The second-generation Audi RS7 Sportback has been
spotted once again by Paultan's spy photographers, this time in the sunny
province of Barcelona, Spain. Just as previously sighted, the prototype model
is completely camo-free and wears the standard A7 look. But as they say, the
devil is in the details.
From the front, you can barely tell that it’s the
RS7, but the extended wheel arches, huge test wheels, gigantic brake calipers
and dual oval exhaust pipes all point towards the high-performance grand
tourer. Interestingly, the front disc brakes aren’t of the larger drilled items
as seen before.
In the performance department, the new RS7 is
rumoured to get a 4.0 litre TFSI twin-turbo V8 that produces around 550 hp, and
it’s said to be the same unit found in the Panamera Turbo. There, the engine
produces 542 hp and 770 Nm – that’s 18 hp less from the outgoing RS7’s 560-pony
count, but a full 70 Nm more twist.
The RS7 is also rumoured to get an even higher
performance version, featuring the same engine but with an electric motor to
boost output to 700 hp. A similar plug-in hybrid system is found in the
Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, one that boasts a total system output of 680 hp and
850 Nm. Will the RS7 benefit from the same electrified system? Perhaps, because
the A7 was built to accommodate hybrid tech – every variant of the new A7 is a
hybrid of sorts – from the get-go.
The upcoming Audi RS7 will be one of five new RS
models in Audi Sport’s plans by the year 2020. Naturally, it’s expected to be
even quicker than the outgoing RS7.
