Is this the world's fastest people mover?
Maybe. It certainly makes it into the grand final.
Audi's fire-breathing seven-seater, the SQ7, is the latest in a long list of high-performance, family-friendly machines from the ambitious German maker.
Audi has made a specialty in recent years of shoe-horning indecently powerful engines into otherwise everyday machines - cars like the thunderous RS6 Avant - which surely wins in the fastest station-wagon stakes; the high-performance diesel-powered RSQ5 (quickest oil-burner); and more recently the outrageously quick SUV coupe, the V8-powered, twin-turbocharged RSQ8.
Next to all of those, the SQ7 looks almost conservative in its styling and performance.
But the numbers tell a different story.
Its 4-litre, twin-turbo petrol V8 delivers a fierce 373 kilowatts at 5500rpm; on the back of 770 Newton metres of torque, available from take-off just to get this big soft-roader rolling.
From there, it takes a stunningly brief 4.1 seconds to reach the legal speed limit.
And it does all of this carrying up to seven people and their gear! Oh please, Audi.
So, is there a seven-seat family wagon that can compare? Of course there's bound to be an emissions-free intruder into this contest, but for the moment let's focus on internal-combustion options only.
Let's face it, no matter how smooth, silent and stealthy today's electric-powered supercars are, there remains something special about a V8 engine.
And sadly, this may well be the final time we sample an Audi with such a range of skills as this one.
If this is to be the last model to use Audi's familiar, long-serving V8, it will be going out on an absolute high.
In fact the current sweet-as-sugar V8 - (it was originally a normally aspirated 4.2 litres, but more recently the twin-turbo 4-litre version), has been part and parcel of Audi's premium models for more than two decades.
That goes all the way back to the days when a V8 could be found from the top to bottom of the Audi range, from an S4 through to the flagship R8 supercar and just about every model in between.
There could be no better example of Audi's Vorsprung Durch Technik (Progress through technology) motto, delivering a car that would blow away all but the wildest SUVs, while still fitting an entire family, plus bringing solid off-road capability to boot.
That doesn't encroach on its credentials as a supreme highway cruiser, either, with impressive road presence – whether you're chugging along at the speed limit or pushing on a little harder.
Perhaps the most surprising feature is a little notification on the digital "virtual cockpit" that alerts you that the big twin-turbo V8 has initiated "four-cylinder mode" shutting half of the engine when the car is stroking along with a minimum of fuss. Yes, it's an economy machine (of sorts) as well. Remarkable.
It begs the question, though, about what kind of machine the SQ7 purports to be.
It sounds absolutely beautiful – a faint rumble as you chug around town giving way with a symphonic harmony from the quad pipes when it's called on for full-scale acceleration.
Let's face it, the Audi is not your average people mover – even though it can accommodate seven in reasonable comfort (and very comfortable for the front seats).
Those up front can enjoy heated and ventilated leather sports pews, complete with a massage function for those days when you just want to drive, and drive, and drive.
Despite the fact that it has all of that engine capacity and performance, the SQ7 will get you well down the freeway before you will feel the need to stop for juice. This week-long test covered the better part of 500km with almost 400km more left on the trip computer. Official thirst is a surprisingly frugal 12.1L/100km.
That said, it faces no shortage of competition in this high-performance SUV segment, where rivals include BMW's astonishing X7 (with its diesel engine and four turbochargers); Mercedes-AMG's GLE 55 (0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds - sheesh), as well as the seven-seat version of BMW's X5M Competition.
Inside the SQ7 is as plush, tasteful and luxurious as any comparably-sized limousine (think the A8, S-Class Benz and BMW 7-Series in particular) and with its high driving position and brilliant finishes it could easily be used for chauffeuring around a politician or captain of industry.
Premium Bang and Olufsen 3D sound system, three separate touch-screens (one for the driver and two in the centre stack) keep the whole clan entertained, while externally the 22-inch alloys, Matrix LED headlights and adaptive air suspension delivers a huge feel of security and subtle athleticism.
There's also power-closing doors, electric rear hatch, four-zone climate control and, of course, a third-row of seats that fold down with a push of a button.
While they might have been a bit late to the party, Audi's S and RS models have more than claimed a spot on the same shelf as its German arch-rivals.
All three, mind you, are vanity toys of the highest order.
After all, nobody really needs sub-five second acceleration in a car that can fit the whole family and their stuff. Unless you're trying to brake some kind of record.
AUDI SQ7 TFSI
HOW BIG?
It seriously outsizes its key rivals, BMW's X5M and Benz's equally beastly GLE 55 AMG. The Benz will offer a third-row of seats to those happy to pay the freight. The Beemer can also be stretched to seven pews, but if you want more comfort the massive X7M is the trick.
HOW FAST
0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds. What else to you need to know?
HOW THIRSTY
Official fuel consumption is a reasonable 12.L/100km.
HOW MUCH
Listed price on the SQ7 is $164,100. But the sensory package ($13,100) and dynamic package ($10,900) mean a drive-away price of $190,621.
