Tuesday 15th January 2013

Audi RS7 officially unveiled

560hp hyper-saloon will partner RS6 Avant in the fast Audi lineup

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It’s been rumoured for a while now, but today Audi has officially taken the wraps off the new RS7 Sportback. The new model will not only top the A7 Sportback range, but it’ll also take the place of the saloon version of the current RS6 Avant. That means it’ll have quite a bit of work to do, defending Audi’s honour not only from it natural competitors, the Mercedes CLS63 AMG and the BMW M6 GranCoupe, but also their more upright counterparts, the Mercedes E63 AMG and BMW M5.

RS7 will fill the RS6 saloon's boots

To that end, it’ll be powered by the RS6 Avant’s twin-turbo V8, smaller in capacity than its rivals at 4.0 litres, but with a 560hp output that’ll put it on a par with the standard versions of the both the Mercs and the BMWs. That’ll give it the capacity to hit 60mph in 3.9sec, with a top speed electronically limited to 155mph, 174mph or 189mph, depending on whether you opt for the standard car, the Dynamic pack, or the Dynamic Plus pack respectively. It'll sound the part, while it's getting there, too, thanks to a switchable exhaust system with flaps that alter the sound under full-bore acceleration. Nice.

 

Interior is as you'd expect

The rest of the mechanicals will also be shared with the RS6, so of course it’ll get Quattro permanent all-wheel-drive with a self-locking centre diff, the eight-speed Tiptronic transmission - the seven-speed DSG unit isn't quite man enough for all that torque, it seems - and a torque vectoring system. We’ll also get the sports suspension package – that is to say, steel springs with three-way adjustable shock absorbers and dynamic ride control – as standard over here in the UK, as opposed to the adaptive air suspension  available elsewhere. Which can only be a good thing. Meanwhile, we’ll also get active power steering, which becomes passive when the car is in ‘dynamic’ mode. We'd have been happier without any interference at all, but I guess we'll take what we can get.

While UK launch date and price details have yet to be announced, we expect it to arrive in summer, priced similarly to the RS6 Avant at just over £77,000.

[myhandle]

Not bad.

[anonymous-user]

Gopping front end.

[ritch7]

560 or 580?? says two different figures. This will be the most powerfull Audi ever made.

[Amirhussain]

Remember when the A7 first came out, Wasn't so sure of its design, now though, I have to say it is a great looking car, imo

[Scrof]

ritch7 said:

560 or 580?? says two different figures. This will be the most powerfull Audi ever made.

Apologies; brain fart. Now corrected.

[6fire]

£77k for that gopping piece of tat? People must be mad!

ritch7 said:

560 or 580?? says two different figures. This will be the most powerfull Audi ever made.

I thought they made a 700bhp + pikes peak Quattro back in the day? Admittedly not a road car but...

[Raddors]

"quattro" in grille is a horrible touch.
Should read "If you can read this in your mirror, I'm not close enough"

[Hellbound]

I like it. It's a brute that will push the underlings out of the way with aplomb.

Not sure why but I also like the 'RS7' moniker.

[f328nvl]

I bet it's more than £77k for one worth buying. I spec'd an RS4 to £72k before deciding to buy a 6 month old 4k miles C63AMG Performance pack for £48k, first owner Mercedes UK. Still it'll make the RS4 cheaper when I come to change in a year's time, which is nice because I really miss 4WD now its snowing...

http://rjmghome.blogspot.co.uk/#!/2012/12/audi-qua...

[Mermaid]

Main brand in that sector for the group: Panamera

2nd Brand: RS7

Will there be a tertiary brand in a Skoda RS Avant.?

[anonymous-user]

Raddors said:

"quattro" in grille is a horrible touch.
Should read "If you can read this in your mirror, I'm not close enough"

Goodness me I missed that before. That looks like something a too-proud owner would add on to willy wave.

[fat freddie]

Spectacularly ugly.

[Fire99]

It looks enormous.

[Hellbound]

Mermaid said:

Main brand in that sector for the group: Panamera

2nd Brand: RS7

Will there be a tertiary brand in a Skoda RS Avant.?

Coming soon to Frankfurt...

Skoda Superb RS Gran Turismo shooting-brake concept.

[J4CKO]

Hellbound said:

I like it. It's a brute that will push the underlings out of the way with aplomb.

Not sure why but I also like the 'RS7' moniker.

That the trouble with Audi drivers, they see "underlings" rather than other drivers with exactly the same rights and as much need to get anywhere as anyone else.

The A7 just looks unfinished to me, I love the A5 but don't think the extra two doors were successful.

[Pixel Pusher]

Like the Panamera, it's a bit marmite for me.

I thought the Panamera was uglier than a Warthog's mother in law when it first came out. I'd have one now though.

Same with this, I've no doubt when I see and hear one in the flesh it'll be in my lottery garage.

[anonymous-user]

Just spotted a pretty large mistake in their render. There are two headlight washers on the left, but only one on the right!

[Streps]

Looks like it's been designed to appear angry and not beautiful.
Not a fan of everything going on under the front number plate.

[Pixel Pusher]

RenOHH said:

Just spotted a pretty large mistake in their render. There are two headlight washers on the left, but only one on the right!

One's a cover for the towing eye?

[kambites]

RenOHH said:

Just spotted a pretty large mistake in their render. There are two headlight washers on the left, but only one on the right!

The extra might be a sensor for radar guided cruise control or something similar.