NEW CARS

2027 Audi Q7 Arrives With New Tech, More Luxury, and a Diesel V-6 That Still Matters

Audi isn’t reinventing the Q7. It doesn’t need to.

After more than two decades of defining the brand’s take on the premium three-row SUV, the Q7 returns for a third generation that doubles down on the formula that made it successful in the first place: a spacious cabin, long-distance comfort, quattro confidence, and enough technology to make a luxury sedan feel old-fashioned.

In an era when many automakers are rushing toward electrification, Audi’s newest flagship SUV makes a compelling case for the modern diesel. Under the hood sits a 3.0-liter V-6 TDI available in two states of tune, producing either 245 horsepower or 299 horsepower. Both versions benefit from the company’s latest MHEV Plus mild-hybrid system, which contributes an additional 24 horsepower when needed and uses an electric compressor to sharpen throttle response off the line.

The result, Audi says, is stronger acceleration, smoother power delivery, and improved efficiency—all without sacrificing the effortless torque that has long made diesel-powered luxury SUVs such capable highway cruisers.

Familiar Shape, Sharper Presence

At first glance, the new Q7 is instantly recognizable. Audi’s designers have wisely avoided radical changes, instead refining the SUV’s proportions with a stronger shoulder line, a more upright stance, and a larger interpretation of the brand’s signature Singleframe grille.

The overall effect is one of confidence rather than aggression. It looks expensive without trying too hard—a quality that has always separated Audi’s best designs from many of their rivals.

Lighting, however, is where the new Q7 takes a significant leap forward.

Optional Digital Matrix LED headlights employ micro-LED technology capable of projecting high-resolution lighting patterns directly onto the road. Around back, third-generation digital OLED taillights feature customizable light signatures and communication functions designed to interact with surrounding traffic.

Audi has also found new ways to make lighting functional rather than merely decorative. Driver-assistance information can now be projected into the driver’s field of view through orientation lighting, while turn indicators create animated projections on the pavement to warn cyclists and pedestrians of upcoming lane changes or turns.

Yes, it’s the kind of feature that sounds gimmicky in a press release. In practice, it could be genuinely useful.

A Cabin Built for Long Distances

If the exterior evolves the Q7 formula, the interior perfects it.

Audi continues to offer the SUV in five- and seven-seat configurations, but for the first time buyers can specify a six-seat layout featuring two individual captain’s chairs in the second row. The arrangement gives the cabin a distinctly executive-class atmosphere and reinforces the Q7’s role as a luxury long-distance machine rather than merely a family hauler.

Space remains one of the Q7’s strongest selling points. Cargo capacity reaches 806 liters in five-seat form and expands to an impressive 2,075 liters with the rear seats folded. Even the seven-seat version offers generous luggage room by segment standards.

The centerpiece of the cabin is an illuminated panoramic glass roof with switchable transparency technology, allowing occupants to alter the amount of light entering the interior at the touch of a button.

Elsewhere, Audi’s trademark attention to material quality remains intact. The redesigned center console incorporates larger storage areas, oversized cupholders, and wireless charging pads capable of simultaneously charging two smartphones.

Quattro Muscle Meets Modern Refinement

Regardless of engine choice, every Q7 comes standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission and quattro permanent all-wheel drive.

Audi has also introduced a new limited-slip center differential with preload, a technical enhancement aimed at improving steering precision, traction, and overall responsiveness. While few owners are likely to push a three-row luxury SUV to its limits, the upgrade reflects Audi’s determination to maintain the Q7’s reputation as one of the more engaging vehicles in its class.

The standard steel suspension promises a comfortable ride, while adaptive air suspension and adaptive air suspension sport remain available for buyers seeking either greater comfort or sharper handling.

In typical Audi fashion, the goal isn’t outright sportiness. It’s making a large SUV feel smaller than it actually is.

Technology That Actually Helps

The new Q7’s driver-assistance suite is extensive, but Audi appears focused on convenience rather than overwhelming drivers with complexity.

Adaptive Driving Assistant Plus manages acceleration, braking, steering, and distance control during highway driving, while a trained parking function allows owners to teach the vehicle specific parking maneuvers and recall them later.

A new reverse-assist system can also retrace previously driven paths, making it easier to back out of dead-end roads, tight driveways, or confined urban spaces.

The luxury SUV market is crowded with newcomers promising revolutionary technology and radical design. Audi’s latest Q7 takes a different approach.

Instead of chasing trends, it refines a proven formula.

With its sophisticated diesel V-6, expansive interior, advanced lighting technology, and trademark quattro capability, the new Q7 remains exactly what it has always been: a premium family SUV engineered to cover vast distances with remarkable ease.

German customers will be able to order the new Q7 beginning in June 2026, with deliveries scheduled to start in September. Pricing begins at €87,900 for the 245-hp version and rises to €90,500 for the more powerful 299-hp model.

For Audi, the mission hasn’t changed. The Q7 is still intended to be the one SUV that can do everything.

Judging by the specifications, it may be better at that job than ever.

Source: Audi

Auctions

This Rare AMG Wide-Body Coupe Just Sold for $251,000—and It Proves Not Every AMG Legend Needed a V8

When enthusiasts talk about pre-merger AMG, the conversation usually begins—and ends—with the Hammer. The wide-fendered super sedan became an icon by stuffing a massive V8 into an unsuspecting Mercedes and embarrassing exotic cars in the process. But every now and then, a lesser-known creation emerges to remind us that Affalterbach’s magic wasn’t measured solely in cylinder count.

