Thursday 2nd March 2023

Aston Martin upgrades world's best ambulance

The official F1 Medical Car was already a DBX. But now it has 707hp - which is better

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Okay, when we say ‘best’ we actually mean ‘quickest’. The DBX707 is obviously not a better ambulance than the custom-built, life-saving machines deployed by the NHS. You can’t lay down in the thing for a start, and laying down is typically something very badly injured people are keen to do. But as any motorbike-riding paramedic will tell you, speed is an essential part of the caregiving mix - and what better way to ensure a prompt arrival to an accident scene than with 707hp in a DBX? 

Of course, the previous DBX was already the official F1 Medical Car, and it was no slouch. But we can tell you from first-hand experience that the DBX707 is better. Significantly better. It might be the best super-fast SUV you can buy. And because the official F1 Medical Car is quite a prominent piece of kit (and therefore a good marketing wheeze) it stands to reason that Aston would want its flagship wreathed in decals and amber lights. 

Moreover, the firm reckons that the previous incarnation informed the DBX707’s development thanks to the data gathered while pro drivers pushed the car to the limit around various Grand Prix circuits. We can obviously take that declaration with a pinch of salt (Aston is packed to the gunnels with people happy to meet and exceed its limit) but we’re not going to argue with the idea that the latest Medical Car exceeds the dynamic performance of its predecessor - we wouldn’t be surprised if it gives the official, one-of-a-kind Vantage safety car a run for its money either. 

Nor would we quibble with the effort expended on adapting the DBX for its crucial task. Fire extinguishers, medical bags and a defibrillator are all assigned their own special place in the modified 707, and it gets FIA-approved racing seats, each with a six-point racing harness for keeping its occupants assigned to their special place, too. Additionally, Aston reckons the medical team has access to driver biometric data, which is pretty handy for assessing prospective casualties on your way to an incident. Assuming you can stomach looking at a screen while Alan van der Merwe gets you there at Mach 2…

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• 2022 Aston Martin DBX707 | UK Review
• 2022 Aston Martin V12 Vantage | PH Review

[napoleondynamite]

Seems cruel to make a potentially injured and distressed driver experience the interior of a DBX.

[Darnoc95]

napoleondynamite said:

Seems cruel to make a potentially injured and distressed driver experience the interior of a DBX.

Fear not they will have plenty of sick bags on board

[DaveyBoyWonder]

napoleondynamite said:

Seems cruel to make a potentially injured and distressed driver experience the interior of a DBX.

At least if they're on the inside they can't see the outside.

[TeddS]

Wow! Lot's of hate for what most people call the best looking and best handling Super SUV. If it's so ugly, what looks better? BMW? Porche? Lambo-Audi? If you see one in person and/or sit in one, I can't see how you can still hate. Perhaps not love, but it's far from ugly inside our out.

[philip_stamper]

Shame it’s not a shooting brake. I’d have bought one then in my dreams 🤭

[Chubbyross]

Does anyone know how many of these have actually been sold? I see plenty of Lambo SUVs around London but I’ve never seen a DBX apart from at the Goodwood FOS.

[alscar]

Chubbyross said:

Does anyone know how many of these have actually been sold? I see plenty of Lambo SUVs around London but I’ve never seen a DBX apart from at the Goodwood FOS.

According to their results announced recently , 3219 over the last year of which the 707 edition made up 50%. No idea of UK numbers from that.

[WY86]

alscar said:

According to their results announced recently , 3219 over the last year of which the 707 edition made up 50%. No idea of UK numbers from that.

Though i understand that number will include unsold cars sat in dealerships. a podcast i watched talked about how if a car is at a dealer it will count towards cars sold.

[alscar]

WY86 said:

Though i understand that number will include unsold cars sat in dealerships. a podcast i watched talked about how if a car is at a dealer it will count towards cars sold.

Yes although given LS’s strategy appeared to suggest that all cars are now built to order I assume there can’t be too many in stock so to speak.

[philip_stamper]

Shame it’s not a shooting brake. I’d have bought one then in my dreams 🤭

[TonyRPH]

Competing with BMW for the ugliest grille.

Bloody hideous.

[nathwraith1]

Best colour, love mine. It’s not perfect but it is an incredible drive.

I have a thread in readers rides if people want to know what it’s actually like to own.

I’m biased of course but I think it looks fantastic, inside and out!

[TeddS]

TonyRPH said:

Competing with BMW for the ugliest grille.

Bloody hideous.

Name a SUV that has a better one.....(if you say Porsche then you are lying to yourself)

[TeddS]

nathwraith1 said:

Best colour, love mine. It’s not perfect but it is an incredible drive.

I have a thread in readers rides if people want to know what it’s actually like to own.

I’m biased of course but I think it looks fantastic, inside and out!

Very nice! Now you just have to add the Yellow bits

[Mr Pointy]

The damned thing is already deliberately driven too slow & the following cars tyres don't kepp up to temperature so adding more power is a waste of time - it just means the throttle pedal won't be pressed down as far.

[nathwraith1]

TeddS said:

Very nice! Now you just have to add the Yellow bits

Thanks! No the yellow accents are too much imo. Makes sense on the medical car though.

[bumskins]

TonyRPH said:

Competing with BMW for the ugliest grille.

Bloody hideous.

Hardly, genital warts have more aesthetic appeal than BMW's current model range.

[ColinGreaves]

Mr Pointy said:

The damned thing is already deliberately driven too slow & the following cars tyres don't kepp up to temperature so adding more power is a waste of time - it just means the throttle pedal won't be pressed down as far.

The car in front would be the safety car, this brings up the rear so to speak. The current safety car is an AMG GT Black series so pretty speedy.

A good history of early SCs here

https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/1wgxeh/...

Quite a wide ranging bunch from cool to not so cool, and fast to dog slow.

[napoleondynamite]

WY86 said:

alscar said:

According to their results announced recently , 3219 over the last year of which the 707 edition made up 50%. No idea of UK numbers from that.

Though i understand that number will include unsold cars sat in dealerships. a podcast i watched talked about how if a car is at a dealer it will count towards cars sold.

Not quite - any car registered as demonstrator will automatically count as a 'retailed' car, but if it's not registered and sat out the back of the dealership it won't count towards sales figures.

In tougher times it has been known to get a load of cars registered as demos, put some miles on them and then sell discounted as 'pre-owned'. But I'm sure Aston would never dream of such practices..

[ate one too]

Lets hope the chassis has has some upgrades for '23 too .....