Browse over 9,000 car reviews

Audi RS7 Sportback unveiled


Audi has upped the ante in the battle to claim four-door coupe owners with the launch of a 305km/h RS7 Sportback in Detroit.

The quattro drive car has BMW’s M6 Gran Coupe and the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG in its headlights and with a 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.9 seconds, it beats the rear-wheel drive Beemer by 0.2 of a second.

Merc’s upcoming all-wheel drive CLS will take out the dragstrip honours courtesy of a 3.7 second surge to triple figures - but no right-hand drive variant means it won’t be sold in Australia. Instead we will have to settle for the rear-wheel drive model and a 4.2 second sprint time.

The RS7 uses a 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 and needs an eight-speed automatic transmission to harness the 412kW/750Nm. Peak torque is on tap from 1750-5500rpm but cylinder deactivation means the hi-performance coupe still achieves a relatively miserly official fuel consumption of 9.8 litres/100km.

Four 390mm ventilated disc brakes with six-piston calipers help tame the beast and an set of 420mm carbon-fibre/ceramic discs are an option. The stability control system has a sports function or can be switched off entirely for those prepared to tempt fate with that much power under their right foot.

Air suspension coupled with adaptive damping keeps the wheels in contact with the road, though customers can opt for a conventional sports-tuned steel suspension linked with the company’s Dynamic Ride Control.

Standard features include xenon headlamps, a tyre pressure monitoring system, three-zone climate-control and cruise control. A head-up display is optional.

A pair of massive intakes in the front spoiler direct air to the engine and brakes and identify the Audi as a performance model, while the dual oval rear exhausts also indicate this isn’t a regular A7.

Chunky contoured seats and an RS-style flat-bottomed steering wheel help keep the driver in control and the interior has liberal layering of clear-coated carbon-fibre highlights. 

The car is expected to be on sale in the US late this year, which will translate into an early 2014 launch in Australia. Pricing and specification will be announced closer to the launch date.

The Audi stand also included a petrol-powered SQ5 destined for North American and Asian markets. The SUV uses a turbo 3.0-litre engine with 260kW/470Nm. The diesel-powered version due Down Under midway through this year still holds the edge in outright performance, though, with 230kW/650Nm.