RS Heaven

THE NEW RS7 IS THE FIRST AUDI SPORT FOUR-DOOR IN YEARS THAT PROPERLY STIRS THE EMOTIONS

- Georg Kacher

THE VERY FIRST Audi RS4 Avant was a real eye-opener, and so was the second-generation RS6 and of course every single iteration of the R8. But somewhere along the way, too soon and with almost tragic persistence, Audi’s in-house go-faster department lost the plot.

Sure, the cars engineered in Ingolstadt and produced in Heilbronn gained more power and torque with every model change, dedicated tech-heads got their money’s worth out of the increasingly ambitious interpretations of the Vorsprung Durch Technik theme, and the more and more colorful make-up kept boosting the poseur value. But drive a 2018 model RS5 or RS6 and you will very likely be anesthetized by the duff steering, wooden brakes, muffled feedback even close to the limit, and the frustrating artificial supremacy of the safe but stubborn electronic control apparatus.

To add insult to injury, the engines began to lose their luster when the normally aspirated V8 gave way to the breathless turbocharged V6, the V10 was put on the list of endangered species for good, and the evolution of the charismatic five-cylinder ended in a bloody boardroom battle.

In view of this patchy historic background, hopes were not high when Audi invited us to sample the second-generation RS7, which looks from some angles as if a Tonka Toys designer has been moonlighting under the influence. Marketing may disagree, but an optional stealth kit would do well with those who prefer to keep a low profile.

Thanks to the more emphatically flared Quattro-style wings, the 2020 vintage is 40mm wider than the outgoing model and the bulging wheel arches are now easily big enough to accommodate the optional 22-inch rims, which look the business but are bound to shatter the ride. The motorized spoiler that automatically extends at 100km/h is again part of the package, yet even when fully extended it cannot quite neutralize the rear axle lift pegged at 40 kilos at Vmax.