Quite who the people are who felt that Volkswagen's V10 TDI Touareg was a little shy of attitude and engine is open to interpretation, but the R50 model has had the options list thrown at it and now fronts up with 347bhp from its 5.0-litre diesel engine. Crikey.

It's rare that we have faceless European bureaucrats to thank for anything, but the backroom machinations in Brussels have, rather inadvertently, given us one of the most extreme luxury 4x4s ever to hit British roads. Emissions regulations drafted in the bowels of the European Parliament mean that the 5.0-litre V10 TDI engine that has powered the range-topping Volkswagen Touareg for some years is not long for this world. To re-engineer this engine to conform to these stringent laws was apparently prohibitively expensive. Rather than meekly bow to the man, Volkswagen has stuck one to him in a quite extravagant manner. The Touareg R50 may be the V10 TDI's swansong, but it's quite a spectacular exit. With even more power and torque and available for a limited run only, the R50 is a car that does excess extremely well. You can almost hear teeth grinding in Belgium from here.

The Touareg R50 is a vehicle that benefits from certain frames of reference. Its torque figure of 627lb/ft for example. Compare that to the Ferrari 599 GTB's 6.0-litre V12 that manages 448lb ft or the Bentley Continental GT that can struggle to 479lb/ft. Need something a little more comparable? Try the most powerful diesel engine in a Mercedes M-Class and you're still 111lb/ft shy of this mighty Volkswagen. This translates into an ability to jet from standstill to 60mph in just 6.4 seconds. Sheer frontal area limits top speed to a 'mere' 146mph, but that will be more than enough for most.

Even more remarkable than the time in which it gets there is the manner in which the Touareg V10 TDI accelerates, the six-speed automatic gearbox slurring rapidly through the gears as the four-wheel drive system and massive tyres seek out every scrap of purchase on the road surface. Couple this with a very effective stability control system and putting big numbers on the speedometer is frighteningly easy. Somewhat astonishingly, Volkswagen's sister company Audi has developed an even more extreme engine that it has fitted to its Q7 SUV. This V12 powerplant, with 495bhp and 737lb/ft of torque might well be the answer if you feel the Touareg R50 is still a little limp wrested. To be honest, a course of counselling may be a more cost-effective solution.

"Any vehicle that can be this much fun and still cater to a family of five must be doing something right.."

The R50 differentiates itself courtesy of a set of 21-inch ten-spoke alloy wheels as well as the Touareg 'R' design package. This includes at the back a body-coloured roof spoiler, restyled body-coloured bumper and oval tailpipe trims. Wheel arch extensions and blue brake callipers enhance the distinctive wheels, while at the front, the R50 gains a matt chrome radiator grille and louvres as well as honeycomb-style inserts in the air dams. Inside, and on top of the Altitude V10's specification, the R50 has 'R' logos on the pedals, door sill protectors and Nappa leather sports seats, as well as heated outer rear seats, a ski sack and a net partition.

The Touareg never feels less than well built and although the dash is a little overloaded with buttons, the controls are solid to the touch. The interior doesn't have the elegance of a Range Rover's or the slickness of Audi's Q7 but it certainly isn't put to shame in this illustrious company. The display screen isn't well integrated with the rest of the centre console and the control interface for its various functions isn't particularly intuitive. There's the feel of a car that has had lots of equipment and classy trim inserts thrown at it to liven-up an otherwise ordinary interior. Of course, it's only ordinary in comparison to the rest of the luxury 4x4 elite, cars with some of the most opulent cabins anywhere.

Although prices for the Touareg range start at under £30,000, you'll need significantly deeper pockets to land the R50, with a £61,885 on the road price putting out of the reach of most. This represents a £3,885 premium over the V10 TDI Altitude model which, when you tot up the amount and cost of the additional kit, doesn't represent too catastrophic a value proposition. The only problem with the R50 is what may well attract certain buyers to it in the first place. It's hardly subtle. The massive wheels, the aggressive front end treatment and the low profile tyres all shout of a vehicle that's never going off road and there is an argument that it's all just a little bit crass.

The Touareg R50 counters accusations of ostentation with fairly respectable fuel consumption figures. Despite the extra power and torque, it turns in identical economy figures to the stock V10 TDI. This means a 22.4mpg average, which is very good for a vehicle this big. Less impressive, and the key reason why this engine is not long for this world, is the emissions figure of 333g/km. This is worse than a petrol-powered Mercedes ML500, a vehicle that's virtually as quick as the Touareg R50, is more refined and which, when the comparative costs of petrol and diesel are taken into account, doesn't actually cost any more to fuel.

All of which makes the Touareg R50 seem a bit, well, extraneous in today's climate. That is until you get in and drive it. Yes, you do need to pay a price for having this much muscle under the bonnet but sometimes it's worth just recognising the fact that you're a bad person, that you're sending cuddly polar bears to certain doom but that you're having a whole lot of fun doing so.

Let's clear one thing up right away. Just because it has a diesel engine does not make the Touareg R50 an environmentally sensitive vehicle. It emits 333g/km of carbon dioxide and will need a gallon of fuel every 22 miles. This is a shamelessly indulgent car by virtually any measure. Get comfortable with that and you'll have an absolute hoot with the R50. It is larger than life, over the top and yet it's likeable. Any vehicle that can be this much fun and still cater to a family of five must be doing something right.

Of course, you'll need to pay for the privilege and £61,885 is no small beer. That said, you'll be able to rest assured that a certain degree of exclusivity is guaranteed as the R50 is only being shipped to the UK in very limited numbers. Those who do get one won't be able to wipe the daft grins from their faces for a very long time.

TOP 1 TOUAREG DEALS

The results below show the top TOUAREG deals on buyacar

	Volkswagen Touareg 5.0 V10 TDI DPF R50 5dr Tip Auto Off Road
	ETR	Mthly £1,152	Saving £5,812	Price £56,198

typical 10.96% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000