IT'S the biggest diesel engine in the world, it's fitted to a 2.5-ton SUV - and it drives like a supercar.
At £96,295 it is also the most expensive diesel production car on the market.
In every way, the monstrous V12 Q7 quattro is about to become the most exclusive Audi ever built.
Just 40 models a year are expected to be sold in Britain making this amazing piece of technology almost the ultimate automotive indulgence.
The six-litre twin turbo engine has its roots in those which Audi has used to dominate the Le Mans 24 hour race for the past three years - and the power is little short of breathtaking.
It has a capacity if 5,934cc, develops 500bhp and pumps out more pulling power than seven 1.6-litre diesel Ford Fiestas put together. For the record that's 1,000Nm of torque and it's available from below 2,000 revs.
In the gigantic Q7 the power - not to mention the sound - is awesome. Nought to 60mph takes less than 5.5 seconds, the top speed is electronically restricted to 155mph but it will still average 25mpg. For such raw performance that is nigh on incredible.
Emissions of 298g/km won't exactly impress the green lobby but that is not going to weigh heavy on the minds of those who buy this car.
This is a demonstration of just what can be done with diesel power - and relatively speaking it is as eco-marvellous as they come.
When it comes down to CO2 the V12 diesel is cleaner than the 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine fitted to the entry level Q7 which costs about a third of the price.
Splendid though the Q7 6.0 TDI is with its Bose sound system, luxury trim and leather upholstery, the V12 specification is little different to the current top of the range Q7 S Line models - and those are priced around £50,000.
Nevertheless, this muscle machine is unmistakable on the road, its bulk now picked out by 24 LED running lights in two needle clusters.
Unlike other Audis this illuminated signature is mounted not in the headlamps but across the bottom of the bumper, which in the case of the Q7 is half way up the nose.
Amazingly for a car costing near on six figures there are extras to be had such as a Bang & Olufsen sound system upgrade, a panoramic sun roof and double glazing.
Yet for those who will buy this four-wheel-drive, high performance mark of status, price is irrelevant.
The glitterati of Beverly Hills will be queuing up to add this glitz machine to their collections, as undoubtedly will some Premier League footballers.
Some may even want the Q7 V12 for its technical genius.
In this zone only the best will do. This is where bespoke versions of Range Rovers, Mercedes, Cadillacs and other auto exotica exist - but to be frank the Q7 is out on its own.
Touch the throttle and it surges forward as if on an unstoppable mission until its might is reined in via ceramic brakes.
It is perverse that such performance can come from such a massive car and surprisingly it handles.
What other applications the V12 diesel has within the Volkswagen Group which owns Audi as well as Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti (not to forget SEAT and Skoda) is being kept top secret.
For the time being this is the only way to sample the adrenalin rush of such mighty mid-range acceleration which until now has been known only to Audi's racing drivers.