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  1. Five of the fastest SUVs around
  2. Audi Q7 V12 TDI, Le Mans inspired
  3. Volkswagen Touareg R50, R-badged
  4. Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, Turbocharged
  5. Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, Naturally aspirated
  6. BMW X6 XDrive50i, Driven

Audi Q7 V12 TDI, Le Mans inspired

With a 6.0-litre V12 TDI engine under its big bonnet it's hardly surprising that the Q7 V12 TDI is rapid. What is shocking though is just how ridiculously quick the big Audi can be, the 493bhp V12 engine able to slingshot it down the road on the way to 62mph in just 5.5 seconds. That's fast by any measure, but quite stupidly so given the scale of the vehicle that surrounds the Le Mans DNA-sharing engine.

Sensibly, someone at Ingolstadt decided the Q7 V12 TDI needed an electronic speed limiter, so 155mph is 'all' you'll achieve on a de-restricted autobahn. Which is just as well, as even though it's fitted as standard with Audi's hugely effective carbon brake discs, stopping all that mass from such speeds is going to be interesting. Brutish, and not the most refined machine in this company, the Q7 also has a massive £96,000 price tag to match its formidable performance. Other cars featured here do a better job all round.

Kyle Fortune

Tuesday September 23