RE: Audi RS7 Sportback: Review

RE: Audi RS7 Sportback: Review

Author
Discussion

jerrytlr

418 posts

214 months

Friday 19th July 2013
quotequote all
Nors said:
Whilst I'm no fan of this particular Audi (prefer the new RS6) you are right, Audi just seem to go on selling more cars.

I will say this though, what's not 'sporty' about 560bhp? This is the thing on PH, lots of folk ranting on about balance, handling on the limit, etc etc etc like they're all some kind of F1 ace. Great, if you have access to a track and you don't mind tearing round it in your £50k+ car and you know how to drive it, then you have a point and therefore buy something that suits that.

'Most' people that buy any performance car do not do this kind of thing, nor are they likely to find out it's limits (High, regardless of make these days)on a public road, unless they are a complete loony!!

Therefore, some of these Audi RS's will do very well at what most people do with them - point and squirt it. These are not designed to be track cars.

But of course, all those that bang on about understeer/oversteer etc in a car that already weighs 2 ton and would of course drive it like that, are indeed all qualified racing drivers. (in their own head at least)
Whilst I agree that talk of drifting, understeer etc. is all a bit irrelevant for driving anywhere other than the track, I think you are missing the point a bit - this is a car enthusiasts site, and most car enthusiasts want more than just point and squirt straight line performance. We want a car that feels 'alive' and 'responsive' even when driving at legal speeds down a B-road. We want it to be fun. That is what makes the car 'sporty'. Huge power on its own does not. Add in the stupid price, and this car really does seem utterly pointless. It doesn't even look special.

Note that I am not saying Audi are wrong to make it - if they can sell it at a healthy profit then they are doing the right thing. But that does not mean the typical PH member has to like it....

Cheers

Jerry

Maldini35

2,913 posts

189 months

Friday 19th July 2013
quotequote all

Let's not forget that this car is aimed at a very small audience.
i.e. Very, very wealthy people who want to commute (all year round) in a relatively discreet, high performance car, which can seat x4 in comfort but don't necessarily want the tradtional 3 box saloon body shape. Tactile handling delights/ability to 'drift' are not what they want from this type of car. Besides they might well have a GT3/458 in the garage for occasions when they do want a bit more involvement.

99.9% of this audience will not be found on Pistonheads.

As for the maximum price if you tick all options - well yes, it's madness but then you can play that game with any of the premium brands - try it with Merc or Bentley.

Personally I don't think it's ugly at all, certainly compared to the Merc eqivalents which look like they are melting.

Mr Whippy

29,075 posts

242 months

Friday 19th July 2013
quotequote all
Maldini35 said:
Let's not forget that this car is aimed at a very small audience.
i.e. Very, very wealthy people who want to commute (all year round) in a relatively discreet, high performance car, which can seat x4 in comfort but don't necessarily want the tradtional 3 box saloon body shape. Tactile handling delights/ability to 'drift' are not what they want from this type of car. Besides they might well have a GT3/458 in the garage for occasions when they do want a bit more involvement.

99.9% of this audience will not be found on Pistonheads.

As for the maximum price if you tick all options - well yes, it's madness but then you can play that game with any of the premium brands - try it with Merc or Bentley.

Personally I don't think it's ugly at all, certainly compared to the Merc eqivalents which look like they are melting.
You are right but if I had that money I wouldn't want to have a car that shared a body shell with 2.0 TDi variants that you can get for £40,000.

Premium brands don't make cheap little diesel versions of their nice cars.

Ie, you can't buy a 2.0 TDi Bentley at all.

Dave

Dagnut

3,515 posts

194 months

Friday 19th July 2013
quotequote all
Maldini35 said:
Let's not forget that this car is aimed at a very small audience.
i.e. Very, very wealthy people who want to commute (all year round) in a relatively discreet, high performance car, which can seat x4 in comfort but don't necessarily want the tradtional 3 box saloon body shape. Tactile handling delights/ability to 'drift' are not what they want from this type of car. Besides they might well have a GT3/458 in the garage for occasions when they do want a bit more involvement.

