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Fastest and most powerful SUVs in America for 2022

Here in the United States, we enjoy power almost as much as we like our SUVs. Thankfully, we’ve got plenty of both. Traditionally, the most powerful SUVs source their massive horsepower and torque from some form of a V8. While thatÂ’s still generally the case, electrification comes into play more and more, whether itÂ’s mild-hybrid tech, a plug-in hybrid powertrain or, as is the case with the two vehicles topping this list, fully electric vehicles. As we enter the 2022 model year, letÂ’s look at the most powerful SUVs available.  Before we dive in, letÂ’s address the elephant that is waiting just outside the door. Due to supply shortages, Mercedes-Benz is shelving most V8 models for the 2022 model year. Some 2021 models can still be found in dealer inventories, but we wonÂ’t include them. With that in mind, letÂ’s dive into the list. 2022 Audi RS Q8 — 591 hp / 190 mph Read our review of the Audi RS Q8 The only Audi on this list is a hot little number, which we characterized as “an uncompromising option in a field of compromised options.” Powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 (which seems to be a popular format in this list), its 591 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque get it scootinÂ’ to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds, and on to a top speed of 190 mph. It even has the bragging rights of holding the Nurburgring lap record for an SUV.   2022 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge — 592 hp / 155 mph (limited) Read our review of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan This is one SUV where being a passenger might be more exciting than sitting in the driverÂ’s seat, thanks to over-the-top luxury — what do you expect from a car that costs over $350,000? The driver doesnÂ’t go unrewarded, though, with a turbocharged 6.75-liter V12 at their disposal. Thanks to the Black BadgeÂ’s software upgrade, it makes 592 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque to help get to its electronically limited top speed of 155 mph that much quicker.    2022 BMW Alpina XB7 — 612 hp / 180 mph Read our review of the BMW Alpina XB7 Alpina takes already impressive BMW vehicles and turns them into even more powerful, more luxurious machines. The Alpina XB7 improves upon the BMW X7 with a biturbocharged 4.4-liter V8 offering up 612 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. ThatÂ’s good for a 4.0-second 0-60 sprint and a 180-mph top speed. Alpina also adds its own transmission and drivetrain tuning, upgraded suspension, exhaust and a whole slew of unique appearance touches.

24 Hours of Le Mans live update part three

We tasked surfing journalist Rory Parker to watch this year's live stream of the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans. What follows is an experiment to experience the world's greatest endurance race from the perspective of a motorsports novice. Parker lives in Hawaii and has an associates degree in dropping f-bombs. For Part One, click here. Part Two is here. Really hoped I'd be able to grab an hour or two of sleep before the sun rose over Le Mans. Dark dark dark, couldn't figure out what was going on. Commentators struggled at times as well. But I couldn't do it. Endurance racing is just too exciting. Grabs my attention with both fists. Screams, "watch these men DRIVE!" A neighbor invited me over for drinks. Told him, "Can't do it, gotta watch Le Mans!" Maybe not exactly. I'll admit, at times my attention wandered. I did a load of laundry. Ate some snacks. Half listened to the commentary. Threw a hump at my wife. I learned that Patrick Long, driving #88, is big brother to Kevin "Spanky" Long. Spanky's a bit of a legend in the skate world. Always weird how top notch talent can run in families like that. Kind of surprised I've never heard that before. Worked for a skate mag for a years, met Spanky a handful of times. Someone must've told me that he has an older brother who drives race cars. Dash cams at night are scary. High powered headlights in the P1s reach almost 300 meters. Cars outrun that distance easy. Seems like they're just steering into the black and hoping for the best. But that can't be the case. People'd be dropping dead let and right. Very amused by how the guys in GT are like, "Dude, stop flashing your fucking lights before you pass." But the LMP's are all, "Suck a dick! I do what I want." Top three stayed neck and neck nearly all night long. As the sun gets ready to creep back over the horizon the top three are separated by only eleven and a half seconds. Toyota 5 and 6, Porsche 2. Audi 8 is two laps behind Porsche, beleaguered 7 is dealing with constant trouble eleven laps from the front. GTE Pro sees Ferrari 82 in first, Ford 68 and 69 right behind. To win you've gotta drive perfect, build perfect. Fours cars retired so far. I'm beginning to appreciate the endurance aspect a little more fully. Only really considered the drivers at first. The mental and physical stress driving these cars at these speeds at length would inflict. But keeping the damn things running is the real deal. To win you've gotta drive perfect, build perfect.

VW could fight Uber Black with Porsche and Audi vehicles

Last week, the Volkswagen group dumped $300 million into Gett, a taxi hailing-cum-ride sharing app that's big outside of the US. Now, the company has revealed that it's pondering a rival to Uber Black by offering private drivers access to its higher-end vehicles. Details are scarce since it's a single line reference in a very long press release, but VW says that it's looking at a "special chauffeur service" that features "premium brands, such as Audi and Porsche." What that looks like in reality is anyone's guess, although the idea of getting ferried around in an Audi RS 7 does have some appeal. The deal with Gett will concentrate on getting Volkswagen cars into the hands of Gett's drivers with the promise of juicy discounts. For instance, the firm will offer a special package that'll bundle car insurance and servicing with the purchase price, which can be paid by a would-be operator in installments. It's a similar deal to the one that Uber offers would-be drivers, letting them buy cars from manufacturers like Volkswagen, Ford and Toyota at a discount. Uber, however, also lets prospective cabbies rent their vehicle on a monthly basis, thanks to a deal with Enterprise. Both of which will likely become more muscular now that Uber has a further $3.5 billion in its back pocket. The troubling fact for the auto industry is that people will still need cars, but it's likely that they won't need as many as they do right now. On-demand services and self-driving vehicles are, after all, intended to shuttle around cities like an ersatz taxi-cum-metro system rather than sitting in parking lots. The concepts of ownership that we currently hold dear (and the profits that car companies get from them) are likely to fade away in the next, say, fifty years time. As such, conglomerates like VW will have to reinvent themselves as both manufacturer and transport company in one. But these changes are never easy, especially when the biggest car firms have tons of baggage that slows down their progress. Many are still devoting time and resources to producing thousands of new cars with combustion engines that will be on the roads for years to come. Looming in the shadow, however, is the emissions scandal, with the financial and reputational penalties likely to be felt for years to come. Younger, more nimble rivals without legacy businesses, like Tesla, are working on mass-producing electric cars for mass-market prices.