Skip advert
Advertisement

New Audi RS7 Sportback

Audi pulls the wraps off its 552bhp RS7 Sportback at the 2013 Detroit motor show. A rival for the BMW M6 Gran Coupe and Mercedes CLS63 AMG

Audi has unveiled its latest RS model at the 2013 Detroit motor show. The RS7 Sportback will rival the BMW M6 Gran Coupe and Merceds CLS63 AMG.

Full 2013 Detroit motor show coverage here Heavily related to the recently revealed RS6 Avant, it packs the same punch, with a 552bhp/516lb ft 4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine. That latter figure is available from 1750rpm all the way to 5500rpm, providing the RS7 with a supercar-annihilating mid-range. Mated to Quattro all-wheel drive, it serves up a 3.9sec 0-62mph time. Not quite as quick as the new Mercedes AMG – also unveiled at Detroit – but still way brisker than many less practical sports cars. The top speed varies on how your RS7 is specified, with 155, 174 and 189mph electronic limits depending on your options packs. While the Audi S7 – with a lower tuned version of the 4-litre V8 – uses a twin-clutch S-tronic gearbox, the RS7’s stupendous torque requires a beefier eight-speed tiptronic transmission. Torque vectoring and Audi’s Sport Differential are standard, as is adaptive air suspension, though a steel sprung set-up with Dynamic Ride Control is optional. The brakes are suitably large, with 390mm discs fitted as standard up front, and 420mm carbon-ceramic items an expensive option. 20in alloy wheels are standard fit with a trio of 21in designs optional. Order books for the Audi RS7 Sportback open this summer, with deliveries beginning late in 2013. Expect to pay around £84,000 for one, around £7000 more than its practical RS6 Avant sibling yet a staggering £13,000 cheaper than its BMW M6 arch rival. Factor in the updated Mercedes CLS63 and a fantastic 1681bhp three-car group test lies in wait.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Full 2013 Detroit motor show coverage here

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Volkswagen Passat 2025 review – a breath of fresh air next to leaden EVs
Volkswagen Passat front
Reviews

Volkswagen Passat 2025 review – a breath of fresh air next to leaden EVs

Being ‘only’ 1500kg has its advantages. The latest Passat in petrol-only form reminds us ‘normal’ cars can and should be above average
16 Apr 2025
Best German cars – our high-performance favourites from the Fatherland
Best German cars
Best cars

Best German cars – our high-performance favourites from the Fatherland

If you still think Germans don’t have a sense of humour, you haven’t driven their finest performance cars. You’d be grinning from ear to ear
18 Apr 2025
Why the Vauxhall Astra should have been given a different name
Vauxhall Astra GSE
Opinion

Why the Vauxhall Astra should have been given a different name

It’s time to reassess a perennially underrated hatchback, says Porter
17 Apr 2025