Case in point: this 1992 Mercedes-Benz 300 CE-24 AMG 3.4, one of just 25 examples converted by AMG when new. Recently crossing the auction block for an impressive $251,000, it stands as a rolling reminder of a time when AMG was still a renegade tuner building bespoke machines for customers who wanted something far more exclusive than anything available from a Mercedes showroom.

The recipe started with the elegant C124-generation 300 CE-24 coupe, already one of the most handsome Mercedes designs of its era. From there, AMG worked its usual black magic. The naturally aspirated M104 inline-six was enlarged from 3.0 to 3.4 liters, while a set of AMG camshafts helped increase output to a claimed 272 horsepower. That may not sound outrageous today, but in the early 1990s it represented a substantial jump over the standard car’s roughly 220 horsepower and transformed the coupe into a genuinely quick grand tourer.

Visually, the upgrades are impossible to miss. Finished in Blue-Black Metallic, the coupe wears the full AMG treatment: dramatically widened fenders, deeper side skirts, front and rear spoilers, and a set of classic three-piece AMG wheels that perfectly capture the era. The result is equal parts luxury coupe and street-fighting bruiser—a machine that looks like it belongs in a late-night Tokyo crime thriller. Fittingly, this particular example spent much of its life in Japan after receiving its AMG conversion.

Open the door and the period-correct atmosphere continues. Heated Recaro Classic sport seats, AMG instrumentation, rich wood trim, and a Technics cassette player transport occupants straight back to the golden age of German tuner cars. In an era when many classic performance cars are modernized beyond recognition, this AMG remains refreshingly authentic.

Its condition is no accident. Prior to the sale, the previous owner reportedly invested heavily in mechanical refurbishment. The engine was removed and serviced, seals and gaskets were renewed, numerous wear items were replaced, and the transmission received its own refresh. A set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires completes the package, ensuring the upgraded straight-six can deliver its power with confidence.

Of course, perspective matters. As special as this AMG coupe is, it occupies a different tier from the mythical Hammer models powered by AMG’s thunderous 6.0-liter V8. Those cars remain the crown jewels of the pre-merger AMG world, and their values reflect that reality. One example changed hands for an astonishing $885,000 in 2023.

Yet that comparison almost misses the point. The appeal of this 300 CE-24 AMG 3.4 isn’t that it’s a bargain Hammer. It’s that it represents a different side of AMG’s history—one built on engineering finesse rather than brute force. Before AMG became a global performance brand, it was a small company creating highly personalized machines for a select group of enthusiasts. Cars like this are increasingly rare survivors from that era.

And at a quarter-million dollars, collectors are clearly starting to notice.

Source: Bring a Trailer

Tuning

Larte Design’s Two-Tone Mercedes-AMG G63 Is a €90,000 Paint Job That Somehow Makes Sense

If there is one thing the Mercedes-AMG G63 has never lacked, it’s presence. With its towering stance, thunderous V-8 soundtrack, and enough visual drama to make a supercar feel self-conscious, the G-Wagen already occupies a unique place in the luxury SUV universe. Apparently, though, there are buyers who look at a six-figure AMG and think: It needs more attention.

That’s where German tuner Larte Design comes in.

Following the introduction of its “Winner” carbon-fiber body kit for the current-generation G63, the Erkrath-based company has unveiled a new personalization program that adds something Mercedes itself doesn’t offer: a fully bespoke two-tone exterior finish.

The premise is simple. According to Larte, many customers eager to get behind the wheel of a G63 don’t want to endure lengthy factory waiting lists and often end up purchasing vehicles finished in colors they never would have chosen. The solution? Buy the G63 now, then let Larte transform it later.

Owners can select virtually any two-color combination imaginable and decide whether the weave of the carbon-fiber body components should remain visible or be painted over. Once specifications are finalized, the SUV is shipped to one of Germany’s specialist paint facilities—the same kind of workshops trusted by several luxury-car manufacturers for their own high-end finishing work.

The result is a G63 that somehow manages to stand out even in a parking lot full of G-Wagens.

Of course, exclusivity isn’t cheap. Larte’s Winner carbon-fiber package, which includes components designed to fit without requiring modifications to the original bodywork, carries a price tag of €44,276 and comes paired with 23-inch wheels. Add the new two-tone paint treatment and buyers will need to find another €45,000.

Yes, that’s nearly €90,000 in upgrades before you’ve even touched the powertrain.

Not that the engine needs much help. Beneath the squared-off hood remains AMG’s familiar 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8, producing 585 horsepower and 627 pound-feet (850 Nm) of torque. That’s enough to launch the luxury brick from 0 to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds before it runs into an electronically governed top speed of 137 mph.

So what does almost ninety grand buy you? Not more power. Not more speed. Not even more capability off-road. What it buys is individuality—a commodity that, for many G63 owners, may be worth more than an extra hundred horsepower.

In a world where exclusivity is often measured by how difficult it is to get noticed, Larte Design has found a way to make the Mercedes-AMG G63 even harder to ignore. Whether that’s a brilliant business idea or a symptom of luxury-car excess depends entirely on which side of the €90,000 paint bill you’re standing.

Source: Larte Design

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