James Baggott packs the crew from the local lifeboat station into his RS6 estate for a series of call-outs

Emergency services vehicles come in all shapes and sizes – but you certainly don’t see many Audi RS6s called into rapid response action.

However, after the failure of our lifeboat station’s usually-trusty Land Rover Defender, that’s exactly what I’ve been asking of my long term super estate.

As well as writing about cars for a living, I volunteer as a coxswain for my local independent lifeboat station, Gosport & Fareham Inshore Rescue Service, or GAFIRS as it’s known locally.

Operating in The Solent and Portsmouth Harbour, the service delivers the same frontline search and rescue service to UK Coastguard as the RNLI, but unfortunately without the enviable funding the national charity enjoys.

During our recent spell of early September sunshine, the lifeboat was called into action frequently and with our lifeboat moored in the local marina away from station for a while, we’d usually use our station Defender to get us there – but, just when it was needed, the S-reg model suffered a breakdown.

Enter stage left a stand-in from Germany. While it might not have the off-road capability of the Land Rover, the RS6 more than swallowed our crew, dressed in their bulky and rather hot dry suits, along with all their kit in the cavernous boot for a series of incidents.

We don’t have dispensation to speed to incidents in cars (on the water it’s a different matter), so we couldn’t really utilise the RS6’s 591bhp, or test out the 3.6 second to 0-60mph sprint time.

However, I can report the freezing air con is great at helping cool four crew sweating in their boil-in-a-bag drysuits. My colleagues all remarked how nice the interior was. I can’t disagree with them as after a few months behind the wheel of the Audi I really have no complaints.

While other long term test cars over the years have had little niggles that increase in annoyance as my time with the car increases, the RS6 has nothing to moan about. It’s wonderfully comfortable to drive and equally thrilling when you do get the opportunity to stretch its legs. For me, at least, it’s pretty much the perfect car.

It hasn’t just been lifeboat call-outs the RS6 has been helping out with either. Over the last few months a continuing house renovation saga has called it into DIY action too.

At the wood merchants it easily helped cart some 2.4m lengths for a new ceiling I was building. I was impressed it managed it with the rear seats down and the lengths poked between the front seats.

We’ve also been on holiday recently and I was delighted that the boot took four large suitcases and a push chair without the need to put any seats down when we travelled to the airport. I’ve struggled to get as much in some SUVs.

Without wanting to open up old internet arguments, I noted the huge debate that raged recently following Volvo’s decision to axe estates, like the V90 and V60, from its line-up in favour of SUVs. Some people bemoaned the decision, while others said they preferred off-roaders.

You can probably guess which camp I sit in – firmly on the estate’s side. While I can appreciate the driving position of an SUV, I much prefer the driveability of an estate and I’ve never struggled with their practicality.

Add in a monstrous engine like the RS6’s and, in my book at least, you’ve got an absolute winning formula.

It’s pretty safe to say I’m thoroughly enjoying my time with the Audi so far. Whether I can convince my colleagues at the lifeboat station that it would make a ‘sensible’ replacement for our Defender is another matter altogether.

Facts at a Glance

• Model: Audi RS6
• Price as tested: £106,020
• Engine: 4.0-litre V8
• Power: 591bhp
• Torque: 800Nm
• 0-60mph: 3.6 seconds
• Top speed: 155mph
• MPG: 22.4mpg (combined)
• Emissions: 286g/km CO2
• Mileage: 14,561

The new Spectre marks a brand new electric age for Rolls-Royce. James Baggott has been finding out what this luxury EV is like.

What is it?

Back in 1900, Rolls-Royce co-founder Charles Rolls predicted in a magazine article that electric cars would be ‘very useful’ when ‘charging stations can be arranged’. Fast forward 123 years and the brand is finally launching Spectre, its first fully electric car, despite the fact no one could quite yet describe the UK’s charging infrastructure as being ‘arranged’.

Rolls-Royce says the century-long wait for its first EV wasn’t through want of trying. The car maker dabbled in electric propulsion with the 102EX Phantom back in 2011, but surmised after that project that charging would take too long and batteries weren’t good enough. But in the last decade technology has advanced quickly – and now the 329-mile range Spectre is ready for the road.

