Our friend's mispronunciation of the legendary German tuner brand is rather surprising. He had just climbed from an Isuzu Vehicross, so he's obviously a connoisseur of important automobiles (well, rare ones anyway). But our 2007 BMW Alpina B7 had thrown him a backdoor curveball."
At first I didn't know what to make of it," he says. "But then I saw that Alpina badge and I knew it was something special."
B7 Not M7
It is something special. Packing a supercharger and 21-inch wheels and tires, the ultrahigh-performance BMW Alpina B7 is unlike any other BMW, including those developed by BMW M, the company's own in-house speed shop.
"It's sort of a limited-edition, factory-approved, tuner version of the 750i," we tell our friend. "BMW builds a 750i in its factory in Dingolfing, Germany, then ships it to Alpina's facility up the road in Buchloe, where it becomes a B7."
"So it's sorta like one of them Sayleen Mustangs," he says with remarkable insight. "Only German and way more expensive."
He's right. Saleen modifies Ford Mustangs for a living, but the United States government considers it a small manufacturer, and Alpina has the same status over in Deutschland.
"Yeah, kind of," we reply, "but you better make that way, way more expensive."The BMW Alpina B7 carries a base price of $115,695 and includes the interior and all the standard features of a 760Li including power sunshades and soft-close doors. But there are extra-cost options, and our test car has them all, including night vision and a rear-seat entertainment system. Toss in the $1,300 gas-guzzler tax and the B7's MSRP is a knee-buckling $124,480. Or approximately three Saleens.
"Wow," says our admirer. "Have you ever driven an Austin Martin or a Lamborghini Gayyardo?"
Alpina, the Story
You can't really blame our friend for his lack of exposure to Alpina. Although the tuner has been tweaking BMWs since 1961, the B7 is only the second Alpina-modified BMW ever offered in America. The first was the Roadster V8, a car based on the Z8 Roadster, and BMW imported only 450 of them in 2002-'03.
Alpina first made its name when it helped BMW develop the lightweight BMW 3.0 CS of the early 1970s, but the company's recent models have delivered very high levels of performance at moderate engine rpm and with an automatic transmission.
In other words, they contrast starkly with the machines developed by BMW M, which always feature high-revving engines backed by either a manual or sequential manual (SMG) transmissions.With the appearance of an AMG version of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW has decided it needs a breathed-on 7 Series to keep pace, but an M7 has never been part of the company's portfolio and possibly never will. "For an ultraperformance version of the 7 Series, a platform that is defined by lavish luxury and generous interior space and offered only with an automatic transmission, something other than 'M' performance character was called for," BMW tells us.
Enter the boys from Buchloe and the blower.
Bolt on the Blower
The blower is a centrifugal supercharger bolted to the front of the B7's DOHC 4.4-liter V8. Although BMW fits its 750i with a 360-horsepower 4.8-liter V8, Alpina uses the smaller-displacement V8 used in this car's predecessor, the 745i. Alpina has also fortified the engine with a stronger bottom end, a lower 9.0:1 compression ratio and a new exhaust system.
The supercharger makes 12.0 psi of boost, which cranks up the engine's power peaks to 500 hp at 5,500 rpm and 516 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm. That's up from 325 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque, so you should be considerably impressed. It's also 62 hp more than you get in the V12-powered 760Li.
Throttle response is a bit sluggish (probably due to that long intake tract), but all that grunt (along with the shorter final-drive ratio from the 760Li) is enough to make this the quickest 7 Series you can buy. Acceleration to 60 mph is accomplished in a neck-snapping 5.0 seconds flat, and the quarter-mile is covered in only 13.3 seconds at more than 108 mph. Wicked quick in anybody's book, and more than a second quicker to 60 mph than the last 750i we tested.
Sure, an M5 will eat its lunch in the quarter-mile, but the B7 nearly matches the M5's 0-60-mph run of 4.8 seconds. It's a real testament to the B7's serious bottom-end torque, especially when you realize the B7 weighs 4,704 pounds — 700 more than an M5.
So the blower works, but it does its thing incognito. Blower whine is not part of the B7's soundtrack. Instead, its big V8 supplies its endless amounts of torque with a deep V8 bellow — again in stark contrast to the high-pitched exhaust sound of an M engine.
