Absolute Units: 2023 Aston Martin DBX707 vs. Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT!
Blurring the line between SUV and fantasy.
For about two years, we could easily say the Lamborghini Urus was the best-driving super-SUV in the world.the Porsche Cayenne Turbo
Then three things happened.
First, Porsche launched the Cayenne Turbo GT.real
Next came the also unbelievably great-to-drive Aston Martin DBX707, a hopped-up high-po version of the pretty good DBX. What a fantastic three-way comparison this would have been. However, the third thing that transpired is that this past November, Lamborghini shuttered regular Urus production to ready its factory for both the new Urus S and the Urus Performante, but neither launched in time for our showdown. As such, this test is a regular old two-way affair. Well, "regular" is a silly word when talking about beasts such as these, with a combined 1,328 horsepower. Let's forget for just a moment the obvious question—who on earth needs these things?—and instead find out which of these SUVs is superest.
Stacking 'Em Up
The Eyes of the Beholders
Hitting the Road
The Verdict: Porsche or Aston Martin?
2nd Place: 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT
Pros
- Easy to drive
- Supercar levels of performance
- A relative bargain
Cons
- Doesn't always feel as fast as it is
- Ubiquitous Cayenne panache
- Uninspired styling
Verdict:
1st Place: 2023 Aston Martin DBX707
Pros
- We love this engine
- Imperious driving feel
- Looks special
Cons
- Price
- Dated Mercedes infotainment system
- Needs quicker steering
Verdict:
When I was just one-year-old and newly walking, I managed to paint a white racing stripe down the side of my father’s Datsun 280Z. It’s been downhill ever since then. Moral of the story? Painting the garage leads to petrolheads. I’ve always loved writing, and I’ve always had strong opinions about cars.
One day I realized that I should combine two of my biggest passions and see what happened. Turns out that some people liked what I had to say and within a few years Angus MacKenzie came calling. I regularly come to the realization that I have the best job in the entire world. My father is the one most responsible for my car obsession. While driving, he would never fail to regale me with tales of my grandfather’s 1950 Cadillac 60 Special and 1953 Buick Roadmaster. He’d also try to impart driving wisdom, explaining how the younger you learn to drive, the safer driver you’ll be. “I learned to drive when I was 12 and I’ve never been in an accident.” He also, at least once per month warned, “No matter how good you drive, someday, somewhere, a drunk’s going to come out of nowhere and plow into you.”
When I was very young my dad would strap my car seat into the front of his Datsun 280Z and we’d go flying around the hills above Malibu, near where I grew up. The same roads, in fact, that we now use for the majority of our comparison tests. I believe these weekend runs are part of the reason why I’ve never developed motion sickness, a trait that comes in handy when my “job” requires me to sit in the passenger seats for repeated hot laps of the Nurburgring. Outside of cars and writing, my great passions include beer — brewing and judging as well as tasting — and tournament poker. I also like collecting cactus, because they’re tough to kill. My amazing wife Amy is an actress here in Los Angeles and we have a wonderful son, Richard.Read More
