Audi RS7 Performance , Track Test

Over the years, we’ve lapped over 200 cars around the BIC and clocked countless hours at the track. But not many machines have surprised us as much as the Audi RS7 Performance with its lap time.

You expect track-focused sports and supercars to set blistering lap times. And rightfully so, they do. But you don’t expect a five-door fastback styled saloon that weighs 1,930 kilograms to be just tenths of a second off the pace of Godzilla. The credit for this performance goes to the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that belts out 596bhp and can produce 750Nm of torque against the measly 562bhp and 637Nm figures of the GT-R.

While most supercars and performance cars attempt to defy the laws of physics, the RS7 Performance defies all sense of logic as well. Something this big and heavy should not be this quick. The word ‘wheelspin’ is not in this car’s vocabulary. The way this machine puts the power down right from when it is stationary is just ridiculous.

Of course, in the corners, you can clearly feel the weight and you can sense that it doesn’t like quick directions changes one bit. It’s at its happiest in a straight line of course, but the manner in which it pulls out of corners – thanks to the power and the grip from the Quattro four-wheel drive system – simply beggars belief. 

Other than the fact that the acceleration is ridiculous, the RS7’s exhaust note is sublime, the seats are comfortable, the ride is supple, the interior is well designed and the entire car is very refined. Apart from the coupe-like roofline and the aggressive rear end, you wouldn’t have the faintest clue of the monster that lurks beneath. It’s essentially a sleeper right from the factory floor. The only thing that holds the RS7 back is its hefty price tag. But, essentially, you’re buying not one but two cars. A family saloon that can seat four people in sumptuous comfort with a large capacity boot for luggage, and a monster of a super saloon that can devour miles on the highway and can set consistently fast lap times on a racetrack with precision.

Best of 2017 : << BACKNEXT >> : Porsche Macan R4