2014 Audi RS7
In the rarified world of ultra-high performance Audis, many think the exotic R8 is the champ. But it’s actually the 5-door RS 7 that is the most powerful Audi sold here. That’s right…you don’t need supercar style or impracticality for serious, street-fighting, track melting capabilities. Too good to be true? Well, buckle up!
It took us no time at all to absolutely fall in love with the Audi RS 5 when we hit the track with it last year. But to be honest, that car pales in comparison to this car, the 2014 Audi RS 7.
Building on the far from pedestrian S7, Audi pumps up the performance in just about every area of this vehicle.
Weight has been shaved by 30-pounds. And there’s more power, thanks to Audi cranking up the boost in the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 to 17.4 psi. That makes for 560-horsepower and 516 lb-ft. of torque. Quattro all-wheel-drive, along with the S7’s sport differential, and air suspension, are all standard.
One thing that hasn’t changed, is that much like the S7, this car seems up for just about anything you can throw at it; feeling smooth and steady no matter the speed. Compared to the impressive S7, it cuts through the cones even more effortlessly. Dynamic driving mode keeps the body roll well under control, but doesn’t necessarily make it feel more responsive.
However, the electromechanical steering is insanely quick on turn-in with a precise, heavy weight, but unsurprisingly little feel. More would be hugely welcomed. The upgraded brakes are great for such a heavy car, but not quite in supercar territory with average stops of 117 feet from 60.
Acceleration, however, is glorious, as there is a ridiculous amount of torque and quattro traction propelling you on an 11.7-second adrenaline rush through the quarter-mile at 123 miles-per-hour. The transmission is a straight-up 8-speed Tiptronic automatic, not a DSG, but it works better than most dual clutch boxes, so we have no complaints.
The first two gears seem ultra-low…that’s for acceleration, getting you to 60 in just 3.6-seconds while the top gears go into extreme overdrive. Manual shifting is hard to get just right on the power sweet spots, so just let the computers and accelerometers do their thing and propel you to glory.
Now if you’re on the highway and you choose to nail the throttle to its fullest, make sure you’re not even close to someone’s bumper, or you’ll be in it in no time as this thing just flat take off. So, it’s quicker than a BMW M6 Gran Coupe, but not quite as fast as the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG. But perhaps more importantly, thanks to cylinder deactivation among other things, it out fuel misers both of them.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 16-City, 27-Highway, and 19-Combined. So, our average of 22.1 miles-per-gallon of Premium is quite good for supercar-like performance.
This vehicle is clearly made for eating up mass quantities of Autobahn miles at thrilling speeds in extreme serenity, as Audi seems to be in competition with themselves on building the most amazing interiors. No one else is really even in the game, as here the custom-crafted environment gets even better.
It looks and feels like those super expensive pieces of custom luggage you see that cost well into 5-figures. RS extras include shifter, steering wheel, carbon-fiber trim, unique door handles, and instrument panel.
Front seats are just great, very racy feeling yet also luxurious to the hilt. While it doesn’t feel, or look particularly big, ease into the rear seats and the car feels huge.
Instead of a one size fits all approach to the exterior design, buyers can opt for standard, matte aluminum, or carbon styling. This example sports the matte aluminum look along with new bumpers, revised Singleframe grille, adaptive rear spoiler, lower diffuser, and big elliptical taillight tips for the highly recommended optional sport exhaust system. Full LED lighting is standard.
But let’s be honest. At $105,795, the $25,000 price leap over an S7 may purely be for bragging rights. Most owners will never experience the full potential of this car. We really don’t have the appropriate roads in North America to fully exploit the RS 7’s capabilities. You do need the German Autobahn, or at least, your own track day for that.
We thought the S7 was terrific. But in creating the 2014 RS 7, the otherworldly Audi engineers are again on point. Too good to be true? Not hardly. Overkill? You’re darn right!