Backing the beast is the same six-speed automatic used in a 750i, but Alpina has fitted it with Switch-Tronic, a manual-shift program controlled by buttons located on the back of the Alpina steering wheel. The buttons work well enough, but the B7's transmission is not this car's finest piece. Aside from the fact that it makes every start from a stop in 2nd gear, we find it annoying that the transmission doesn't hold gears in manual mode nor does it match revs when downshifted. If the B7's engine might be ranked a 9.5, its transmission is just a 5.
Ridin' in Style
Alpina does, however, get the B7's suspension just right. The combination of firmer suspension calibration and 21-inch wheels and tires sounds like a recipe for a teeth-chattering ride. But it isn't. The B7's ride is certainly on the firm side of the luxury sedan envelope, but it's remarkably smooth and compliant.
By the way, the design of these 21-inch radial-spoke rims is an Alpina signature. It features 20 slender spokes and mimics a design Alpina has used on every one of its models since the BMW 3.0 CS of the early '70s. And those 21-inch Michelins, well, they cost $550 apiece to replace. How do we know? Don't worry about it. Just keep the B7's stability control on or be ready to write a large check to your local tire shop.
Although the wheels are what everyone notices first about the B7, the sizable rear spoiler and the other tweaks to the look of this 7 Series don't exactly go unnoticed. Meanwhile, the interior additions are more subtle. Along with the three-spoke steering wheel, Alpina adds only badging and a new instrument cluster with a 200-mph speedometer.
Steering feel is exceptional and the factory-installed Active Roll Stabilization system keeps body roll in check. The B7's balance and overall grip is impressive. This very large, very heavy sedan generated 0.85g on our skid pad and blazed through our slalom at almost 69 mph. In other words, it handles as well as an M5, but with a much more agreeable ride.
The B7 also stops like an M5, hauling down from 60 mph in just 114 feet with absolutely zero fade after three hard stops. Again, this car weighs 4,704 pounds. Unbelievable. Alpina has accomplished this by fitting the brakes from the 760i — a model only sold in European markets — that feature rotors that are 1 inch larger in diameter.
It's a Hit
BMW calling in Alpina on this one is like a scene from The Sopranos. Remember when Tony tells Silvio to call in "some friends of ours from out of state?" You know, to take care of the thing with the guy. Why get the dirt under your own fingernails?
Did Alpina make the hit? Fahgeddaboudit, the 2007 BMW Alpina B7 is one of the finest and fastest sedans ever. It's just what the doctor (make that the Beverly Hills plastic surgeon) ordered to help BMW fight off the S63s and S8s of the world.If you buy one, just be prepared to educate the Vehicross contingent.
2007 BMW Alpina B7
Full Test: 2007 FPV Ford Falcon GT A Four-Door Mustang From Down Under
We Aussies find it amusing that our most American-inspired cars turn out to be so inspiring to Americans. As you've heard, General Motors is plugging a gap in its performance credibility with the Australian-built Holden Commodore SS, which will become the 2008 Pontiac G8.
It seems to us that the 2007 Ford Falcon GT would be a good choice for you Yanks as well. Ford's Interceptor Concept from the 2007 Detroit Auto Show and its 427 concept from the 2003 Detroit show suggest Dearborn also has a hankering for a full-size, rear-wheel-drive, high-performance sedan, and the Ford Falcon here in Australia is the most obvious candidate.
The large, rear-drive V8-powered sedan took root here in the Antipodes exactly 40 years ago, when Ford Australia introduced its Mustang-bred Falcon XR GT 289. Since then, an environment of sunshine, beer and barbecues has made the Falcon the kind of car that should be sold in America.
And You Thought NASCAR Came From the Deep South
Ford might squander the credibility of its nameplates in other countries, but the "Falcon GT" moniker has never been used lightly at Ford Australia. The seminal 1967 Falcon XR GT went right into competition once it was launched and finished 1st and 2nd in the annual Bathurst 500-mile touring car race. The victory prompted Holden to fight back with its first Monaro, using an imported Chevrolet 327-cid V8 in its Bathurst racer.
