manufacturer warranty is up, and this extended warranty does mean that owners will still be required to be tied at the hip to the official dealership too.
- If the photos of this particular DBX looks a bit dull, it is due to a matte PPF that was applied as dealer-installed option, which costs in the region of RM 20,000. There of course is always the option to have a DBX707 in a slightly more vibrant hue, like this eye-popping blue for instance…
Aston Martin DBX707 Technical Specifications
Engine: 32-valve twin-turbocharged V8 petrol
Transmission: 9-speed semi-automatic with wet startup clutch
Displacement: 3,982 cc
Power: 707PS @ 6,000 rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 2,750 – 4,500 rpm
0-100km/h: 3.3 seconds
Top Speed: 310 km/h
Price: RM 1,188,000 (before duties, delivery and options)