99.9% of this audience will not be found on Pistonheads.

As for the maximum price if you tick all options - well yes, it's madness but then you can play that game with any of the premium brands - try it with Merc or Bentley.

Personally I don't think it's ugly at all, certainly compared to the Merc eqivalents which look like they are melting.
I'm not sure that is 100% correct, RS Audi's are an aspirational car for many and part of the office car park bragging rights. I agree with the sentiment that most won't care about handling but I'm not sure your interpretation of the market is correct.

Dr Chuff

296 posts

285 months

Friday 19th July 2013
quotequote all
Love the shape, particularly the rear end. Reminds me of a DB6.
(Although I like the Pug 3008, so I maybe slightly deluded).

Bonkers money though, for a car that's probably not as exciting as it should be.

Dr C

Shurv

957 posts

161 months

Friday 19th July 2013
quotequote all
Nasty looking thing. Wouldn't touch any Audi with a barge pole, they have completely the wrong image and are driven by muppets.

Amirhussain

11,489 posts

164 months

Friday 19th July 2013
quotequote all
Shurv said:
Nasty looking thing. Wouldn't touch any Audi with a barge pole, they have completely the wrong image and are driven by muppets.
rolleyes

Jandywa

1,061 posts

152 months

Friday 19th July 2013
quotequote all
Shurv said:
Nasty looking thing. Wouldn't touch any Audi with a barge pole, they have completely the wrong image and are driven by muppets.
good effort

loudlashadjuster

5,136 posts

185 months

Friday 19th July 2013
quotequote all
Shurv said:
Nasty looking thing. Wouldn't touch any Audi with a barge pole, they have completely the wrong image and are driven by muppets.
Glad to see life's working out so well for you.

urquattro

755 posts

187 months

Monday 22nd July 2013
quotequote all

Not for me this present range of RS.
my E39 540 touring at 13 years old is excellent, almost as good and just as practical.
my RS2 does provide additional performance if that is desired and if too small the E39 touring will fit the bill.
saved an incredible amount of taxed income as well and neither losing money money now.

Maldini35

2,913 posts

189 months

Friday 26th July 2013
quotequote all
Mr Whippy said:
Maldini35 said:
Let's not forget that this car is aimed at a very small audience.
i.e. Very, very wealthy people who want to commute (all year round) in a relatively discreet, high performance car, which can seat x4 in comfort but don't necessarily want the tradtional 3 box saloon body shape. Tactile handling delights/ability to 'drift' are not what they want from this type of car. Besides they might well have a GT3/458 in the garage for occasions when they do want a bit more involvement.

99.9% of this audience will not be found on Pistonheads.

As for the maximum price if you tick all options - well yes, it's madness but then you can play that game with any of the premium brands - try it with Merc or Bentley.

Personally I don't think it's ugly at all, certainly compared to the Merc eqivalents which look like they are melting.
You are right but if I had that money I wouldn't want to have a car that shared a body shell with 2.0 TDi variants that you can get for £40,000.

Premium brands don't make cheap little diesel versions of their nice cars.

It's not for you, fair enough. You make an interesting point re premium brands though.
Would you describe Mercedes or BMW or Jaguar as premium brands? Plenty of cheap little diesels versions of their nice cars in their ranges.
Even Aston has that silly Cygnet thing in the range (ok, just to keep EU bureaucrats happy).
How you define premium? Is it just automotive royalty e.g. Bentley, Rolls, Ferrari, Lambo, Maserati...opps strike Masser, their new diesel Ghibli excludes them.....


Ie, you can't buy a 2.0 TDi Bentley at all.

Dave

Maldini35

2,913 posts

189 months

Friday 26th July 2013
quotequote all
Pablo68 said:
Cheap crap. I managed to spec and RS6 to £140k.



Seriously Audi.. wtf?
Cheap crap? You seem to have contradicted yourself by speccing one up to £140k.