What’s new?

Pretty much everything on the Spectre is new – even the Spirit of Ecstasy bonnet emblem has been redesigned with a more aerodynamic profile to reduce drag.

The famous Rolls-Royce star-light headlining, which uses tiny LEDs to twinkle at night, has now been extended to the doors and it’s the first Roller to go fully electric. The Goodwood-based business has said it will never produce another car with a combustion engine again.

What’s under the bonnet?

Ditching the firm’s famous silky smooth V12 was never going to be easy, but Rolls-Royce believes it has found the ideal solution with this electric set-up. The 102kWh battery can be charged from zero to 100 per cent in 5 hours and 30 minutes on a 22kW charger. While most home chargers are 7kW, Rolls-Royce says it expects owners to have access to faster chargers at home and work.

Owners have told the car maker they actually prefer the benefits of charging as it means they won’t have to visit petrol stations any more and, presumably, be forced to mix with the hoi polloi. Buyers have, on average, access to another seven cars in their garage so when a trip could potentially cause range anxiety issues they’re expected to use something else.

Performance-wise the Spectre hits 60mph in 4.4 seconds, is limited to 155mph and produces 576bhp and 900Nm of torque.

What’s it like to drive?

This is a car that’s as good to drive as it is to be driven in – and before you ask, yes, most buyers drive themselves around. There were three important character traits that Rolls-Royce wanted its new Spectre to demonstrate: Silence, ‘waftability’ and a magic carpet ride. The designers are convinced this is what owners want – that and the ability to accelerate and brake ‘without spilling a drop of champagne in the back’. Yes, really.

While the champagne test wasn’t performed, we did get a good opportunity to drive it on the road and it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between this and a V12. Both are silent and power delivery is remarkably similar. Engineers were told to design a ‘Rolls-Royce first, an electric car second’ and on the road, it’s clear they’ve nailed it. Power is delivered smoothly with no sudden explosive bursts as you’d expect in an EV. It’s linear and relaxing.

As for the wafting, magic carpet ride – these terms describe Spectre perfectly. It’s sumptuous and cosseting on all road surfaces. Our only slight complaint would be the steering – at times it lacked a tiny little bit of feel, but it hardly blots the copybook.

How does it look?

Spectre is the spiritual successor to the Phantom Coupe and was drawn to resemble luxury sailing yachts. It certainly has similar elegant lines and looks incredibly imposing on the road. The designers told us they were looking to recreate the slab-sided, single hull of a boat.

Up front, there’s the huge trademark grille and it’s available in a whole multitude of colours, including stunning two-tone paint jobs.

What’s it like inside?

Spectre is packed with clever, luxury touches. These include powered doors that open and close at the touch of a button, or when the driver puts their foot on the brake.

Rolls-Royce has redesigned the digital dashboard to match the colours of the car and even the sounds have been curated – the indicator noise is said to be a combination of ‘whisky tumblers and the ping of metal from the car’s air vents’.

What’s the spec like?

Rolls-Royce buyers are ultra-wealthy and used to having whatever they want – and the firm will give it to them. The car maker is cagey about the price, explaining that it’s quite uncouth to even speak about it, but when pushed the firm says Spectre starts at around £330,000.

Few will leave the factory costing less than £450,000, though. That’s down to the huge range of colours, finishes and options users can pick. You name it, and you can get it on a Spectre.

Verdict

The Rolls-Royce Spectre is simply joyful to drive. The marque set out to make the world’s most luxurious electric car and has excelled. The ride is wonderful, the power delivery sublime and its looks are a work of art. There are few cars on the road that are quite as perfect as the Spectre – but you’ll certainly have to pay for that privilege.

That said, if you need to ask the price, even Rolls-Royce admits you’re probably not the sort of person it’s looking to sell to. For the rest of us, it’s simply a desirable electric car we can only dream of owning.

After living with the RS4 sports estate for six months, James Baggott upgrades to the fastest of Audi’s load luggers.

If running an Audi RS4 for six months felt like a lottery win – I can only imagine this is what a Euromillions jackpot feels like.

