So, I’ve just done a quick check and I’m fairly sure there isn’t a nuclear bomb lurking underneath the bonnet of the Audi S7. Rather, it’s (as far as I can tell) powered by a twin-turbocharged 4-litre V8 that develops 420bhp and 550Nm. The reason for my confusion is due to the performance of said engine, which is, for want of a better descriptor, explosive.
Mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and an all-wheel-drive system that seems to endow it with a seemingly endless supply of grip, the S7 takes 4.7 seconds to hit 100km/h from a standstill.
Yes, this may not be exactly in the league of most modern supercars, but considering the S7 is a hair under 2m long and weighs 2020kg, this is quite the achievement. But where the S7 really impresses is out on the road. Even in its throttle-damping Efficiency mode, the slightest brush on the “go” pedal results in the big fastback surging forward with an almost terrifying turn of speed.
And to think an even quicker A7 exists – the 560bhp RS7 with a 3.9 seconds zero-t0-100km/h time. Unfortunately, Audi Singapore doesn’t have plans to import the RS7 (which uses an uprated version of the S7’s V8 engine) at this time, meaning only the “second-best” car in the A7 range is available.
Still, I hardly think the S7 counts as settling for second best. It reaches triple-digit (that is, illegal) velocities with no apparent effort, and along with its aforementioned bottomless well of traction, the S7’s levels of thrust are sure to satisfy even the most power-crazed. And as a bonus, the S7 also blends its prodigious potential for speed with limo-like levels of refinement.
Suffice it to say, if you guessed all that (and equipment such as sat-nav, and with front-and-rear cameras as standard) doesn’t come cheap, you’re right on the money. The S7 is priced at $488,000, which is already a fair chunk of change, but when you consider an entry-level A7 2.8 costs around $170,000 less, that price tag is positively astronomical.
But if I was in the market for a rapid, refined, good-looking and surprisingly practical (thanks to the huge loading aperture afforded by its fastback tailgate) vehicle, the S7 would be high on my list. Or at least, it would be if I happened to suddenly find myself in possession of half-a-million dollars…
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE 3993cc, 32-valves, V8, turbocharged
MAX POWER 420bhp at 5500-6400rpm
MAX TORQUE 550Nm at 1400-5200rpm
GEARBOX 7-speed dual-clutch with manual select
0-100KM/H 4.7 seconds
TOP SPEED 250km/h (governed)
CONSUMPTION 10.4km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION 225g/km
PRICE INCL. COE
$488,000 (after $5k CEVS surcharge)
