X

The Audi RS 7 is fast, good-looking, and practical; does that make it perfect?

Audi's four-door coupe, the A7, is a lovely-looking thing, but the German company felt it could do with a bit of muscle -- so the chaps with spanners created the RS 7.

Alex Goy Editor / Roadshow
Alex Goy is an editor for Roadshow. He loves all things on four wheels and has a penchant for British sports cars - the more impractical the better. He also likes tea.
Alex Goy
2 min read
Watch this: Audi RS 7: Is it the perfect car?

The Audi RS 7 may, to the untrained eye, look like a regular A7, but it really isn't. Take a look at its face: those vents don't look very normal and neither do the wheel arches. Take a look at its rump and you'll find yourself staring down two very oval barrels.

To put it politely, the RS 7 looks akin to a mentally unstable variant of bat effluence. A good thing in my book.

It shares a platform with the Audi A6, therefore the RS 6 as well. Because of this, the RS 6's giant 4.0-litre twin-turbo V-8 will fit under its hood. If you're the type to enjoy sticking your hoof down, you'll be pleased to hear it also retains all of the RS 6's 553bhp.Where legal you can go from 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds, which, fact fans, is faster than a Porsche 911. It's also nearly as quick as a Ferrari California.

The RS 7's top speed is limited to 155mph...unless you tick an options box that gives you 174mph. Or you tick the options box under it to get you up to 189mph.

But those are mere numbers. The feeling you get when you decide to...make progress...is unbelievable. You're pinned into the back of your seat while the V-8 starts hurling delectable aural abuse at you. It's effortless and does what fast Audis do very well -- easy speed. Modulate your foot lightly and the car will press on harder and faster until you inevitably lose a game of chicken with a bend or traffic and you have to back off. It's OK, though, because the moment you put your foot down again you'll be hitting the horizon before you know it.

It's all lovely then, yes? Well...it's not all rainbows. The steering is a bit numb. It works very well, but you don't get the feedback you would from the RS 7's rivals. An M car offers a far more engaging drive. An AMG needs to give you feeling so you can accurately combat all the oversteer you'll inevitably have. The Audi, though, doesn't really need it -- the Quattro system will keep you away from losing the rear and I honestly doubt that RS models are for those seeking a "dynamic" experience. I think they're for people who want to get to their destination as swiftly as humanly possible.

And that's cool with me.

Oh, and it rides really well on standard air suspension.

Specs
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V-8
Power 553 bhp
Torque 516 lb. ft.
0-62 mph 3.9 seconds
Top speed    189 mph (optional)