The Audi Q7 broke into the scene in 2007 and with its arrival, it marked a turning point in the German automaker’s future. It was the company’s first SUV and its success paved way for Audi to fill up its own SUV lineup. Nine years later, the Q7 has gone through numerous updates and drivetrains, but what remains is the model’s appeal and popularity. Those two qualities are likely what drew Christian Lübke to create a tuning program for the full-sized Q7 3.0 Diesel, one that features an engine upgrade that nets an output of 320 horsepower and 509 pound-feet of torque.

Developed under the CL by Christian Lübke brand, the kit also features a new set of wheels and most importantly, a bespoke exhaust system that Lübke has the ability to turn the traditionally muted diesel engine sound into a throaty, musical V-8 roar.

That’s pretty much the whole gist of the tuning kit. There are some cosmetic racing decals but other than that, there’s nothing else. It’s admittedly lacking in terms of quantitative upgrades, but the quality is definitely there, and there are only 100 units of the bespoke exhaust system that the tuner is making available.

Continue after the jump to read more about the Audi Q7 3.0 Diesel by CL by Christian Lübke.

Exterior

Lübke’s exterior program for the Audi Q7 mainly revolves around racing decals and a new set of exclusive 22-inch Schmidt alloy wheels.

Drivetrain

The main ingredient of this particular upgrade can be found in this section. Essentially, Lübke wanted the Q7 3.0 Diesel to generate extra power and unleash a V-8-like sound when the SUV is hitting all of its notes. The latter is a bit of a challenge for a compression-ignition engine like the Q7’s 3.0 TDI so Lübke decided to work through the problem by developing an Active Sound Generator system that complements this specific drivetrain.

But before that, the tuner also got the help of SKN Performance, which performed the remapping of the SUV’s engine control unit and helping the Q7 increase its output to a tidy 320 horsepower and 509 pound-feet of torque, an impressive gain from the SUV’s standard output of 272 ponies and 442 pound-feet of twist. No performance numbers were given, but given the priority of maximising the extra power through the sound the engine created, Lübke instead turned his attention towards installing the aforementioned Active Sound Generator system into the drivetrain’s equation.

The system itself is made from high-grade, ISO-certified stainless steel and hand-welded to ensure its quality. Once the bespoke exhaust system is installed into the drivetrain, Q7 owners can manually determine the sound and volume settings coming out of the exhaust, right down to the cylinder count of a specific type of engine. The tuner is also offering a pair of unique sound profiles and the ability to control the whole thing through a mobile phone app.

Pricing

Christian Lübke has yet to announce pricing for his bespoke tuning program for the Audi Q7, although the company did mention that the specially designed exhaust system will be limited to just 100 units. In times like this, the best course of action to take is to contact the tuner directly to get an accurate price quote. It’s all the more important to do it as soon as possible considering how limited the pieces are.

Competition

Porsche Cayenne Magnum by TechArt

TechArt released its program for the Cayenne Turbo and Cayenne S Diesel variants of the Porsche SUV back in November 2015 and while the upgrades on the Turbo got most of the headlines (hard to argue against 700 horsepower), the improvements made on the Cayenne S Diesel were just as important. In that instance, the German tuner was able to increase the output from the SUV’s 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine to a palatable 275 horsepower, an increase of 35 ponies from the SUV’s standard output of 240 horses. It doesn’t get to as high as what Christian Lübke got out of the Q7 Diesel, but together, the two tuned up SUVs should make for a really loud and noisy time together.

Read our full review on the Porsche Cayenne Magnum by TechArt here.

Conclusion

This is a nice program if you’re the type who enjoys the roar of an engine more than the cosmetic tricks that a lot of tuners do these days. This kit is also exclusive, which means that there won’t be a lot of other people who can boast to having Christian Lübke’s work on their Audi Q7s. I do admit that it’s also not for everyone, but for those who prefer a more traditional engine roar from their Q7s, it’s a good option to look into.