- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr
Sport without compromise
The Audi RS7 is a sports five-door luxury liftback manufactured by Audi Sport GmbH on the Audi A7 platform. Its production began in 2012. In 2021, the market offers the second generation of this car, which debuted in 2019.
Only the sports division of Audi was able to break the supremacy of BMW in the world of urban sports cars by releasing its first RS model. RS is the abbreviation for Rennsport, which means racing sport in German. These two letters are identified with the most powerful Audi ever since the first RS4.
The first generation
It was produced from 2013 to 2018, and was restyled in 2014. Unlike the A6 sedan, the first RS7 liftback’s front end contained an increased amount of aluminum in its structure. The car also differed from the standard A7 and the more powerful sporty S7 by the sporty air intakes at the front, the “Singleframe” radiator grille from Audi Sport GmbH with the quattro logo and silver side mirrors. Plus, there was the proprietary RS exhaust system.
The first RS7 was powered by a 4-liter V8 petrol engine producing 560 hp and a torque of 700 Nm at 1,750 rpm. It was paired with an 8-speed tiptronic transmission with D and S driving modes. The car was equipped with quattro all-wheel drive with an active differential. Under normal conditions, 60% of the thrust was transferred to the rear axle and 40% to the front one. Thanks to the balanced distribution of torque on the axle, the car was stable on the road.
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h occurred in 3.9 seconds or 3.7 seconds for the performance version. The Audi RS7 was equipped with a sporty braking system, ceramic brakes, a rear view camera, front airbags, road stability control, front and rear sensors, and rear view cameras.
2014 restyling
The restyled RS 7 acquired modified optics, body elements, and rims. In addition to the standard version, the manufacturer introduced an even more powerful RS7 performance version. The owners of the restyled RS7 could equip the car with matrix optics. The rear LED lights underwent minor modifications. The interior featured new paddle shifters and an updated multimedia system.
The second generation
It has been produced since September 2019 to the present (as of 2021). The new Audi RS7 is similar to the original A7, but features wider wheel arches, a retractable spoiler in the rear (activated at 100 km/h), traditional silver-colored rear-view mirrors and huge 21 or 22-inch rims.
The aluminum hood of the car hides a 4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 direct injection engine producing 600 hp and a torque of 800 Nm, with ‘mild hybrid’ technology. The MHEV system allows short-distance traveling in the electric mode when coasting and parking with the petrol engine turned off. There is also a system for shutting off half of the cylinders at low loads.
The new Audi RS7 is stable when cornering on any surface and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds.
The car has kept the famous Audi quattro all-wheel drive. Thus, by default, the traction is distributed in a ratio of 40:60 (front/rear), but the central differential is capable of transmitting 70% of the power to the front axle and up to 85% of the power to the rear wheels, if necessary. Today’s quattro has been improved and uses sensors that analyze the rotational speed of each of the four wheels, whereas differentials distribute traction taking into account the adherence, ensuring precision and stability. Thanks to the absolute adherence provided by the system, the new RS7 is not only stable when cornering on any surface, but also accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds.
The list of equipment is superb, including matrix headlights, a huge panoramic sunroof, and two touch screens on the center console (10.1- and 8.6-inch) that allow you to control all components of the car, from the multimedia system to the operation of the air conditioner and safety settings. The car is equipped with a luxurious Bang & Olufsen sound system with stunning surround and deep sound from 16 speakers with 3D Sound technology and a 705W amplifier. The standard equipment also includes all the most modern Audi safety systems: Pre-sense front, Turn Assist, Active Lane Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, etc.
Plus, there is such a pleasant feature as a 535-liter trunk. It is quite convenient to load and unload items thanks to the possibility to fully lift the fifth door. With the rear seats folded down, the useful volume increases to 1,390 liters.