Ok, so perhaps that’s a little overdramatic, but I must say I was rather excited when a nice man from Oxfordshire arrived with an RS6 replacement for my previous long-term loan Audi RS4.

What’s different about the bigger brother apart from the additional two in its name, I hear you ask? Well, actually rather a lot.

For the uninitiated, the RS6 is the undisputed king of the sports tourer world. It’s got more power – 591bhp no less, and a stomach-punching 800Nm of torque.

Those figures wouldn’t look out of place on a supercar’s specification and, in fact, they serve up performance that would humble most exotic motors, especially considering it can do it while carrying several sacks full of rubbish for the tip at the same time.

The 0-60mph dash is dispatched in as little as 3.6 seconds and it’ll go on to a limited top speed of 155mph.

Compared to my previous RS4’s stats of 444bhp, 600Nm and 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds – itself no slouch – you can see the 6 gets some healthy improvements.

While the increase in performance figures might appear small on paper, after a few weeks with the RS6 it’s become clear that this feels more like a performance car. The throttle is sharper, the exhaust note a little deeper and it’s shockingly rapid off the line.

The eight-speed gearbox can be switched between a normal ‘drive’ and ‘sport’ mode, and in the latter, it sounds louder, changes are swifter and everything feels more assertive. I’m looking forward to some fun drives over the summer, that’s for sure.

The biggest change, though, is the additional space. As much as I loved the RS4, it was just a little too small at times, especially with a kid’s car seat in the rear.

The problem with the 4 was you couldn’t put the front passenger seat back far enough to make it comfortable when the Isofix seat and base were in position. In the RS6, there’s lots more space and that additional legroom has certainly been felt by the family.

The other big noticeable difference – apart from the performance, of course – is with the tech. The RS6 benefits from a far more modern twin touch screen multimedia interface and digital dashboard and it’s really rather smart.

The haptic feedback on the buttons is a classy touch and it all seems very logically laid out. I’m still getting used to it, but it makes the car feel a lot more premium than its smaller sibling (not that I had any complaints there).

The RS6 also looks more menacing than the RS4. While I loved the smaller car’s proportions and subtle, aggressive lines, the RS6 has a much wider stance with a lower nose and angular diffuser at the rear.

I’ve already had plenty of compliments on the Ultra Blue colour, too. In certain light, it shimmers beautifully and several people have said how much they love it – usually while I’m pumping it full of fuel, which is often.

If I thought my trips to the pumps were frequent in the RS4, then I’m going to soon have a bulging points card at my local filling station thanks to the RS6’s thirst. On a couple of trips around town recently I’ve seen 11mpg. Yes, 11.

However, that said, on longer motorway trips, thanks to 48v technology that shuts down the engine and allows it to coast to save fuel, it manages to achieve high twenties. It’ll be interesting to see how fuel consumption settles down during my time with the car.

Facts at a glance

• Model: Audi RS6
• Price as tested: £106,020
• Engine: 4.0-litre V8
• Power: 591bhp
• Torque: 800Nm
• 0-60mph: 3.6 seconds
• Top speed: 155mph
• MPG: 22.4mpg (combined)
• Emissions: 286g/km CO2
• Mileage: 11,256

The M60i brings extra performance to the super-sized X7. James Baggott has been behind the wheel to see what it’s like.

What is it?

Meet BMW’s largest off-roader – now with added punch: The BMW X7 M60i. This is the German firm’s ultra-luxury SUV and is designed with well-heeled families in mind. It has acres of space for family transportation with two pop-up rear seats hidden in the boot floor and a sumptuous second row with so much leg space the toddlers will struggle to kick the back of your chair.

The huge SUV joined the BMW line-up in 2019 and was given a mid-life facelift at the end of last year with an updated front end and mild hybrid engines. It’s best to think of the X7 as the off-road version of the firm’s 7 Series bringing luxurious touches to off-road chic.

What’s new?

The X7’s refresh was relatively mild with most of the attention focused on the whopping kidney grille at the front. New daytime running lights and adaptive LED headlights were added, and at the back, the lights got a new look too.

Inside the curved display is focused towards the driver and showcases a huge amount of information. It also benefits from hand gesture controls, letting you turn the volume of the music up with a twizzle of your finger. However, this is more a passenger pleaser than actually of any use but is fun to use nonetheless.

