Audi RS7 Sportback Performance

'Performance' update brings a sharper chassis plus more power and noise to create the best RS7 yet

- JETHRO BOVINGDON

THE WORLD HAD STOPPED. FLIGHTS Twere grounded, borders closed, families communicated by Zoom and the sick and elderly died alone. Aside from those enjoying regular parties in Downing Street and the endless sunshine scorching the UK, we'll remember 2020 rather grimly. Bad times. Yet for a few wonderful months I was running an Audi RS7 Sportback and things suddenly looked a bit more promising.

A big Audi RS model that didn't just look cool but was sharp, exhibited fine balance and possessed genuine poise? Could it really be true? It was. Mostly. I really enjoyed its shockingly urgent performance, sky-high quality and the way it seemed to suck up poor road surfaces with no fuss at all to deliver a sense of unstoppable, irresistible omnipotence. Later, we discovered it still tended towards understeer on track and its easy sense of control started to finally unravel, but for the most part that monstrously powerful Tango Red RS7 charmed and impressed. Looking back at an early Fast Fleet report my one real criticism concerned the Audi's reluctance to embrace its inner performance capabilities. 'A sprinkling more noise and attitude wouldn't do any harm,' I pondered.

Which brings us to the new RS7 Sportback Performance, replacing the standard RS7 in the UK at a price of £118,545. Audi says this new derivative is a little sharper, lighter and noisier than before. It's faster too, of course. Thanks to bigger turbos running higher boost (up from 2.4 to 2.6 bar) the 4-litre V8 gets a bump from 592bhp to 621bhp at 6000rpm, while torque is up from 590lb ft to 626lb ft. The RS7 Performance covers 0-62mph in 3.4sec and is limited to 180mph, or 190mph with the optional RS Dynamic Package Plus.