Background
Twenty-four years. That is the time that separates the Aston Martin DB6 and the DB7, leaving a long period for fans to yearn for the next DB in the series. Internally dubbed the ‘XX Project’, the DB7 was designed by Aston Martin and Jaguar design veteran Ian Callum, along with Keith Helfet, who had previously put pencil to paper to design the super-fast, super-sleek Jaguar XJ220.
It’s not just Aston Martin’s design that traces its roots to Jaguar. The DB7 is essentially a reworked version of the Jaguar XJS platform, and the six-cylinder variant of the DB7 was based on the Jaguar AJ6 engine. In fact, it’s not just the Jaguar parts bin Aston Martin rummaged through: you’ll also find Mazda 323F rear lights, door handles from a Mazda 323 Estate, turn signals from the Mazda MX-5, interior door mirror switches from a Ford Scorpio, and even door mirrors from a Citroën CX.
Although the Aston Martin DB7 is a bit of a patchwork quilt albeit a pretty one one thing that is very much original is the V12 lump under the bonnet. Offering a displacement of 5,935cc, it produces 426hp along with 542Nm of torque. 0-62mph is achieved in 5.0 seconds for the manual (5.1 seconds for the automatic), with a top speed of 184mph, although this is limited to 165mph for the automatic.
At the time of production, the DB7 was the highest-produced Aston Martin, with over 7,000 models built. Production took place in the same plant previously used for the Jaguar XJ220, another Jaguar connection. Made in Bloxham, the DB7 was the only Aston Martin produced there, and it was the only one with a steel unit construction from Jaguar.








