Audi RS7 Sportback Performance review – performance and 0-60
With a boost to 621bhp, the RS7 Performance is in the ballpark of rivals like the M8 Gran Coupe
The RS7's engine is an absolute force of nature. There’s a bit more lag than the previous non-Performance model due to the bigger turbos, but you only really notice it in Efficiency and Comfort modes, where the programming for the eight-speed automatic gearbox is set very conservatively. Utilise the paddles and that problem disappears.
There’s so much torque and the delivery has a steely, pulverising energy as the revs increase. And yes, there’s more aural drama than before thanks to less sound deadening. It’s now somewhere between a rollicking AMG soundtrack and the subtler BMW M5’s, which feels like a great balance for a car of this type. It imbues the
RS7 with character even at everyday speeds.
Top speed is pegged at 174mph, although given how massively potent the RS7 feels, you get the sense it could smash through that and on to a much higher maximum with the limiter removed. Its 3.4sec 0-62mph is undeniably quick, but rivals such as the Porsche Panamera Turbo S are even more accelerative on paper.
None of that seems to matter in reality, though, given that the RS7 feels nigh-on omnipotent when fully extended. We certainly aren't left wanting for more power.