Specifications
- Engine: 4.0-liter V8
- Horsepower: 560
- Torque: 516 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 3.6 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 11.7 seconds @ 123 mph
- EPA: 16 mpg city/ 27 mpg highway
2025 Infiniti QX80
Infiniti’s Flagship SUV Sets A Course For Extravagance
This full-size Infiniti QX80 started out as the QX56, a hastily rebadged version of Nissan’s truck-based Armada full-size utility. That was in the early 2000s when the luxury SUV craze was exploding. It wasn’t as much as a game-changer, as it was “try to keep upper”. Now, this new QX80, Infiniti is promising to “Reimagine the luxury SUV”. Let’s see if Infiniti has turned their imaginations into reality.
Well, if over the top is what Infiniti was shooting for in the all-new 2025 QX80, mission accomplished. There’s an overall feeling of extravagance here that we haven’t experienced from Infiniti in quite some time.
It’s not just the open pore ash wood trim with aluminum inlays, 24-speaker audio, and plush quilted leather seating; there’s also nicely integrated ambient lighting, a massive glass roof, plenty of tech, lots of active driving assistance, and even chilled center console storage. Forward of that is a dual touchscreen setup; the top 14.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment sits next to the digital gauge display in a single housing; while just below, there’s a 9-inch one for climate controls.
You are reminded this is still a body-on-frame utility the moment you have to climb up into the cockpit, but there’s also the commanding view of the road that comes with that. Captain’s chairs are standard for the second row, but a three-place bench is optional with all trims except for top Autograph which comes exclusively with these climate-controlled massaging chairs, along with a touchscreen control panel. The third-row experience is great, too, with heated leather seating, and adult size room for three.
Now, there is a whole new experience coming from under the hood. The last gen’s V8 has been replaced with a new twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 rated at 450 horsepower, 50 over the V8. More notably, torque is up by more than 100 lb-ft to 516. Transmission is a nine-speed automatic, two more gears than last year, with rear-wheel drive standard, four-wheel drive an option. Max tow rating is 8,500-lbs.
And at the test track, it did pull strongly off the line, getting up to speed in a hurry with the 0-60 sprint taking just 6.3 seconds. There is roughly 3 tons of weight to push through the quarter-mile, but that twin-turbo does it well, finishing in 14.7 seconds at 95 mph. Gear changes are incredibly smooth, while not hindering acceleration in any way.
It's an impressive looking utility from any angle.
In panic braking runs, there was some fade and a considerable amount of nosedive, but our average stopping distance of 115 feet is not bad for a vehicle as big and heavy as the QX80. Last gen, the QX80 moved from the Titan truck platform to the global Patrol SUV chassis, which shifted the vibe from budget Escalade to Lexus LX fighter. The attending improvement in ride and handling was the real bonus, and that largely continues for this gen with air suspension and Dynamic Digital Dampers on all but base QX80s. While we could certainly feel all that weight through our cone course, body roll was well-controlled and without significant oversteer or understeer.
It’s an impressive looking utility from any angle, starting right up front with the big “bamboo forest” grille. The overall shape is boxy, but all body panels are smooth; and for better or worse, Infiniti joins the flush door handle fad. Look for its “Artistry In Motion” design theme to work its way down through the rest of the Infiniti lineup. All QX80s ride on 22-inch wheels except for base Pure trim which makes do with 20s.
A full power play includes standard motion-activated rear liftgate and power operation of both second and third row seats, expanding cargo capacity from 22 cu-ft behind the third row to 59 behind the second, and a max of 101.0 cu-ft with both rows folded.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings with four-wheel-drive are not great: 16 city, 19 highway and 17 combined. We averaged 18.6 mpg of premium. That’s a much worse than average Energy Impact Score, using 17.5 barrels of oil annually, with 8.6 tons of CO2 emissions.
Driving such a PUREly LUXEurious SENSORY overload, you’ll probably be expecting people to want your AUTOGRAPH, which we’re guessing is how Infiniti came up with their grade structure; pricing starts with Pure at $84,445 and climbs to $112,590 for Autograph.
The 2025 Infiniti QX80 is a massive SUV that delivers massive amounts of power and luxury. They aimed for the moon here and have clearly blasted themselves into a much more competitive orbit in the big buck, big hauler, sport-utility galaxy.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6
- Transmission: 9-speed automatic
- Horsepower: 450
- Torque: 516 lb-ft.
- EPA: 16 City | 19 Highway | 17 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 6.3 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 14.7 seconds at 95 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg.): 115 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 18.6 mpg (Premium)