What’s under the bonnet?

This review focuses on the top-of-the-range model: The M60i xDrive. This has an impressive 530bhp and 750Nm of torque available from its 4.4-litre V8 petrol. That’s enough to propel it to 60mph in just 4.7 seconds.

For our test drive, we travelled across France to the Alps in a 1,500-mile round trip. The engine was remarkably smooth and relaxing for the duration with spades of power in reserve when it was needed. While big V8s might be fast becoming a thing of the past, there’s a lot to be said for the silky smooth power delivery they can serve up.

Fuel economy for the trip was impressive too. Officially it will do 21.2mpg on the combined cycle, but we got closer to 30mpg thanks to long stretches of motorway miles. It helps that all engines now come with 48V mild hybrid technology which assists the engine to improve efficiency at higher speeds and can even drive the car electrically at very low speeds. The energy is created by braking regeneration and stored in a battery in the engine compartment.

What’s it like to drive?

Over the huge distances we covered during our test, the X7 was incredibly relaxing to drive. Despite its huge size, the road and wind noise was noticeable by its absence and the way the big SUV rides means we jumped out at the end of our 13-hour drive reasonably fresh. The adaptive air suspension certainly helped.

It’s surprising how quickly you get used to the sheer size of the car and the clever parking cameras and sensors make it pretty easy to slot into parking spaces. We had a few issues with the radar cruise control on our trip, though, as it stopped working a number of times.

How does it look?

With the two extra seats in the rear boot floor – which rise and lower electronically at the touch of a button – the X7 is noticeably longer than its X5 little brother. But, despite this extra length, the proportions are still pleasing to the eye. The huge front grille won’t be to everyone’s tastes, though, but in the M Sport spec of our test car, it certainly looked menacing.

What’s it like inside?

There’s no doubt this is a luxurious SUV that could easily rival cars costing considerably more. We’d suggest it would give the likes of the new Range Rover and even a Bentley Bentayga a run for their money.

The new curved screen is wonderful to use and offers a huge expanse of space to display information. The 12.3-inch screen behind the steering wheel offers clever touches like augmented navigation directions that overlay arrows over a live video feed of the road ahead while the 14.9-inch control display is easy to manipulate.

The display and the software take a little bit of getting used to, though – but this is no complicated iDrive of old, which used to frustrate owners. The new version simply has so many screens and functions that it can take time to work out where things are.

We did find the button for the massaging seats, though, which offered heating, cooling and a variety of different back kneading modes.

What’s the spec like?

Our test model had the Comfort and Ultimate packs added. The first offers heated and cooled cup holders (very useful) as well as heated front and rear seats for £3,750. The Ultimate Pack (£11,000) adds extras including those aforementioned massaging seats, rear window blinds, an incredible Bowers & Wilkins sound system and a panoramic glass roof.

The standard specification is high to start with and includes 21-inch alloys, illuminated kidney grille, ambient lighting and metallic paint. Inside you get a sports steering wheel, four-zone air con and acoustic glass. Apple CarPlay and a wireless charging tray for your mobile are also included. M Sport specification models, like our test car, get extra badging and some additional design tweaks.

Verdict

There are very few BMW X7s sold every year – less than a thousand, in fact – and that’s a real shame because we think this is a genuine alternative to the likes of a Range Rover. It offers fantastic driver and passenger comfort, is packed with luxurious extras and, with this stonking M60i powerplant, is great fun to drive.

Wafting across France was a pleasure in the handsome SUV and with two children in tow, it coped with all the additional space requirements they demanded with ease. The boot is absolutely humongous, we loved the powered third row of seats that rise out of the floor at a touch of a button and it was very relaxing to drive. If you’re in the market for one of the largest SUVs around, the X7 certainly comes highly recommended.

Facts at a glance

• Model: BMW X7 xDrive60i
• Base price: £82,450Price as tested: £115,615
• Engine: 4.4-litre petrol
• Power: 530bhp
• Torque: 750Nm
• Max speed: 155mph
• 0-60mph: 4.7 seconds
• MPG: 21.2mpg
• Emissions: 277g/km