| One of the most pointless yet poignant rides that | | | | Now these four grown men did not think of |
| I have had the opportunity to drive with total | | | | heading to the first hip and cool nightspot to show |
| abandon is the Audi Q7 4.2. FSI. This car is now | | | | off the Audi to the girls, but headed for some |
| entering its fourth year of production and it is | | | | "teh tarik" at a "mamak" shop. Alfresco was the |
| extremely pointless because it is a huge, petrol | | | | way to go and I found out that reversing and |
| hungry therefore politically incorrect vehicle. It is | | | | parking the darn thing was easy, especially with |
| also the love of people who think that bungalow | | | | the Audi Multi Media Interface (MMI) monitor which |
| sized SUVs, which are rubbish off road, are the | | | | has park assist features, a decently light but not |
| correct vehicle to own. It is one car which is as | | | | dead in feeling steering and the ergonomic driving |
| long as a standard Mercedes S-class but heavier | | | | position of the Q7. The MMI feature is pretty |
| (at 2250kg), wider and much taller. Anything that | | | | straightforward and not like some 1st Generation |
| is bigger than an S-class is pretty pointless in | | | | BMW I(diot) drive. |
| some ways. And when tree loving eco friendly | | | | It was after this session of tea, gossip and lots of |
| terrorists tell you that it burns more petrol than | | | | car talk that my friend took over the driving |
| the entire nation of Timor Leste at one go you | | | | chores for another round of trashing, er, driving. It |
| may be inclined to believe them due to the | | | | was during this session we found out that the |
| 350bhp 4.2liter V8 powering it. | | | | hard corners that I did wasn't hard enough as we |
| This bulk carrier can carry 7 people as there is a | | | | were able to put the barn into a slightly four |
| 7 seater version but to say that it is a people | | | | wheel drift while blasting through a sweeping |
| carrier is wrong as most owners will never carry | | | | corner. Surprisingly the ESP, if it was in operation, |
| anyone other than himself, or use a driver with | | | | was not intrusive at all and the adjustable (at a |
| him seated behind. To say it is a proper off road | | | | push of a button) suspension was hard in its |
| SUV is even more pointless as no one is going to | | | | sports/dynamic setting but never uncomfortable. |
| trash a S$322,000.00 vehicle in the rain forest of | | | | Body roll was kept in check and a barn danced |
| Pahang and that it comes with on road spec tires | | | | like a hippo in a tutu. Bulky yet able to do some |
| that have the grip of leather soles on a polished | | | | ballet. This shows you that Audi can make a barn |
| floor. We also have to note that it does not have | | | | corner extremely well. |
| a proper low range transfer case, but the usual | | | | And one more reason why its a poignant drive. |
| Quattro All Wheel Drive system that you may | | | | The noise from that V8 FSI is superb even |
| also find in the A4 Quattro. It does have a ride | | | | though people outside the car may hear more of |
| height adjustable suspension, but that function will | | | | it than the people driving it. Remember that this is |
| only be used to lower the rear so that the owner | | | | the same engine in the B7 Audi RS4 and it is a |
| can load his or her groceries with ease. | | | | marvelous engine. Any engine that can pull a barn |
| However, while it is huge, it is like any well | | | | with four grown men deserves a worthy mention. |
| designed German uber-mobile. It is so easy to | | | | I liked driving it even better than a 1.8TFSI A4 |
| drive (fast) and it is easy to handle. This is partly | | | | which felt very competent but slightly clinical. But |
| due to having 350bhp at your feet. Anything with | | | | even if I had the money to plonk for one, I'd still |
| 350bhp at your feet is usually nimble,from a | | | | buy a sports saloon or a coupe. Driving a Q7 is |
| certain point of view that is. Actually this is why | | | | unreal, but what's the point of buying one if you |
| the Q7 is poignant. An extremely large and | | | | really enjoy driving? There are cars like Mercedes |
| powerful as well as politically incorrect car is very | | | | CLS, C63 or the M5 which I'd rather buy. Or if I |
| satisfying to drive as it has the 'in your face' | | | | ever felt like buying a 2250kg car I'd save up and |
| attitude that we sometimes yearn for in a car. | | | | buy a Bentley Continental (which is a far off |
| Four grown men in a Q7 at the traffic lights | | | | dream) These are real cars for enthusiastic |
| powering off at the first sight of green is a | | | | drivers. Low center of gravity is the main reason. |
| monumental thing. The Q7 has enough torque to | | | | With low CG, means more cornering confidence |
| carry four passengers from 0 to 100km/h in | | | | and faster cornering speeds for me. The high up |
| about 7.5 seconds. It was like the starship | | | | SUV style driving position isn't something that |
| Enterprise doing warp factor 6. It ain't no | | | | adds to a driver's confidence levels when he's |
| Millennium Falcon if you get my drift. And the | | | | pushing it. A barn can't handle as well as a proper |
| Perodua Kelisa driver beside us at the lights was | | | | sorted out car no matter what technology you |
| left thinking about how a barn could accelerate | | | | throw at it due to its height. And with that you |
| faster than he ever thought possible. | | | | know how pointless and poignant the Audi Q7 is. |