AUDI Q7 V12 TDI EXCLUSIVE
Price: £96,295/£140,645 when new
Engine: 5934cc, V12 TD, 493bhp, 738lb ft
Transmission: 6spd auto, 4WD
Performance: 0–62mph in 5.5secs, 155mph
Economy: 25.0mpg, 298g/km CO2
Weight: 2635kg
AUDI SQ7
Price: £72,895/£94,920 as tested
Engine: 3956cc, V8 TD, 429bhp, 664lb ft
Transmission: 8spd auto, 4WD
Performance: 0–62mph in 4.9secs, 155mph
Economy: 37.2mpg, 199g/km CO2
Weight: 2330kg
Hard to believe, but back in 2006 diesel was being lauded as the next great performance fuel. Well, by Audi at least.
On track, the R10 TDI LMP1 racer was wiping the floor with everything petrol-powered in endurance racing, then two years later a distantly related 493bhp 6.0-litre V12 TDI was dropped into something that was neither racy nor dynamic… the big-boned Q7.
In 2008, the same engine was also fitted…