Epic battles between the Falcon and Monaro ensued through the 1970s, until Ford Australia unwisely dropped its V8 option from the Falcon range in November 1982. It was 10 years before the Ford V8 (known as the "blue bent-eight" by the locals) came back into production, losing a whole generation of Ford buyers to performance-minded Holden.
So influential and fondly remembered is the original Falcon GT that a low-mileage yet historically unremarkable example of the 1971 XY Falcon GTHO Phase 3 — in its day, the world's fastest four-door — sold at auction for a record U.S. $567,293. Makes you wonder what the Falcon driven by Max Rockatansky (you know, Mad Max) would fetch.
The Flight of the Falcon
As with the Holden Commodore, these days the Ford Falcon does most of its business as a six-cylinder fleet-and-family car. In fact, V8 variants constitute roughly 15 percent of each car's sales. Holden uses the 6.0-liter pushrod LS2 imported for this purpose, while Ford has a locally assembled 5.4-liter SOHC unit.
Your Falcon enthusiast can choose among a 310-horsepower 24-valve SOHC V8, 350-hp 32-valve DOHC performance Falcon XR8 or a turbocharged 330-hp inline-6 XR6 Turbo.
And then there are the image-making, limited-edition Falcons from factory-owned hot-rod shops like Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV). Back in 2003, FPV partnered with ProDrive (the English motorsports engineering specialist) and finally got Ford's performance-brand image together. Today the collaboration supplies FPV with a range of sedans powered by either a 362-hp version of the turbocharged inline-6 or a 389-hp DOHC V8.
Emotional Engineering
Named for its output in kilowatts, the "Boss 290" engine in our bright-orange FPV Ford Falcon GT test car is a transpacific freak. The 5.4-liter V8 uses a Mustang Cobra R block and 32-valve DOHC cylinder heads from America, while the pistons, bearings, inlet manifold and exhaust headers are sourced in Australia.
FPV maintains that it doesn't want to get involved in a horsepower war with Holden Specialty Vehicles (HSV), which is an elegant way of conceding defeat before you've even left the showroom. While FPV's slogan of "total performance" applies to the well-integrated package of accessories worn by this Falcon GT, the hardware isn't especially exciting.
There's the engine, for instance. With not much happening underfoot until the tachometer needle swings past 3,500 rpm, you're thinking this quad-cam V8 must be a screamer. But no sooner has the V8 begun to come alive than it gets breathless beyond 5,500 rpm and finally splatters against the rev limiter at 6,000 rpm.
There's no alternative but to dip the long-throw clutch pedal again and have a grumble through the knuckly gate of the six-speed manual transmission. The first four cogs are nicely useful, but the direct-drive 5th and overdrive 6th leave the V8 snoozing at the 70-mph speed limit ruthlessly enforced on Australian freeways.
With a 0-60-mph time of 5.7 seconds and a quarter-mile run of 14.5 seconds at 98.9 mph, the Falcon GT is slower than the Holden Commodore SS, which itself gets to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds on its way to the quarter-mile in 14.1 seconds at 99.1 mph.
You've Mellowed These Last 40 Years
In many ways, however, the Falcon GT is admirably swift and competently composed.
Most remarkable is the ride quality, as it's very comfortable across all but the most patchy surfaces, where the body control begins to suffer from the combination of limited suspension travel and soft rebound damping. It's a useful achievement considering the car's aggressive 245/35R19 tires.
In GT trim, the Falcon's double-wishbone front suspension and independent multilink rear suspension get a lower ride height with unique springs, dampers and antiroll bar. But the Falcon's curb weight of 4,090 pounds sabotages the car's handling at the limit. One also has to remember that this is a big car: just a fraction of an inch shorter than the .
We managed a slalom run of 64.9 mph and then recorded 0.84g around the skid pad. The Ford is agile enough to be entertaining, but not swift enough to keep up with the Holden's 67.6-mph slalom speed and its 0.87g skid pad performance.
The Falcon's steering isn't fazed much by road undulations and its turn-in is consistent and quick, but the thick-rimmed steering wheel transmits more hydraulic effort than road feel. The seats feel good, though the support is compromised by the need to accommodate our big, beefy Aussie frames.
