ASTON DB12 · BMW M5 · MG CYBERSTER · VW I D.7 · BMW M135 · PEUGEOT 3008 · S KO DA KODIAQ · RICCI’S GARAGE · LAND ROVER DEFENDER 130 · DACIA DUSTER · CUORA BORN

What’s an RS7 like as a cross continent cruise missile?

GOODBYE

AUDI RS7 PERFORMANCE

£116,200 OTR/£122,250 as tested/£1,490 pcm WHY IT’S HERE: Why is our new Audi RS7 Performance such a hit with the public?

DRIVER: rowan horncastle

IF YOU READ LAST MONTH’S MAG, you would have seen that Ollie Marriage and I tagged onto Team GB’s slalom Kitzbühel effort in an Audi A6 e-tron. Well, for that shoot we needed a support car. So I thought I’d fulfil that role, then do a bit of skiing off the back of it before heading to the wonderfully eclectic FAT ice race the following weekend in Zell am See. A 2,000 mile tour that would show what the RS7 is like as a cross continent cruise missile. So I filled the RS7 with bags, many Head skis, a SeaSucker rack and posted it into the first Thursday morning train LeShuttle could serve up to be in Kitz for dinner. Proper grand touring.

The RS7 is a great cruiser. The seats give no issues and you sit low in the car. And where contemporary Audi interiors are getting overly complicated, screen filled and (if the A6 e-tron is anything to go by) cheaper in quality, the RS7’s touchpoints feel rugged, like they’re honed from stone and wrapped in leather. After six months, the cabin and seats now feel more like well worn lederhosen – familiar, durable, and surprisingly supple. The steering wheel is thick but not cumbersome whereas the e-tron’s feels skeletal and light in comparison. There are also lots of scratchy plastics and menus to get lost in the new A6.

But the RS7 kept impressing, looking effortlessly thuggish in ski resorts, especially with a pair of posh Porsche x Head skis on top. Having lived with the RS7 for 12,000 miles and put it through its paces in every regard, my respect for it has grown exceptionally. I thought it would be inert and boring at times, but it’s been the opposite – growing in personality and voice as the miles have gone on. It got some minor squeaks behind the dual screens (which were sorted out) but it feels like it’d last forever, like German cars of old.

SPECS

POWERTRAIN: 3996cc TT V8, AWD

PERFORMANCE: 621bhp, 627lb ft, 0–62mph in 3.4secs, 174mph

KERBWEIGHT: 2,065kg

ECONOMY: 22.6mpg, 283g/km CO2

MILES SO FAR 12,013 OUR MPG 21.0

HELLO

ASTON MARTIN DB12

The “world’s first super tourer” is ours for a few months

£185,000 OTR/£240,000 as tested/£1,849 pcm WHY IT’S HERE: Aston’s GTs are increasingly sporty: too much for the daily grind?

DRIVER: rowan hor ncastle

WELCOME TO TG GARAGE’S LATEST addition, an Aston Martin Racing Green over Oxford Tan DB12. This is the model that replaced the DB11, which was only around for seven years, but things move fast nowadays. Including this DB12, thanks to a twin turbo 4.0-litre AMG derived V8 that develops 671bhp (a 150bhp uplift!) and 590lb ft, good for a 3.6 second 0–62mph sprint before going on to 202mph.

But what spec are we dealing with? A gorgeous one, that’s what. We’ve obviously got green over tan, paired with 21in multispoke forged wheels finished in Satin Black. Behind the wheels are optional carbon brakes. There are carbon fibre accents up front which look fit for a fight with a high kerb and a panoramic roof that bathes light into a cabin featuring Bridge of Weir hides, flawless stitching, carbon twill, dark chrome, optional 16-way adjustable heated/ventilated seats and steering wheel heating. Oh, and there’s also the Bowers & Wilkins 15-speaker stereo. But one of the speakers is already rattling.

The interior is a massive improvement on the DB11 and deserves its own comprehensive update. But the trim materials, upholstery, and switchgear feel fabulously expensive. But, more importantly, it finally has a touchscreen. A trend-bucking anamorphic letterbox touchscreen which feels both cinematic and simplified.

All of this comes at a price though. A hefty one. Base models start at £185k, but ours with all its options is £240k, £55k on top. But remember, the DB12 is playing in the big leagues, competing against the Bentley Continental GT in the luxury stakes and the Porsche 911 Turbo S and Ferrari Roma in the performance stakes. Where it lands, we’ll find out. But one thing’s for certain — it feels extraordinarily special already.

SPECS

POWERTRAIN: 3982cc twin turbo V8, RWD

PERFORMANCE: 671bhp, 590lb ft, 0–62mph in 3.6secs, 202mph

KERBWEIGHT: 1,685kg