Shifting lines in the sand
No this isn't a mirage. We actually drove an unmodified Audi A7 Sportback quattro across sand dunes, deep into the heart of the Arabian Desert
WRITER: JOHN C SILCOX
PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN WYCHERLEY
The Audi A7 Sportback cuts a fine figure gliding through downtown Dubai, its sleek lines reflecting in the city’s modern, glass-fronted buildings. But it’s not the A7’s sophisticated design, nor its luxurious interior, that’s brought us to the Middle East. We’re here to put the A7’s quattro system to the test by driving it up a sand dune.
‘You want to do what?’ gasps our guide, Ara Sahakian, a sand-driving expert and owner of expedition company Offroad Zone Dubai. As we repeat our mission, his dark eyes widen in disbelief. ‘You must be mad,’ he says. ‘It’s hard enough navigating the sand in a specially modified SUV, let alone at the wheel of something you normally drive to a company board meeting.’
“Using inflated tyres on sand is like walking on snow in stiletto heels”
While this may be true, the Audi A7 Sportback quattro actually boasts a number of features many urban SUVs don’t offer, not least permanent all-wheel drive. The system is complex and sophisticated, and in normal driving conditions it barely gets a work-out. We want to see what a standard quattro road car is really capable of.
Despite his reservations, we meet Ara early the next day and drive with him out of the city. Skyscrapers are quickly replaced by golden sand. At dawn, we turn off the road, and our guide tells us to let down the tyres. We don’t think much can come out of the low-profile rubber on our car, but Ara insists we need to drop the pressure from 3 to 0.8 bars: ‘Using inflated tyres on sand is like walking on snow in stiletto heels,’ he says. ‘Deflating the tyres increases your footprint, mimicking the softness of a camel’s hoof – although if you let too much out, you risk ripping the tyre from the wheel.’
Then we switch off traction control, select the comfort setting on the adaptive air suspension, and venture across the sand. The car is still very low, especially at the front, but Ara says if we choose our route carefully, all will be fine. ‘Avoid sharp entry/exit angles,’ he warns. ‘Otherwise we’ll rip off the bumper.’
From the start, the A7 Sportback grips well, despite the liquid-like surface it’s running on, and the quattro technology works its magic. In normal driving situations, 60 per cent of the engine torque goes to the rear wheels and 40 per cent to the front, but whenever an axle begins to lose grip, the majority of energy is diverted to the wheels achieving better traction: up to 85 per cent can flow to the rear and up to 70 per cent to the front.
We easily clear the first small dunes, but Ara stops us from celebrating too early as he points out our destination ahead: a high peak called Pink Rock that looms above the wide plain, dominating the horizon.
To clear larger ridges, the A7 uses its powerful 3.0 TFSI petrol engine to full effect. Intensive acceleration sends a plume of golden powder flying behind us, as Ara barks a growing list of orders: ‘Don’t stop on the flat. Always use the slope to gain motion. If you can’t get over a dune always reverse. Never try a U-turn!’
Using the car’s responsive steering to climb in wide swerves, we reach our destination. ‘I can’t believe it,’ gasps Ara, as this standard road car rests for a moment in this truly extraordinary landscape.
We take a moment to admire the magnificent view. The sun has reached its zenith and the heat is creating visible ripples above the sand hills below. Although the display dashboard reads 32C, inside the cabin we turn the climate control down a notch. We’re only wearing shorts, and the chilled flow from the powerful air conditioning, which comes as standard in all models, is giving us goosebumps.