We Don't Slow Down Much in Australia
Even these bold, baboon-butt Brembo brakes don't deliver fully on their promise. While pedal modulation feels great, the Falcon GT came to a stop from 60 mph in 122 feet, 5 feet longer than the stop recorded by the Holden Commodore SS we tested on the same day. It seems like a disappointing performance from such an expensive brake package with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rears.
Slightly oversensitive calibration of the ABS also flusters braking performance over road ripples, making apex-picking a challenge during press-on, open-road punting.
Well, all of that's true in Australia, anyway. Our roads vary from divided highways to wandering tracks across the Outback, so it's easy to turn up the compromises that must be built into a platform that must be sufficiently tough for daily dirt-road use, yet sophisticated enough to aspire to the performance of a European sport sedan.
You know what it is? The Falcon GT's shortcomings are the things that make it feel to Australian drivers as if it's a bit, well, American.
Winging Its Way to Where?
The Aussie Falcon's future has been debated for about as long as Dearborn has lacked a decent platform for a large rear-drive sedan.
It seems that each new generation of the Falcon is predicted to be its last, as smaller international platforms (like the DEW98 platform beneath the current Ford Mustang and Jaguar S-Type) are constantly tipped to replace this Aussie-engineered production, which is as old as grandfather's axe.
Next to the VE Commodore, however, the Falcon does feel a generation older. That's why a substantial revision of the Falcon platform is due next year, we're told. Apparently Ford will address the Falcon's dull feel from the front tires with a stronger front subframe, new lower wishbones for the front suspension and a new steering system.
Almost certainly, however, this new car will be the last unique, all-Aussie Falcon. The next-generation platform, due around 2012, will be shared with Ford's rear-drive U.S. models. If we're lucky, Dearborn will have learned a few things from the Aussies by then.
[sourcing: http://www.edmunds.com/]
2008 Porsche Cayenne S
Just over a half-decade old, the Porsche Cayenne provides a valuable real-world lesson about the business of building automobiles: a couple of lessons in fact.
First and foremost, the 2002 debut of the V8-powered Porsche SUV proved you could teach an old dog new tricks: the perennial sports car builder pulled off the improbable to design and produce a crackerjack luxury sport SUV right out of the gate.
Though a little late to that category, the Cayenne quickly caught the attention of the well-heeled looking for a little five-seater excitement, and by 2005 - just three years into production - the SUV became Porsche’s top selling model in North America with more than 100,000 units sold.
Even Porsche traditionalists, who were initially convinced Dr. Ferry Porsche was spinning in his grave at the very notion of a Porsche ‘truck,’ grudgingly grew to accept the Cayenne - though more for the fact its robust sales figures dramatically improved Porsche AG’s financial forecast - which meant the company would be making two-seaters well into the 21st Century (an outlook in the late-1990s that appeared unlikely).
A second lesson gleaned from the Cayenne’s quick ascendancy is that the number of baby boomers willing to pay big dollars for a five-door fitted with an eight-cylinder Porsche engine thirstier than a tableful of mechanics on holiday in Bavaria, is limited.
Porsche North America sold 13,607 Cayennes in 2005 (roughly 5,000 base models, 6,000 S models and 2,500 Turbos), easily outpacing Boxster and 911 sales. But that changed in 2006, as 911 sales ballooned to just over 12,000, combined Boxster and Cayman sales passed 11,500 and Cayenne numbers fell to 10,569.
Higher North American fuel prices, new sexy models from other luxury car builders and a slowing economy all contributed to slipping Cayenne sales.
Which begs the question: will 2005 be the high-water mark of the Porsche Cayenne? Or will the second-generation Cayenne, the 2008, get those boomers back in Porsche dealerships with chequebooks in hand?
Early indications for the 2008 model are promising, as Cayenne sales in North America for June were up 57 per cent over the previous year, while in Canada the improvement was 61 per cent.
The final lesson here is one not yet formed, as the days are still early for the 2008 Cayenne.
But with rumblings that Porsche is developing a smaller SUV model, called the Roxster, the long-term fate of the Cayenne hangs in the balance, with much of it dependent on the success of the ’08 Cayenne and possibly the rumoured-to-be-coming Cayenne Hybrid.
So, what have the brilliant engineering and design minds of Porsche done to improve their SUV? Not surprisingly, more muscle, both inside and out.
