The new Audi RS7 looks flamboyant and goes like stink

[MUSIC] [SOUND] [MUSIC] To the untrained eye this is a posh Audi A7, well Porsche. It's got 22-inch wheels, wide arches, and a big aggressive face. Your neighbors will think you've done all right for yourself in a [UNKNOWN] of a shiny new toy to toot around them. And they're almost right. [MUSIC] Except this isn't a Porsche A seven the car that we've bought to a dusty and occasionally muddy Morocco hence the state of the motor sorry about that is the RS seven the fastest seven. Andy makes its big angry face should be a hint as to its potency it doesn't share much with the standard A seven either the bonnet The roof, the front doors and the tailgate are shed. But other than that, it's all bespoke for the RS. So it writes a standard on 21s. You've got big listed wheel arches like what you got on quadros in the 80s. And there's loads of other RS bits to make it look big and mean and angry and in gray That's pretty badass. That's the outside. But what about the inside? There's some jazzy trim here and there some special RS budging so your passengers know they're not traveling in some diesel poverty wagon. There's the usual exciting upholstery and some aesthetic tweaks to the infotainment. If you miss the RS stuff outside and in, you need your eyes tested. [MUSIC] And then there's under the hood under there is a four liter twin turbo V8 to 592 brake horsepower and 590 pound foot. That is lots, lots enough, in fact, to get you from nought to 62 in 3.6 seconds. Brings up to unlimited top speed of 155 miles an hour. [SOUND] Unless you apply money to the problem then you can have an RS seven that will clip 189 miles an hour that is with cash and extra bits in the car. Basically just what you need for the school route. Now this big v8 feeds its power to all four wheels as we expect from Audi via an eight speed gearbox, but it's not only about the power. If you're cruising the RS7 will shut down half of its eight cylinders to save petrol. Por when you need it most, and a mild hybrid system will let the car coast for 40 seconds at a time preserving more delicious motion lotion. Audi reckons you'll get 23 mpg out of it on the new w LTP cycle. On the practicality front, I can quite easily sit behind myself in this car I have plenty of room. However, because of that sloping roof Line, Henry may struggle because he's quite tall and has when he needs hair room doesn't he not something that will ever bother me. There's a 535 liter boot to play with as well but it's not perfect because of the way that boot swoops down if you've got a big chunky bag right at the back of it. Well, the boot won't close properly, it'll shout at you. So you have to play some proper Tetris. [SOUND] We're riding on air springs at the moment. Now he says that so it can tune the different drive mode more precisely, which is all kinds of excellent. So we're in comfort now and it's delightful in sport it toughened things up the jam. Basically, think of the RS7 as a more coupe ish version. Think already marvelous RS six. But there's a problem. The standard a seven the car this is based on is a decent motor. It looks good, it's full of toys and it'll make you feel special. In fact, the others in the ludicrously named four door coupe class all have that special feel to them. The eight series grand coupe and the Merc CLS want you to be proud to have them on your drive. [BLANK_AUDIO] Get set pretty awesome touchscreens with a haptic response. So you can do all the infotainment stuff through the CarPlay in the media and nav and all that stuff. But you do get that haptic response. So when you press a button, you know You've hit your mark. Not everyone does that, and it's hugely important. Now all these lines and swoops, and curves, and awesome bits of technology, they put in mind for this image of rolling through town having done big important business with big important business people. People. And then you go home to your perfect wife or your perfect children and go and do some lifestyle activities. You know, like windsurfing, or rollerblading. The stuff that is really popular in adverts, but very few people actually do in real life. [MUSIC] But all those exciting attributes merge into one blob Things to boast about to your mates in the business bar, The A7 and the cars it competes with feels like an accessory that the latest IPhone all shiny on your drive and able to offer the world. But when the lease is up, there'll be something shinier to get attached to and deliver that little endorphin rush. [SOUND] So what I want to know really, is does that feel that threat of disposability creeping with the RS7. Or is this going to go down in history as one of the Great's what's the drive, in comfort mode? You wouldn't really know you're driving a 600 horsepower car. You just wouldn't. It's quiet It's comfortable. It's smooth the gearbox slowly, rifles ratio to ratio. [UNKNOWN] Listen, there's nothing the windows are double glazed. The VA barely makes itself known. It's got all that cylinder shuts off technology and it will coast without using any fuel. It's got the the mild hybridization to save an ink. Every, every tiny little millilitre of petrol. It's a pleasant car. You can just drive it through time. It's lovely. But then you poke the angry bear because it's got all the bells and whistles of something that is genuinely angry at the world. The engine when you're talking along, it's a little bit on the quiet side, but outside when it goes past you it is unmistakably, a big angry vehicle. [SOUND] That is fantastic. It is part of a dying breed. Yes, it's got turbos on it. Who cares? That means it's got 590 pound foot and my God is 590 pound foot mean this thing shift. It is unbelievably fast. [SOUND] Now this is writing on Steel's you can have it recovered ceramics but these, we've been playing with them all day, no sign of fade, no sign of them crapping out on us at an inopportune moment. It's a really good package. If you want to hustle. It really, really is. Apart from a couple of things inside. I would have wanted a bit more v eight, just a bit more of that. Proper dirty four liter V8 noise because well [BLANK_AUDIO] Who doesn't love a V8 noise especially if you're gonna buy an RS car. [BLANK_AUDIO] [SOUND] Also the steering it's a bit of an Audi RS thing that it's never that great. Some of them have been awesome but this, there's a little bit of a disconnect even in its sporty settings. I didn't get that feedback that you crave in a car like this. Yes, it is big. Yes, you can Feel its weight but you kind of want to feel involved when it comes to pushing it through the corner. Also, again, even in the suspension, strongest sportiest most dynamic is setting. It can feel a little bit soft and squishy, say on a main road after a rough long day. I kind of wanted to ride with Call a flat or flatter than this. But if you want to cross the continent very quickly, you can my God. [LAUGH] [MUSIC] It's 80 mil wider than the old RS7. It didn't feel that width you feel it's waist as well is knocking on two turns. So the fact it can move so quickly not to 60 in 3.6 seconds the fact it will do 189 if you pay out the money and get the dynamic bits, I guarantee you can do it. It's an incredible feat of engineering more than anything else. [SOUND] It's not hugely efficient after a day of talking around the mountains. We've averaged 14.4 miles to the gallon. That's not very many, I mean, we weren't using the cylinder shut off and I'm pretty sure the mild hybrid system was just going guys, what are you doing? Just stop this is just a beast. [MUSIC] But what about that feeling of disposability? Yeah, like a three liter diesel standard a seven. That's the kind of thing you go. Yeah, I've got a nice car. I will now. I'll move it on because there is another nice carpet with Rs. I think this engine this power train that makes it special. Yeah, it's not perfect, but it will still put a big grin on your face. It looks slick. It looks smooth and it's something you can keep as sort of, obviously down for as long as you want to. So mega thing last generation RS seven was a blinder it was fast look good and felt good. It was also subtle, which this isn't at all. The big wide angry look, we'll make it stand out in the car park but for certain type of buyer the shouty look. Is a bit much. This is a yellow velvet dinner jacket in C with midnight Blue. [SOUND] I was right to worry that the RS seven may have that little air of disposability about it in reality, it doesn't. It's a really capable car. Yeah. As on the soft and squishy side, but it looks great, it goes really well Well, and it makes you feel good, and you can't say fairer than that. [MUSIC]