Quiz time. Which is the world’s most powerful production diesel passenger vehicle? No, it’s not the 227 bhp Mercedes-Benz S 320 CDI. No, it’s not the 321 bhp Audi A8 4.2 TDI either, but you are close. Think, think. No? I’ll give you a clue: it’s not a car. Give up? It’s the Audi Q7 6.0 TDI Quattro. With a V12 under the hood, and over 500 bhp and 100 kgm of torque, the world’s most powerful passenger diesel vehicle is not a car, but an SUV!
Yes, the car you see here is the Q7 all right, but it’s not the 6.0 TDI. Half of it, in fact – it’s the Q7 V6 3.0 TDI, you see. The world-conquering V12 oilburner seems to me the result of a megalomaniacal, kinky German engineer in the Audi skunk works mating two of these V6s late at night, blowing them with two turbochargers and then whipping the whole shebang to produce those ridiculous output figures. ‘Ze Q7 today, tomorrow ze A8... bwaaahaha!’
Does that mean that the car that I am piloting now is a compromise? You see, other than that monstrous V12 diesel, the Q7 also comes with a whopping 350 bhp 4200cc V8 petrol. So it was but natural for me to think that this diesel would be a bit of a letdown – especially for a car that’s as big as a Volvo B7R bus and just as heavy too. But when I casually glanced at the speedo and saw the needle kissing the 200 kph mark, to say that I was surprised is an understatement. Even with the tell-tale increase in wind and tyre noise at 200 kph-plus speeds, you can hear a pin drop in the car. Well, you can’t exactly hear a pin drop because of that plush carpeting, but you get what I mean. We managed to attain 210 kph, and even then, the engine showed no signs of strain. Neither did the rest of the Q7 feel uncomfortable and unsteady, it stayed planted to the road.
The reason for that glue-like stickiness is adaptive air suspension. At high speeds, the Q7 automatically hunkers down, which improves the high-speed dynamics of the SUV and reduces drag, and consequently fuel efficiency (as if it mattered, but still). But more about the ride, handling and the chassis later. Meet one-half of the V12 TDI first. This common-rail turbodiesel V6, featuring double overhead camshafts and four-valves per cylinder, displaces 2967cc to develop 233 bhp at 4000 rpm and 50.4 kgm between 1750 and 2750 rpm. The motor may make itself heard while you start it, but soon it quietens up... of course, you’d have to strain to hear it while you are inside.
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