The first thing that strikes you about the 2008 Cayenne S is its striking snout. With headlight arrays like futuristic dragon’s eyes, a sensuously bulging hood subtly hinting at the power that lurks beneath, and muscular wheel arches, there is little doubt this beast is all Porsche all the time.
As with the first generation, though, the aggressive and well-sculpted front end doesn’t flow through the rest of the body. Indeed, from some rear angles, the Cayenne looks as pedestrian a SUV as is out there (okay, minus the bad-ass, stainless steel exhaust pipes poking out from underneath).
Badass is the best way to describe the new V8 engines that power the three 2008 Cayenne models available in Canada. The base comes with a 290-hp, 3.6-litre engine with a reported 0-96 km/h time of 7.5 seconds; the S with a 385-hp, 4.8-litre clocked at 6.4 seconds; and the Turbo with a couple of turbochargers that boost the 4.8 litre’s horsepower to a monstrous 500 with a zero-to-96 km/h (60 mph) time of a mere 4.9 seconds. (For comparison’s sake, the 2008 911 Turbo Cabrio is said to achieve this from a standing stop in just 3.7 seconds). I guess the Cayenne Turbo is for the perennially late soccer mom.
All three engines utilize direct fuel injection, a first for the Cayenne, and all three objectives of the new fuel delivery system - reduced emissions, improved fuel consumption and increased power - have been achieved, though I’ll leave it to the reader to determine if a city L/100km rating of 16.3 (17 mpg) can fairly be called an ‘improvement.’
Still, Porsche’s claim of a 15 per cent improvement in the S and 11 per cent in the Turbo is definitely moving in the right direction. Like all guilty pleasures, hammering the Cayenne S on an open stretch of highway with the Sport button engaged puts all thoughts of saving the planet out of your mind, or at least until the next off-ramp. Sport button? Simply press the non-descript and oddly large button located below the gear shift on the centre console and engine output increases thanks to some high-falutin’ computer chip mapping. Make sure you’ve got both hands on the heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel though as the noticeable power surge can catch a driver unaware. This may be an SUV, but it also has a highly tuned Porsche power plant delivering plenty of pull throughout its power band.
In addition to the more powerful engines, the biggest technological achievement on the second generation Cayenne is something called Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, an ingenious system that controls and regulates the air suspension system (standard on the Turbo and optional on the base and S models).
Not only does the chassis control system significantly decrease body roll through tight corners (or for that matter, long sweepers) over the first generation Cayenne, it makes steering crisper and braking smoother. The reason Cayennes haven’t been wrapping themselves around telephone standards like those tail-happy Porsche Turbos of lore is simply stunning driving dynamics.
The dual-range all-wheel drive system is arguably one of the best in the business in this sort of application, and if you’ve got the nerve and bank manager’s blessing for it, an off-road excursion on some of Canada’s toughest logging roads is well within reason. Just make sure you swap off the low-profile speed rated Michelins for a meatier set of boots. Getting the new Cayenne a little dirty was obviously on the mind of cabin designers, as a rubberized and high-sided cargo floor is easy to wipe down with soap and water.
As to interior changes, the second generation is crammed full of all the typical luxury class cabin creature comforts. From 12-way adjustable heated leather front seats to a 14-speaker Bose sound system, and from a multifunctional steering wheel with gear shift buttons to an integrated carbon filter for the cabin’s environment, the 2008 Cayenne is what you’d expect from an SUV with a sticker price north of $75,000.
When it all comes down to it, it will be that sticker price that really determines the fate of the second-generation Cayenne and any new generations to come. It remains to be seen how many wealthy people still covet an SUV with the soul of a sports car.
BBC motoring guru Jeremy Clarkson summed this sentiment up well when he quipped about the original Cayenne, “just as no-alcohol lager defeats the objective, so does a Porsche off-roader.”
It turned out old Jeremy was a little off the mark there, as North American sales hit record proportions and the motoring public fell in love with the first generation Cayenne. The second generation does what is hoped of all offspring and betters its lineage in both power and performance.
Only time will tell if it can improve on the lofty sales figures its near ancestor set.
2007 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet
Toronto, Ontario - Increasingly (and especially in my corner of Southern Ontario) it’s getting harder and harder to exercise a sporting vehicle on public roads. Not that I’m condoning irresponsible driving, but short of a few bursts of acceleration, or the odd off-ramp hi-jinx, there’s precious little fun to be had around here.
