The Audi Q7 was introduced in 2006 in order to give the Cayenne a run for its money. Based off the same platform as the Porsche and VW Touareg, the luxury SUV from Audi makes use of the German automaker’s TDI technology with everything from a gas burning 280 HP 3.6 Liter V6 and a 4.2 Liter V8 making 350 HP to a diesel pumping 3.0 Liter diesel V6 making 225 HP with a few more MPG while the top of the line Audi Q7 is powered by a 500 HP 6.0 Liter turbo diesel V12.
This is a video demonstrating the most common form of frontal accident, the offset crash. This video shot by the ADAC shows what happens in the real world when David takes on Goliath. The Fiat 500 is rated as one of the safest cars in its class by the European rating standards, but the Audi Q7’s mass proves to be too much.
The ADAC is to Germany kind of like what AAA is to the U.S. It’s an auto club that includes providing help to stranded motorists as part of its services. Unfortunately for the passengers of the Fiat 500, it looks like their problems go way beyond jumper cables.
It looks like JE Design will continue this year its customization programme for the 2008 Audi Q7. The vehicle will feature the same ECU tweaking for the V6 turbo diesel engine pushing it to 285 hp while the 4.2 petrol engine will develop the astonishing 500 hp.
Featuring a special color called Red Rocket the vehicle comes with the stylish body kit consisting in a front lip spoiler, side sills, re-designed rear spoiler with integrated air diffuser and double exhaust system and a rear roof spoiler. To complete this stylish tuning programme 22 inch alloy wheels were added making the car stable and look better. Price of the programme: an astonishing 61,000 euros.
The first orders for the Audi Q7 V12 TDI quattro has already been placed, despite the fact that the car is not on sale yet. But the diesel SUV launched this year at the Geneva Motor Show comes with a very bad news: it will be priced around 180,000 euro (that’s around $283.000 - almost 5 times the price of the Audi Q7 4.2 Premium! - $58,600). Sales of the Q7 V12 TDI quattro will start by the end of the year.
The Q7 V12 TDI quattro is powered by the world’s first V12 diesel engine that generates 500 hp of power and 1,000 Nm (757.56 lb-ft) of torque from six liters of displacement. It makes the 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 5.5 seconds while the top speed is electronically capped at 250 km/h (but on the speedometer, the range extends up to 310 km/h).
For now, we’ll not get into the debate on whether the Audi Q5 will be unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show or not, but what we will do is enjoy these new and clearer pictures of the car which have come out on the net.
The Q5 is positioned below the Q7 and Allroad models. We expected the Q5 ’s unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show but China appears to be a better location after seeing them unveil their Cross Coupe Quattro at Shanghai last year.
The Q5 will be spacious enough for five people and Audi has expressed no intentions on a seven-seater version. The Q5 will probably be the first model to be equipped with the in-house seven speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG Audi S-Tronic). Four cylinder engines, V6s, and TDI engines borrowed from the A4 will power this mini-SUV.
The Q5 is based on the company’s Modular Longitudinal Platform (MLP) found on the A4 and A5. MLP allows Audi to place the longitudinally-mounted engine and transmission further back behind the front axle and helps elongate the wheelbase without modifying the car’s exterior dimensions.
Will the same platform be used to make the smaller Cayenne? Audi’s board members are against the whole thing fearing such a model will wipe out the Q5, but with the increase of Porsche’s stake in VW, there are chances of the so called Porsche ’Roxster’ turning into reality. At least we hope it happens.
