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First production 2023 Aston Martin DBX 707 is completed

Aston Martin's new super SUV has now reached production, and the first example will be headed to its owner soon. The first 2023 Aston Martin DBX 707 is a lovely blue example with a matching blue interior. And based on our time behind the wheel recently, it should be a blast to drive. The DBX 707 is based on the regular DBX, but output from the AMG twin-turbo V8 has been turned up to 697 horsepower and 663 pound-feet of torque. That's enough for Aston Martin to proudly claim the title of most powerful gas-powered SUV. Though, if it had released a little earlier, it wouldn't have that title, either due to the one-year-only, 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat or the actually 707-horsepower Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (which is between generations now). And if you were to include EVs, the Tesla Model X Plaid's 1,020 horsepower handily has it beat. Still, the DBX 707 is impressive and very fast. It will get to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and has an incredible top speed of 193 mph. To our knowledge, that does give it the title of fastest SUV, period, which is something to be proud of. The chassis has been thoroughly upgraded, too, with better brakes and suspension, which we've found to be excellent. All of the DBX 707's customers are going to be quite wealthy. The super SUV starts at $239,086 before any options. Options can add up fast, as our first drive test car reached nearly $300,000. Related Video:

Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll leads $240 million Aston Martin investment

After months of rumors and speculation, Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll confirmed he led the purchase of a 16.7% stake in Aston Martin for GBP182 million ($239 million). The investment is part of a GBP500 million ($656 million) round of emergency funding that will help the British automaker overcome serious financial challenges. Yew Tree Overseas Limited, a consortium of international investors led by Stroll, built its stake by buying 45.6 million new ordinary Aston Martin shares on the London Stock Exchange, according to Autocar. Aston Martin raised the remaining GBP318 million ($417 million) by giving existing investors the opportunity to buy more shares, the BBC learned. It's not a full bailout, but it's close. Aston Martin ended 2019 in dire financial straits. Stroll will replace Penny Hughes as Aston Martin's chairman; CEO Andy Palmer is expected to keep his job. Several sources confirmed the Racing Point Formula One team owned by Stroll will be rebranded Aston Martin after the 2020 season, and Autocar reported the company will quickly need to eliminate jobs and slash costs. "The difficult trading performance in 2019 resulted in severe pressure on liquidity, which has left the company with no alternative but to seek substantial additional equity financing. Without this, the balance sheet is not robust enough to support the operations of the group," Hughes admitted in an interview with the BBC. Stroll's' appointment to the Aston Martin board comes as the company prepares to overhaul its product plan. It notably confirmed the rumors claiming it put the battery-powered Rapide project on the back burner until further notice, and it delayed plans to revive the Lagonda nameplate on a series of extra-luxurious electric vehicles until after 2025. The first car was originally scheduled to reach the market in 2022, but the battery technology is expensive to develop, and Aston must save about 10 million pounds (around $13 million) annually. The firm will instead focus on mid-engined sports cars. Still according to Autocar, it will begin delivering the 1,160-horsepower Valkyrie hypercar this year, and it's on track to launch the Valhalla in 2022. The Vanquish will go mid-engined shortly after. Delaying electric cars doesn't mean abandoning electrification, and Aston Martin hopes to release "a fuel-efficient, modular V6 engine with hybrid capabilities" by the middle of the 2020s.

Weekly Recap For 7.8.16 | Autoblog Minute

Senior Editor Greg Migliore recaps the week in automotive news, including a look at the new V12 hypercar coming from Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing. Aston Martin Jeep Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video autos Red Bull Racing hypercar am-rb 001