In reality, keeping a high performance sports car in this environment is akin to caging a cheetah or confining Shaque to shooting hoops in your driveway..
Which is precisely why the 2007 $136,900 355-hp Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet make so much sense.
Huh? Bear with me dear reader.
For sure, this iconic 911 all-wheel drop-top has serious tarmac-chewing capability, but for those times when you’re not attacking your favourite back road test loop, it does a fine job of creating the illusion of speed.
Case in point: With the top down and my youngsters squeezed in the back “seats” of this Guards Red tester, we made a run to the shops. “Dad! Slow down!!!” they squealed in delight. I looked down at the big digital speedometer. It read 65 km/h.
Okay, so I had reached that speed in an eye-blink, but had we been in an equally swift sedan, my kids wouldn’t have flinched.
In the Porsche, the firm ride, the rushing air, and of course that marvellous 3.8-litre flat-six snorting away inches from their backsides conspired to make the little tykes think Dad was going for his best lap at the Nurburgring.
And isn’t that what the sports car experience is all about?
Driving this al fresco Porsche allows one to take in every nuance of the DOHC 24-valve engine. And what a repertoire it has. Just off idle it gurgles and spits like Tom Waits after a night of drinking cleaning products. Around 2000 r.p.m. the big six clears its throat and from there it builds from a baritone warble to a mellifluous wail as the 7200 r.p.m. red-line rapidly approaches.And then there’s second gear.
My tester was equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, which shifts with a firm and precise manner. Similarly, the clutch requires a manly prod and the steering has a meaty feel at low speeds. As in all Porsches, the feel and operation of the major controls are wonderfully integrated, and become more so as your speed increases. The standard leather seats with powered backrest are a paragon of comfort and firm lateral support. Height and for-aft adjustment is manual. If you want them powered or heated, have your wallet handy. Although the rear seats are tiny, they are usable for small children and, as I discovered, those few adults who will suffer anything just to get a ride in a Porsche .
A big tach is central in the five-gauge instrument cluster, with the numbers illuminated in a crisp, eye-friendly white. The digital speedo readout in the lower half of the tachometer benefits from the big white numerals too, which is a good thing. Believe me, you want to know how fast you’re going at all times in this road rocket, and the small speedometer to the left of the tach, with it’s markings in tight 50 km/h increments, is no help.
My tester was fitted with the $1950 optional Bose High End Sound Package which sounded good – but not spectacular. But really, the only song you want to hear (and most of the time it’s you’re only choice) is the lusty mechanical symphony of this ass-engined rocket.
Once free from the city confines, the C4S Cabrio comes into its own. I prefer the all-wheel-drive 911s, as they feel more planted and have a more neutral disposition when negotiating the twisties. Which is not to say the steering doesn’t come alive in your hands and the back end can’t be coaxed into some gentle over-steer like in the rear-wheel drive cars. For those into heel-and-toe downshifting, the pedals are perfectly placed for your dancing pleasure. The vented and cross-drilled discs squeezed by four-piston fixed alloy calipers provide the expected Porsche stopping power.
All “S” model Carreras, which carry a 355 hp and 295 lb.-ft. “VarioCam Plus” 3.8-litre aluminum flat-six, beyond the rear axles, also come fitted with Porsche Active Suspension Management. This two-stage damping system takes the chop out of the ride but firms things up the instant you get playful. When PASM is put in sport mode, the suspension buttons down, throttle response quickens and the PSM allows for more sideways fun before it intervenes.
As far as structural rigidity goes, the C4S get a B+: rough surfaces will send some quivers through the structure. It’s not bad, but the standard in convertible stiffness has risen considerably in the past couple of years, and the 911 falls behind such robust roadsters as the Jaguar XKR, M-B SLK and even its baby-brother, the Boxster.
But the occasional shake is a minor price to pay for the dividends received in visual and aural stimulation. Maybe it was the Cabrio’s red paint and tan leather interior, or maybe it was the fact that this was our first truly summer-like weather, but the during my week of piloting this Porsche C4S Cabrio I received more smiles, more thumbs up, and more people yelling “Nice car!” than in any press car I can remember.