Bit of a pointless exercise though as nobody specs a car like that.
Yes manufacturers are using the options list to make more money (Jesus dead, man walks on moon, Beatles split etc.) but would you prefer no choice of options at all?
Offer more options and the potential maximum price will go up (if you play silly-buggers on the configurator).
Offer less and get lambasted for being low tech. Not sure what you want out of this?

BTW, I suggest you have a go in an RS6 before deciding it's cheap crap. If you're used to BMW interiors you may be pleasantly surprised at how well designed and screwed together it all is.
0-60 in 3.9 seconds isn't too shabby either. Can't think of a Beemer that can match that.
But let's be honest you won't ever go near one to find out as you've clearly made your mind up. Shame.





scherzkeks

4,460 posts

135 months

Friday 26th July 2013
quotequote all
MyCC said:
It's funny isn't it, Audi are selling more and more cars and yet from an enthusiasts point of view they are quite dull (R8 excepted). It just goes to show that the general motoring public don't really care about ride quality and handling balance, they simply care about having the latest tech in an extremely powerful car. So Audi keeps churning out more of the same point & squirt RS models.

The irony is for a brand that is sold on its 'Sporty' nature, it is anything but!

Regards,

MyCC.
For being so "unsporty" I find it interesting that they seem to have no problem keeping up with or outrunning BMWs on the track. Yes, very interesting that...

loudlashadjuster

5,136 posts

185 months

Friday 26th July 2013
quotequote all
scherzkeks said:
MyCC said:
It's funny isn't it, Audi are selling more and more cars and yet from an enthusiasts point of view they are quite dull (R8 excepted). It just goes to show that the general motoring public don't really care about ride quality and handling balance, they simply care about having the latest tech in an extremely powerful car. So Audi keeps churning out more of the same point & squirt RS models.

The irony is for a brand that is sold on its 'Sporty' nature, it is anything but!

Regards,

MyCC.
For being so "unsporty" I find it interesting that they seem to have no problem keeping up with or outrunning BMWs on the track. Yes, very interesting that...
Sigh.

'Fast' does not always equal sporty/fun to drive/exciting.

Jandywa

1,061 posts

152 months

Friday 26th July 2013
quotequote all
loudlashadjuster said:
scherzkeks said:
MyCC said:
It's funny isn't it, Audi are selling more and more cars and yet from an enthusiasts point of view they are quite dull (R8 excepted). It just goes to show that the general motoring public don't really care about ride quality and handling balance, they simply care about having the latest tech in an extremely powerful car. So Audi keeps churning out more of the same point & squirt RS models.

The irony is for a brand that is sold on its 'Sporty' nature, it is anything but!

Regards,

MyCC.
For being so "unsporty" I find it interesting that they seem to have no problem keeping up with or outrunning BMWs on the track. Yes, very interesting that...
Sigh.

'Fast' does not always equal sporty/fun to drive/exciting.
It is a bit of a poor show from audi's competitors though when a 'point and squirt' RS audi is quicker around a track than their own quick models.

Betty Cumberdale

163 posts

135 months

Friday 26th July 2013
quotequote all
Jandywa said:
loudlashadjuster said:
scherzkeks said:
MyCC said:
It's funny isn't it, Audi are selling more and more cars and yet from an enthusiasts point of view they are quite dull (R8 excepted). It just goes to show that the general motoring public don't really care about ride quality and handling balance, they simply care about having the latest tech in an extremely powerful car. So Audi keeps churning out more of the same point & squirt RS models.

The irony is for a brand that is sold on its 'Sporty' nature, it is anything but!

Regards,

MyCC.
For being so "unsporty" I find it interesting that they seem to have no problem keeping up with or outrunning BMWs on the track. Yes, very interesting that...
Sigh.

'Fast' does not always equal sporty/fun to drive/exciting.
It is a bit of a poor show from audi's competitors though when a 'point and squirt' RS audi is quicker around a track than their own quick models.
I would say poor show from Audi, they still, after all these years, manufacture a sports car which is still inherently dull and with a fraction of the driving dynamics and enjoyment offered by its competitors.

