Audi is bringing back the RS7, its high-performance A7 variant, and has finally made it known what the slinky, luxurious performance hatchback will cost. The 2021 RS7 will land in dealerships this fall with a $114,995 asking price.
The sexy Sportback—Audi's lingo for fastback sedans with hatches instead of trunk lids—packs a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 making 591 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Heady stuff, plus those figures give the new RS7 a 40-hp, 74 lb-ft advantage over the previous RS7. Progress! The Audi also is now more powerful than the Porsche Panamera Turbo, which delivers 550 hp and 567 lb-ft of torque, and massively undercuts its $154,350 price tag.
Quattro all-wheel drive, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and an adaptive air suspension is standard on the RS7, though a sport suspension is optional. After driving the new RS7 late last year, we noted that with either suspension, the Audi is a joy to drive, and the optional ceramic brakes are smooth and easy to modulate. A sport exhaust is also available, giving the RS7 a more pronounced sound. Face it—if you're buying this car, you probably would appreciate a more pronounced sound.
The Audi RS7 sits 0.4 inch lower than the standard A7. At high speeds or in "Dynamic" mode, the air suspension lowers the car another 0.4 inch, at which point the Audi looks quite sweet, its wheels tucked purposefully under the flared wheel arches. Those fender flares also make the RS nearly an inch wider per side compared to the A7, and the rims are 21 inches in diameter, although 22s are optional. The Audi's stylish and high-tech cabin comes with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster (Audi Virtual Cockpit), as well as RS sport seats, and dual central touchscreens.
