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Tuned Audi Q7 V12 TDI With 575 HP Is a Thing

Lamborghini chickened out and fitted a V8 rather than a V12 in the Urus SUV. It's pretty rare to find a 12-cylinder engine in an off-roader because the niche is too small. However, Audi not only made a mass production Q7 V12, but it also ran on diesel.
Tuned Audi Q7 V12 TDI With 575 HP Is a Thing 4 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Tuned Audi Q7 V12 TDI With 575 HP Is a ThingTuned Audi Q7 V12 TDI With 575 HP Is a ThingTuned Audi Q7 V12 TDI With 575 HP Is a Thing
There are two main reasons for the Q7 V12's existence. The first is Audi's ambition. Back about a decade ago, the company wasn't a dominant force in the luxury segment, so diesel emissions couldn't ruin the reputation that didn't exist. This era gave us the Phaeton for goodness' sake!

The other reason is that nobody knew exactly what an SUV is supposed to be at the time. You have to remember that the Q7 was the first Audi SUV, so they tried to think of cool ways to set themselves apart from the Range Rover. Glueing two V6 diesels together seemed like a good idea, especially considering TDI was interesting tech back in the day. They even installed the dirty V12 pump into the R8 supercar.

Audi CEOs would rather be burned alive then approve another V12 TDI, so the old-timer is all we're going to get. This one isn't stock, though. Instead of the usual 500 HP, it makes 575 HP thanks to a mild remap.

Acceleration isn't brutal; it takes about 5.5 seconds to reach 100 km/h. Sadly, that's slower than the current crop of fast diesel 'trucks', which include the Bentley Bentayga, the Audi SQ7 and BMW X5 M50d. But as many people point out, nothing sounds as creamy-smooth as a V12, even if it's not running on gasoline.

At face value, this Q7 looks rather ugly, and only the badges let you know it's special. It could be a collector's car in the making, like the Golf R32 or the Passat W8.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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