The Audi RS 7 Sportback is not a shot in the dark,
it’s a heat-seeking missile targeted at the niche extreme four-door coupé
segment
There are some things which, no matter how
much you want them, don’t happen too often, if not often enough. There are also
some things which happen so fast that you wonder if someone answered your
prayers or there’s some darker, supernatural stuff at work. Most of the time,
it’s usually coincidence and advanced engineering simply working together. How,
then, would you explain something like this – the Audi RS 7? After taking it
around town and giving it some beans and giving myself a beverage, I believe I
found a way to explain the car. Or, at the very least, attempt to. It embodies
the seven deadly sins, crossing over from the dark side to find a hapless soul
in need of some serious horsepower with loads of attitude to boot.
The
Audi RS 7 Features A Superb Powertrain
Lust
The Audi A7 came about as a result of a
burgeoning yet untapped four-door coupé segment. More powerful engines were
inevitable, and with downsizing already on everyone’s top-10 list, if not done
and dusted, the big twin-turbo V8, or rather, the smaller (compared to a
twin-turbo 6.0-litre W12) twin-turbo V8 from the Bentley Continental GT made
its appearance in a 420-PS guise in the S7. But Audi didn’t stop just there.
Boost was upped and the engine was given
steroids to turn the already manic wolf into a rabid wolverine. Enter the RS 7
– the unification of matte-grey, carbon-fibre, alcantara, 560 PS and hell’s
bellows. If all of these elements won’t make you lust for a car, what will?
Once
you’re inside, the Audi RS 7 starts to shine as it has one of the nicest,
user-friendly cabins in its class
Gluttony
Get inside the RS 7, and the finely crafted
elements and layout catch your gaze immediately. The play of dark fabric
headliner, almost-black leather and alcantara seats, carbon-fibre inlays and
dashes of aluminium make for a cabin that is extremely classy and elegant, but
just as hard-core sport as you can get without having paper-thin paint on
exposed welds. The media equipment list is extensive. The excellent Bang &
Olufsen surround system delivers theatre-class audio. There’s a big
high-resolution LCD screen, radio, satnav, reverse camera, an optical disc
player, two SD-card slots and another connector I didn’t recognise for a device
I don’t have. There isn’t a USB port, although Bluetooth does take care of a
lot.
Standard
equipment includes electric heated seats; comfort seats with a memory function
are optional
Sloth
The leather and alcantara seats are
extremely comfortable and quite snug. They hold you in place well and let you
exploit the potential of the car around the corners. There’s no active or
adjustable bolster support, but it’s not really missed. The RS steering wheel
feels good to hold and is actually very light. The air suspension ensures the
ride quality is sublime, even with those low-profile tyres. Even in the rear,
being a six-footer, I was quite comfortable save for a minor portion of the top
of my head touching the rear headliner. If you need 2+2 family car with a
performance edge, this is surely the way to go. Front or rear, it doesn’t make
you feel like getting out once you’re in there.
The
rear features two sports seats with integrated head rests
