Today, my quest to find the ultimate “one car garage” ends. If the Audi RS 6 is the ultimate daily, then the RS 7 performance I’m testing ($248,500 plus on-road costs) is the do-everything car of your dreams. With its legendary twin-turbo V8 engine now turned up to eleven, the suspension sharpened, and the styling somehow more aggressive than before it’s a focused and more exhilarating car to drive at all speeds.
Under the skin is the same basic 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, but Audi has turned the wick up with an increase in boost pressure from 2.4 bar to 2.6 bar. The result is a significant power increase from 441 kW to 463 kW and torque is up too from 800 Nm to 850 Nm. Put your foot down and the RS 7 performance will complete the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.4 seconds (0.2 seconds faster than the standard model it replaces).
It’s naughtier inside the cabin too, with less sound deadening, less weight, and more importantly, increased sound from the engine that lets you truly appreciate that powertrain every time you put your foot down. Press either of the two customisable RS-specific RS 1 and RS 2 modes and the pops and cracks from the exhaust are amplified. Finally, revised software for the eight-speed tiptronic gearbox means reduced shift times when the gear selector is set to ‘S’ or these Dynamic modes are selected. Sound like the ultimate one car garage?
You’ll be surprised to know that with all this performance, efficiency is one of the biggest standouts. Like the RS 6 I tested last year, the combination of Cylinder on Demand and 48 Volt Mild Hybrid technology creates a truly surprising fuel economy on the highway and around town I averaged between 10-12 litres per 100km.
This can be attributed to the 48-volt mild-hybrid electrical system that recovers power while coasting. Moreover, cylinder-on-demand (COD) technology that shuts down four cylinders under light throttle load and resumes without the driver ever knowing.
In addition to the engine upgrades, there’s a special wheel and tyre package that arrives with the RS 6 and RS 7 performance models as standard. These forged wheels are 22 inches in diameter (available in gloss silver or black metallic) and wrapped in bespoke Continental “Sport Contact 7” 285/30 tyres. I also love the 5-Y-spoke design that feels very Porsche GT department, however, it’s the 5kg weight saving (22kg unsprung) that makes the biggest difference when you’re cornering.
It solves the lack of eagerness and agility that I found with the base RS 6 Avant. It wants to turn in, and according to the brand, the design also aids brake cooling. Of course, I only had a chance to test this out on the street, but my colleague Justin Jackie had the chance to push both these models on the track.
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These RS models were already some of the most aggressive-looking vehicles on sale, but the two new exterior packages add just enough. First, there’s a matt grey exterior styling package that replaces the matt aluminium exterior highlights from the non-performance model, and second, a matt carbon black package that features several exterior carbon highlights. My RS 7 performance tester was equipped with the latter, but we’ve also had our hands on an RS 6 performance with the gorgeous matt grey and it’s epic on all accounts.
As far as the components go, exterior items altered in each package can include the look of the front spoiler, front side flaps, side sill inserts, rear diffuser insert, trim strips on the side windows, exterior mirror housings, roof rails (RS 6 Avant only), and Audi rings and exterior badging.
Of course, you can get your hands on several exterior paint options, but our choice would be the Audi exclusive matt effect paint finish in Ascari Blue (extra cost option).
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Look inside the RS 7 performance and you’ll notice that not much has changed, thankfully. While you can still choose red and grey as part of the interior design package, blue is now an option, and that would be our pick.
Our tester kept things pretty simple with leather and black, but if we had it our way we’d add some theatre with a steering wheel in Alcantara, stitching in Mercato blue, floor mats, the side of the centre console, and the selector lever cuff in blue as well. Even the puddle lights have been turned up a notch and they now project ‘RS performance’ onto the ground next to the car. The heated and cooled sports seats are supremely comfortable and finished in Valcona leather with perforated, contrasting honeycomb stitching.
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The RS 7 performance ($248,500 plus on-road costs) is what happens when a brand turns all the small, itty bitty details up a notch and creates one of the best one car garage solutions we’ve seen. It still has all the space and practicality that we’ve come to expect, but it’s naughtier, louder, faster, and more capable. Most importantly, it’s more fun to drive and something that you can experience greatness in at all speeds.
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