Sport Luxury SUVs
Typical SUVs conjure visions of a sprawling suburbia dotted with identical houses, the prerequisite mall, and a decidedly lethargic lifestyle. But here at Turn 10, we see SUVs for their full unbridled potential. Starting with a collection of Sport Luxury SUVs factory engineered as pure performance machines we invite you to take these stealthy, upgradeable and tunable vehicles and transform them into legit racers, tuckin’ 24-inch Dubs and pulling Gs that’ll put a smile on the most discriminating soccer mom.
2009 BMW X5 xDrive 4.8i
At 350 horsepower, fans of The Ultimate Driving Machine will have some tuning and upgrades work to do to compete with its SUV brethren in Forza Motorsport 3. At first blush the X5 xDrive 4.8i’s 0-60 of 6.5 seconds impresses, but only against mortal sports cars. In this collection of powerhouses, the X5 in the second half of the field. Yet, the Boys From Bavaria are known for their chassis dynamics and all good drivers know that lap times aren’t measured only in a straight lines. This will be a case where clever suspension upgrades and precision driving will prevail.
2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
A romping 390-horse supercharged V8 lays down the law in the Range Rover Sport. The question is how will a company known for its off-road tenacity carving ruts on the expedition trail compete carving apexes on the track? With the slowest 0-60 at 7.2 seconds it’s an uphill climb (sorry, couldn’t help ourselves to the pun). We suggest upping the stock boost of 11.6 psi pulsating into the 4.2-liter V8 and a serious suspension slam. Comfort and performance awaits.
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2009 Audi Q7 V12 TDI
There are flagships, and then there are Motherships and the Audi Q7 is the mother of all luxury sport SUVs. This beast is trickle down engineering in action with a variant of the Le Man’s dominating R10 V12 TDI providing the thrust. In the Q7, the 6.0-liter twin turbo diesel pumps out 493 horsepower and a neck-snapping 738 lbs-ft of torque, kicking in at a mere 1,750 rpm. The Q7’s 0-60 performance of 5.5 seconds is third in this grouping, which is admirable considering its goliath 5,743-pound curb weight. Furthermore, the Q7 may be the most wicked-looking SUV on the planet with its chiseled, muscular physique reminiscent of some Austrian-action-hero-turned-governator during his prime. With this kind of baseline, Forza Motorsport 3 tuners should be able to surprise many a super car with a few well-chosen mods.
2009 Mercedes ML63 AMG
The ML63 AMG is the Alpha Male of the group. With a 503-horse, 6.3-liter V8 hand-built in AMG’s white room as its big block, this SUV will drain the adrenal gland of its pilot in record time. Its 4.8-second 0-60 is the quickest of the heavy hitters in Forza Motorsport 3. Add that to AMG’s chassis magic, the ML63’s sleek silhouette and aggressively flared wheel arches and you have a recipe for destruction as the Benz begs for modification on all fronts. Imagine a fully livery-painted ML63 prowling the Nurburgring hunting down European supercars like a Cheetah clawing at the hindquarter of a fleeting Gazelle; nice visual… just be sure you’re not the Gazelle!
2009 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S
This hot chili pepper has been pounding the pavement since 2006 in Turbo S trim, where its powered by a twin-turbo 4.8-liter V8 rated at 500 horsepower and 516 lbs-ft of torque. The Turbo S is a scant tenth of second behind the Benz with a 4.9-second 0-60. Beyond pure sprinting ability, the stock suspension, tires and overall psyche of the Cayenne are distinctly on-road. Savvy Forza Motorsport 3 players will use its pavement preference, dial-in to Porsche’s racing legacy, dump the height, drop some righteous mods on this SUV and put the hurt on all takers.
