Being part of the Volkswagen Group certainly has its perks. Aside having other high profile marques as cousins and a certain associated financial security, it opens access to key high performance puzzle pieces that standalone manufacturers just cannot muster.
Audi, particularly Audi Sport and its RS cars, has benefited from this for years and is about to get even more comfortable as Porsche and Bentley rise to meet an even more demanding market. Marc Lichte, Audi’s Head of Design, revealed to Evo that their next RS7 will essentially feature the same powerplant as the range-topping 500kW Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo that was announced just yesterday.
Basically, it’s a newly developed twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol that will - on its own - generate around 485kW, depending on tune. It should also be noted that this engine is also slated for life under the bonnet of the all-new Bentley Continental GT, which shares underpinnings with the Porsche Panamera.
However, the next RS7’s configuration does mean that it will for the first time be offered as a plug-in hybrid, using its electrified components to both reduce fuel consumption in normal driving and improve performance under high load. What’s most interesting about the bits revealed to Evo are that the RS7 could generate even more power than the Porsche product: 520kW. Whoops.
Like the Panamera Turbo S and Turbo S E-Hybrid, a pair will be sold alongside each other. Total output for the electrified variant will be higher, naturally, but the extra weight wouldn’t leave a particularly bothersome gap between the two, especially when it comes to top speed. Peak torque will also favour the hybrid, and Lichte mentioned the RS7’s should be over 800Nm, possibly matching the top Panamera’s 850Nm.
For comparison, the previous RS7 also used a 4.0-litre V8 bi-turbo to drive all four wheels. It produced 412kW and 700Nm funnelled through an 8-speed torque converter automatic. Despite its seeming lack against the predictive numbers of its successor, the first-generation car was quoted to need just 3.3-seconds to reach 100km/h from rest. Even with all the go-fast tech Audi can feasibly stuff into the new model, its doubtful that they’d want to chase an even lower century sprint time.
Presumably, the next RS6 Avant will also be the recipient of this hybrid powerplant given the close relationship between the A6 and A7. Should this be the case - and it does seem very likely - Audi would have on its hands the most powerful (stock) estate car the world has ever seen, pipping its longtime rival the Mercedes-AMG E63 S and its 450kW/850Nm combination. It’s shaping up to be a two-way fight, too, as BMW has expressed no interest in introducing a Touring version of their new all-wheel drive M5.
Of course, there’s plenty more to the upcoming A7 - let alone about the RS version - that will sprout from it. But we’ll have to wait until more details surface about Audi’s mid-tier executive luxury saloon range and its swish Sportback sibling. We expect both cars to edge much closer to launch in mid to late 2018 with a premiere possibly scheduled for the Geneva Motor Show in March. Spoiler - it probably won’t look all that much different from the current models. Such is the Vorsprung Durch Technik way.
For more on Audi cars, check out our Showroom.
