Audi Q7 V12 TDI

The Audi Q7 rated five stars in NHTSA crash tests, but it still only gets half that many in style stars. Plus, its Euro V6 3.0-liter TDI is only half an engine, compared to the new V12 TDI coming out next year. But German tuning shop B&B's TDI kit adds more perkiness to the oil-burning six, winding it up to 300hp, with a peak of 442 lbs-ft of torque (more than half the V12's 493 hp and 737 lbs-ft, to make an irrelevant comparison). When Audi puts out its Q7 4.2 TDI (from the Audi A8), B&B says its work product will be good for 385 hp and 590 lbs-ft. Performance wise, the company's 3.0 TDI can go from zero to 62 mph in under 8 seconds, on to a top speed of 143 mph. And with the 4.2-liter V8 TDI, performance will likely push the diesel bus even closer into sports-car territory. B&B also does a number on the suspension, reducing ride height by up to 50mm, then adding a choice of its own wheels — from simple dubs to 23 inchers. An aero kit from Caractere finishes the package in a more tasteful manner than that from the company's colleagues at Nothelle (no need to revisit that one). – Mike Spinelli