While pulling up to a stop sign in my neighborhood, a wide-eyed young whipper-snapper on a bike hollered, “Awesome Porsche! Gun it!” Which I did. Up to 65 km/h. I saw him grinning like the Cheshire Cat in my rear-view mirror.
Fleet Update: 2007 Audi Q7 4.2
I've just done 2000 miles in four days through mountains, deserts, rain, sunshine, snow, and heavy winds; and overall, the Q is comfortable and especially stable, even at high speeds," notes art director Andy Foster, who rendezvoused with Kiino and Vance on their R8 adventure (July 2007). Road tripping from L.A. to Crater Lake, Oregon, via Reno, Foster had myriad impressions: "The engine sound when planting the boot and accelerating away from 60 mph is satisfying, as the V-8 power kicks in nicely to move you quickly past all the trucks and RVs on I-5. Up in the mountains and through the twisty roads, the handling still feels sporty enough for you to think you're not in an SUV. The brakes and handling of the Q7 inspired confidence when driving down long, straight forest roads heavily populated with deer, who had a tendency to wander into the road. Although, realizing this was at night, I did feel the headlights could've been better at choosing the paths of these potentially suicidal mammals." Clearly, Foster was upset that the Q7 didn't come with the optional Deer Avoidance Package. "After driving for a couple hours straight, I found the driver's seat is a little too firm for me, and it doesn't slide back quite far enough for my six-foot frame."
Basking in the aura of the Black Rock Desert, helping Vance with a photo shoot, Foster opines, "Very handsome-looking car, inside and out, photogenic particularly in this pale silver. The black, stylish interior isn't as heavy-handed as some BMWs that go too far with the funereal look, and the lighting of the dials-a warm, glowing red color-works well for me, being bright enough but not too taxing on my old eyes."
As an Englishman who's also lived in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Sydney, Foster loves a navigation system, although he's not especially smitten with the Audi's. "The nav itself is easy to use but compared with the systems in the Lexus LS 460, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, and the Infiniti G35 s, it shows little typographic information regarding where you're passing. Zooming in and out is simple but often information disappears when you try to get a bigger picture of where you are."
There's a funny little vibration back through the steering wheel that feels like a flat-spotted tire. It can't be, of course, because the ABS system won't allow it. It might be a missing wheel weight. We've asked Audi what it might be, and their suggestion is a bent rim. Nothing looks untoward, however, and you'd think any pothole big enough to bend one of the Q7's monster 20 inch alloys would have left some sort of mark on the tires.The vibration is annoying because the big Q7 is so smooth in so many other ways. The silky 4.2-liter V-8 delivers a linear surge of power, with a delicious burble that sounds like Tom Waits gargling Bailey's Irish Cream. The six speed auto segues between gears with barely a ripple in forward acceleration. But the Q7 is not exactly relaxing. The ride is slightly arthritic, the stiffness in the system amplified by the taut sidewalls of the low profile tires, and the firmness of the seats. On rough roads you hear squeaks and rattles from the interior that you wouldn't in the more stiffly sprung GL450 or Land Rover LR3.
Spent two days in the Q7, ripped it down to Irvine and back. I really like this ute. Put a gun to my head and make me pick a three-row SUV I'd have to drive every day, and this sucker is right up there at the top. With the S-line package and the V8, you almost get the feeling that this is a performance Audi -- almost. While it may not be as stiffly sprung as the GL and LR3, it is certainly more athletic and agile to me. Noticed a bit of the squeaks and rattles Angus was talking about, but I have heard plenty more of the Waits/Irish Cream exhaust note when busting it onto the freeway or ripping away from a light. Had a big discussion with one of the guys in Irvine about it, and he said he thinks it should have been lowered and turned into a vehicle more like the R-Class, which I don't necessarily disagree with. But then it wouldn't be an SUV, and where would Audi be then? Probably better off... Clearly, Audi, like a lot of Ute makers, desperately wants you to believe you're really driving a big car, trick you into thinking you can rip it around corners and into the twisties. If there was a Ute you'd try it with though, it may be this one. I love the cockpit layout, but the driver area is a bit cramped, and indeed, the seats are more sport themed and not as comfortable as other big rigs.
