  We present a new method of investigating the so-called quasi-linear strongly
damped wave equations $$ \partial_t^2u-\gamma\partial_t\Delta_x u-\Delta_x
u+f(u)= \nabla_x\cdot \phi'(\nabla_x u)+g $$ in bounded 3D domains. This method
allows us to establish the existence and uniqueness of energy solutions in the
case where the growth exponent of the non-linearity $\phi$ is less than 6 and
$f$ may have arbitrary polynomial growth rate. Moreover, the existence of a
finite-dimensional global and exponential attractors for the solution semigroup
associated with that equation and their additional regularity are also
established. In a particular case $\phi\equiv0$ which corresponds to the
so-called semi-linear strongly damped wave equation, our result allows to
remove the long-standing growth restriction $|f(u)|\leq C(1+ |u|^5)$.