2008 Volkswagen Touareg R50
At first glance, the Touareg certainly looks like the most pedestrian of the group. But it is a donor of frame and doors to its speedier cousin the Cayenne and shares TDI DNA with its Audi in-laws. Like most mutts, the end result is far greater than the sum of the parts. The R50 sports a heady 5.0-liter V10 TDI. The engine produces only 350 horsepower, but has a whopping 627 lbs-ft of stomach-churning torque. Courageous drivers can call on the far-reaching upgrades sandbox of Forza Motorsport 3, its Livery Editor, Auction House and deep tuning garage to incite the spirit Vee-Dub and create the ultimate sleeper.
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Sport Luxury Sedans & Coupes
Looking at this collection of sport luxury cars serves as a vivid illustration of how differently American and European automakers approach the segment. It’s Grey Poupon versus BBQ sauce, Primping and Preening versus Pimping and Screaming, smoking jackets versus lettermen jackets… you get the point. Check the chart for a numeric explanation of the true cost of sport luxury performance in the US and across the pond.
Euro Contingent
Avg. Price: $125,000
Avg. HP: 538
$/HP: $232
American Muscle
Avg. Price: $46,600
Avg. HP: 465
$/HP: $100
Yeah, ‘nuff said on that.
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European
2009 BMW M5 E60
They say ‘M’ is the most powerful letter on the road and with the M5 as living proof who are we to argue? The M5 may well be the most iconic combination of commuter and race car ever. There aren’t many sedans with V10s under the bonnet and this bruiser knows how to get its 500 horsepower to ground as evidenced by its 4.7-second 0-60. With its no-lift, paddle-shift transmission, Forza players will be able to extract this Bimmer’s maximum effort and drop some super-quick lap times like a sledgehammer on the competition. Let the butt whippin’ begin.
2009 Jaguar XKR-S
Too often Jaguar’s are filed away as Euro Fords but the XKR-S has the worldly credentials to impress in this group. It definitely looks the part and popping the hood reveals this coupe has the bite to back up its bark. A blown 5.0-liter V8 puts 510 ponies, and 4.6-second 0-60 potential under your right foot. Livery-painters should have a field day with the sultry bodylines of this big cat.
2009 Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series
Darth Vader, your car has arrived. The SL65 AMG Black Series is the crowning achievement of Mercedes Benz’s tuning arm. It’s hand-built, one-off 6.0-liter V12 should be hung in a museum as much as from the SL65’s framerails. AMG earned its pay for the week as few cars have the balance of jaw-dropping looks, a menacing stance, flirtatious rumble, 604 horsepower and an earth-pounding 738 lbs-ft of torque to back it all up. A word of caution, 0-60 flashes by in 4.2 seconds so don’t blink when lining up that next turn.
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Sport Luxury Americano
2009 Cadillac CTS-V
Dubbed the fastest V8-powered production sedan in the world, the Cadillac CTS-V sets the bar high with a 3.9-second 0-60 time. It’s a bipolar combination of leather-clad Cadillac luxury and brutish American supercharged V8 power. Heck, the blower on the 6.2-liter LSA V8 displaces 1.9 liters; about the size of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution’s entire engine. With all that raspy power the CTS-V is truly a beach bully looking for the next 90-pound weakling.
2008 Chrysler 300C SRT-8
The 300C hit the scene as the poor man’s Blingmobile because it looked so much like a big Bentley. It’s still an ‘arm out the window’ Main Street cruiser but its SRT-8 badge opens the door to a darker side. Dropping the infamous Hemi under the hood makes the 300C an instant contender with 425 horsepower and 5.0-second 0-60 acceleration at the ready. Go deep on the tuning menu and the SRT-8 will roll phat and beat the competition flat.
2009 Pontiac G8 GXP
It’s sad but true: Car models can get it right one year and fall off the side of the earth the next. The now-defunct Pontiac has the G8 GXP, a gem of a sports sedan with roots in Australian road racing under the Holden banner. This four-door barn stormer boasts the legendary LS3 version of Chevy’s small-block V8. Churning a six-speed manual the car’s 425 horsepower can be coaxed to a 4.7-second 0-60. There are all manner of performance parts made for this stout powerplant and plenty of suspension mods to harness the car’s road racing pedigree. Get the combination right and skilled drivers should really open some eyes as the lap times drop.
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