Cleon Fonte

97 posts

131 months

Friday 26th July 2013
quotequote all
Maldini35 said:
Pablo68 said:
Cheap crap. I managed to spec and RS6 to £140k.



Seriously Audi.. wtf?
Cheap crap? You seem to have contradicted yourself by speccing one up to £140k.

Bit of a pointless exercise though as nobody specs a car like that.
Yes manufacturers are using the options list to make more money (Jesus dead, man walks on moon, Beatles split etc.) but would you prefer no choice of options at all?
Offer more options and the potential maximum price will go up (if you play silly-buggers on the configurator).
Offer less and get lambasted for being low tech. Not sure what you want out of this?

BTW, I suggest you have a go in an RS6 before deciding it's cheap crap. If you're used to BMW interiors you may be pleasantly surprised at how well designed and screwed together it all is.
0-60 in 3.9 seconds isn't too shabby either. Can't think of a Beemer that can match that.
But let's be honest you won't ever go near one to find out as you've clearly made your mind up. Shame.

scherzkeks

4,460 posts

135 months

Friday 26th July 2013
quotequote all
Jandywa said:
It is a bit of a poor show from audi's competitors though when a 'point and squirt' RS audi is quicker around a track than their own quick models.
Well in all fairness, between equally matched cars and drivers, RWD will never be faster on a track than AWD. So one would, technically, be asking the impossible. smile

Maldini35

2,913 posts

189 months

Saturday 27th July 2013
quotequote all
Cleon Fonte said:
Maldini35 said:
Pablo68 said:
Cheap crap. I managed to spec and RS6 to £140k.



Seriously Audi.. wtf?
Cheap crap? You seem to have contradicted yourself by speccing one up to £140k.

Bit of a pointless exercise though as nobody specs a car like that.
Yes manufacturers are using the options list to make more money (Jesus dead, man walks on moon, Beatles split etc.) but would you prefer no choice of options at all?
Offer more options and the potential maximum price will go up (if you play silly-buggers on the configurator).
Offer less and get lambasted for being low tech. Not sure what you want out of this?

BTW, I suggest you have a go in an RS6 before deciding it's cheap crap. If you're used to BMW interiors you may be pleasantly surprised at how well designed and screwed together it all is.
0-60 in 3.9 seconds isn't too shabby either. Can't think of a Beemer that can match that.
But let's be honest you won't ever go near one to find out as you've clearly made your mind up. Shame.
Not sure you've got the hang of this yet if you're wheeling out the Pickard face palm for my last post.

Must try harder



Cleon Fonte

97 posts

131 months

Saturday 27th July 2013
quotequote all
Maldini35 said:
Cleon Fonte said:
Maldini35 said:
Pablo68 said:
Cheap crap. I managed to spec and RS6 to £140k.



Seriously Audi.. wtf?
Cheap crap? You seem to have contradicted yourself by speccing one up to £140k.

Bit of a pointless exercise though as nobody specs a car like that.
Yes manufacturers are using the options list to make more money (Jesus dead, man walks on moon, Beatles split etc.) but would you prefer no choice of options at all?
Offer more options and the potential maximum price will go up (if you play silly-buggers on the configurator).
Offer less and get lambasted for being low tech. Not sure what you want out of this?

BTW, I suggest you have a go in an RS6 before deciding it's cheap crap. If you're used to BMW interiors you may be pleasantly surprised at how well designed and screwed together it all is.
0-60 in 3.9 seconds isn't too shabby either. Can't think of a Beemer that can match that.
But let's be honest you won't ever go near one to find out as you've clearly made your mind up. Shame.
Not sure you've got the hang of this yet if you're wheeling out the Pickard face palm for my last post.

Must try harder
Might have been better if you'd read the conversation going on prior to the post you quoted (pages 2 and 3, if you're interested).


Must try harder.