THE ULTIMATE FAST FIVE-DOOR GT? (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 62

The second generation version of Audi's RS 7 Sportback model delivered a massive slug of power and put all that through all four wheels to scuttle from standstill to 62mph in just over 3 seconds. You'll pay handsomely for the privilege of owning this RS 6-based GT 5-door model, but the accompanying soundtrack might well be the clincher: pure V8 muscle car.

Modelsword count: 5

5dr GT hatch (4.0 TFSI)

Historyword count: 279

You never quite know what you're going to get with an RS-badged Audi. Some are excellent, others merely make great autobahn expresses while a few are just head-scratchingly patchy in their array of talents. By the end of this century's second decade though, Audi had been on a decent run. The RS 4 of that era was one of the better examples of its vintage, while the larger fourth generation RS 6 was reckoned to be the best example of a big, fast Audi estate to date. Based on that RS 6 was this second generation RS 7. It was first launched in this 4K8-era form in 2019, when it arrived with a 600PS 32-valve petrol V8. Three years later, to keep sales ticking over, Audi upgraded this model to 'performance' status, which meant power was uprated to 630PS. Even up against the likes of the Porsche Panamera, the Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG and the BMW M8 Gran Coupe, this Audi appeared to hold its own. The price stood up well and there was lots of new tech, including 48-volt mild hybrid electrical engineering for extra efficiency. And there was a clever Launch Control system, plus wheel-selective torque control and a quattro sport differential that shifted drive torque between the rear wheels when cornering at speed. There was also a new five-link rear suspension design. Best of all, this car was very fast. It's always reassuring to know that when you're spending this sort of money, you're buying something genuinely and demonstrably rapid. There was a light facelift in 2023 which saw the RS 7 range through to the end of production in late 2023. There was no replacement.

What You Getword count: 290

So is this merely an RS 6 estate in a posh frock? Like its showroom counterpart, the RS 7 Sportback certainly looks perpetually ready to wield its sledgehammer performance - its sinewy body virtually hugs the road surface, and its sizeable wheels are shrouded by boldly flared arches that leave no margin for doubt about the mettle of this Audi Sport offering. Inside, there are grippy RS sport seats upholstered with perforated Valcona leather. And you're positioned comfortably in front of a perforated RS sport leather steering wheel with aluminium shift paddles and multifunction buttons, including the RS MODE button, which the driver can use to enable the drive select RS1 and RS2 modes. This automatically opens the RS-specific displays on the Audi virtual cockpit instrument binnacle screen. These provide details of tyre pressure, torque, performance, oil temperature, boost pressure, lap times, acceleration, and g-forces. More screens sit on the centre stack, an upper 10.1-inch display for infotainment and a lower 8.6-inch monitor for comfort features. The driver can use the upper screen to call up an RS monitor that gives an overview of drive system component temperatures, maximum g-forces and information regarding tyre pressures and temperatures. In the rear, unlike the previous generation RS 7, this one is provided with a three-seater rear bench in the interest of maximum versatility. But you're not going to want to use the centre berth unless you absolutely have to because it's so heavily impeded by this over-prominent centre transmission tunnel. Still, provided you focus on the two main sculpted seats, you'll find that the 12mm increase in wheelbase length this time around is enough to make things feel quite a bit more spacious. The powered tailgate rises to reveal 535-litres of space.

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