Thanks to their standing within the Volkswagen Group, Audi can build any number of cars they want with any drivetrain that takes their fancy (as long as it isn’t rear-wheel drive of course). Audi tend to get some flak for this because, as a friend of mine commented recently on Facebook, “In terms of looks… all Audi models differ only in length… yawn!” A bit harsh, although he may have a point when it comes to their ordinary cars, but surely not when it comes to the Audi RS7 Sportback I drove this week?
The RS7, for me, is Audi getting expressive. Aesthetically, it’s powerful, brooding, but actually very simple. Big 21-inch wheels are standard and you can choose aluminium or black accents on the grille, mirrors and diffuser as a no-cost option. There’s also a ‘Carbon Fibre Design Package’ available, which costs a little extra. The grille and LED day-time running lights (DRLs) are where the RS7 holds all its presence and, while the flat backend isn’t to every ones taste, the pinched shape at the C-pillar is distinctive at least and I just love the Tron-like tail lights with the brooding oval tailpipes in close proximity.
The RS7 Sportback is the company taking a step back from the production line and creating a machine that captures all that Audi Quattro GmbH stands for: massive power, potent performance, top notch fuel efficiency and a Quattro all-wheel drive insurance policy in the bends.
Our first drive event in the RS7 is short and sweet, from Cape Town airport, over Hellshoogte Pass, into Franschhoek, then over the Franschhoek Pass before turning around and heading back into the city. The acceleration from the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 is something ridiculous – from standstill Audi claim 3.9 seconds to 100 km/h but many overseas auto publications have bettered that. What’s just as impressive is the in-gear pick up and acceleration, anywhere in the rev range. Power is rated at 412 kW and torque at 700 Nm, but all those Newtons are available from 1 750 – 5 500 r/min before the red-line of 6 500 r/min.
The RS7 Sportback has an 8-speed ZF gearbox instead of the conventional Audi S-Tronic cog-swapper because the torque would chew up and spit out the finely-boned dual-clutch tranny. You accept this when you merge onto the highway, bury your foot, and can scarcely believe the explosive rush the RS7 is capable of. It feels like you’re accelerating from standstill that’s how much G you pull.
With you up to speed you do need to watch the speedometer closely or you can fall into that famed Audi trap of going much faster than the law allows, just because it’s so composed on a highway. Incidentally, the RS7 is equipped with engine cylinder deactivation and auto stop/start to give a claimed average fuel consumption of 9.8 l/100 km. With cruise control set, this gives you time to soak in the splendid RS7 interior and its perfect blend of sportiness and refinement.
Soft quilted leather seats with RS7 embossed head rests, carbon fibre accents on the dash and clear, legible dials are allied to the brilliant heads up display. The Google Maps Sat Nav never fails to impress with its integration of images over maps. Audi Drive Select can be accessed through the Audi’s central command system and I chose to alternate between ‘Dynamic’ and ‘Individual’ with the ride set to ‘Comfort’ and everything else set to its sportiest iteration.
These settings came in handy once I was belting along the back roads of Stellenbosch where the roads became bumpy and wanted to pull the Audi’s 21-inch low profile rubber this way and that. The ‘Comfort’ setting on the suspension helped settle the car down but then again, at the speeds the RS7 can get up to, I’m not surprised a lot of stress goes through the suspension. The RS7 feels pretty darn wide on a tight dual carriage way too, nevertheless; I soon began my ascent up Hellshoogte Pass and that meant switching Audi Drive Select into full ‘Dynamic’ mode and putting the ESP into ‘ESP Sport’ mode.
I normally entertain only one of the two lanes when traversing Hellshoogte Pass; it’s an etiquette I’ve developed over the years driving the smooth expanse of road, but in the RS7, I will admit, the need to use both forward-travelling lanes did arise every now and then. Just because the RS7 explodes towards a corner so vividly, no matter how much you prepare for the impending change of direction.
In ‘Dynamic’ the steering is nicely weighted in your hands, and for a 1995 kg car it feels agile and responsive; really, it does. Of course, at the moment of maximum inertia, as you’re pulling toward an apex, the RS7 indeed feels a heavy car, but the Quattro engineering feels equally hell-bent on getting around that fact as it is on getting you around that corner. The RS7 is forceful.
The tyres squeal from the moment of initial turn in (Continental Sport Contacts), but then the front end stoically pulls toward the apex with the application of throttle. On the speedy Hellshoogte Pass, it’s hysterically fast but with much time spent on long lead-ins into corners on the brakes – so it’s a good thing the RS7 Sportback boasts 420 mm front brake discs.
My car for the day was fitted with the optional carbon ceramic discs as well, which come part of the ‘Dynamic Package Plus’ which also raises the top speed to 305 km/h (from 255 km/h) and replaces standard adaptive RS air suspension with steel springs and a three-way adjustable ‘Dynamic Ride Control.’
As I would experience on Franschhoek Pass later in the day; in tighter corners where rotation of the long RS7 body is even more pronounced there is a noticeable shift of power delivery to the rear of the RS7, courtesy of the ‘Audi Sport Differential,’ and although ‘ESP Sport’ mode wouldn’t entertain it, at times it felt as though the rear tyres were nanoseconds away from spinning and the car requiring, of all things, an input of opposite lock from the driver. I’ve never experienced that in a big Audi saloon car, and it feels fan-bloody-tastic.
Much of that sensation comes from the weight shift of the RS7’s long wheelbase but also the reassuring amount of roll dialled into the RS7’s setup (even if you’re in ‘Dynamic’ mode). That may sound counter intuitive, because sporty cars should corner flat all the time, but much like the Nissan GT-R, Quattro GmbH have identified that you can use the weight of car to aid rotation, because weight can qualify as traction if harnessed correctly.
All of a sudden you’re prepared in your mind for an Audi with handling characteristics that can go ‘either way’ as you apply throttle. Of course, application of the throttle needs to still be a judicious process because even with the Audi Centre Differential’s 40/60 front-rear default split, the front tyres can quickly become overwhelmed under full throttle acceleration. Jump onto the go-juice too soon and you’ll provoke understeer, but ride it out just enough and apply smoothly and you’ve got a perfectly prescribed arc to hook you up through a bend at insane velocity. The RS7 is simply thrilling when you get it right.
I came away from my RS7 Sportback drive surprised at how engaging the big beast is to drive. Heart-racing, sweaty-palmed, I emerged from the car feeling like I’d wrestled a crocodile. The RS7 isn’t a machine to be trifled when you really press on.
The Audi RS7 Sportback is priced at R 1 454 500 and the optional ‘Dynamic Package Plus’ is R128 400, but while that is a lot, it’s also worth its weight in improved engineering. Combine the two and you still emerge with a four-door supercar that’s R200 000 cheaper than a BMW M6 Gran Coupe.
| Pricing (incl. VAT & CO2 Tax) | |
| Audi RS7 Sportback Quattro S tronic | R1 454 500 |
Pricing includes a 1-year/Unlimited km warranty, 5-year/100 000km service plan and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty.
