IT'S FITTING THAT IN THE ISSUE IN WHICH WE introduce the first all-new Aston Martin road car to be conceived and developed under the watch of current chairman Lawrence Stroll, we also introduce to evo's Fast Fleet a model that was originally conceived by his predecessor, Andy Palmer: a DBX, specifically a DBX707.
A recap on the DBX and the 707, should you need one: the DBX is the volume seller designed and developed at the sort of huge expense that Aston could barely afford at the time, but then neither could it afford not to do so.
And the 707 is the hyper-luxury, mad-performance model for a market that is still a licence to print money.
In the DBX, Aston Martin created one of the few, if not the only bespoke performance SUV, so it is unencumbered by the limitations of group platforms, while also not being held back by having to live up to a legacy of rock climbing and river wading. And it's really rather good, a match for contemporary performance estate cars and an ostrich-sized feather in the brand's cap, highlighting that front-engined GT cars aren't its only party piece.
However, unlike the ranges of its rivals, the DBX line-up was for some time a rather shallow pool for customers to fish in, the only options being the 'standard' 542bhp V8 model and, if you lived in China, a six-cylinder mild-hybrid.
For those wanting to trade-in their Lamborghini Urus, Range Rover Sport SVR or even AMG G63, Aston Martin was lacking a comparable ultraperformance SUV offering.
Esta historia es de la edición July 2023 de Evo UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición July 2023 de Evo UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
BEST BUYS AUDI RS
THERE'S NO GETTING AROUND IT: AUDI RS PRODUCTS haven't taken home nearly as many group-test trophies as BMW M cars have over the years.
BMW M3 E46
The E46 was the first M3 to be launched during evo's lifetime, and its unique. unrepeatable character ensures it remains one of the very best
XX RATED
The Spider version of the SF90 XX provides our first taste of Ferrari's track-focused 1016bhp hypercar on the road
RADICAL SR3 XXR & REVOLUTION 500 EVO
No road car pretensions here: the Radical and Revolution sit where race car meets trackday car
ANALOGUE ELISE & ALPINE A110 R
No-expense-spared restomod Elise by Analogue Automotive makes an intriguing pairing with the lightweight, track-focused A110 R
FORD FOCUS ST TRACK PACK & HONDA CIVIC TYPE R
The Civic Type R has so far seen off all challengers, but will it meet its match in the trackday-friendly Focus ST?
TOYOTA GR86 & BBR MX-5
GR86 and supercharged MX-5 look closely matched on paper; how will it prove on the twists and undulations of Cadwell?
PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS
It’s the perfect blend of speed, poise and precision: what better car than the GT3 RS to establish our benehmark lap
TRACK CAR OF THE YEAR
From hot hatches to flyweight sports cars to actual racers, 15 contenders vie to be crowned evo Track Car of the Year 2024
ORANGE RUSH
The new Vantage has the power and speed to take on the mighty Porsche 911 Turbo S, but is it all about the numbers or does it have the ability to engage and entertain too?