Audi’s upcoming RS7 Sportback will be offered in two states of tune when it goes on sale late in 2018. The regular model will be powered by an all-new 4-litre, twin-turbo V8 producing around 650bhp. A second, more powerful, hybrid model will be sold alongside it.
The latter will likely feature a similar electric motor set-up as that fitted to Porsche’s Panamera Turbo S E-hybrid. This hybrid-powered RS7 is expected to produce in the region of 700bhp.
Based on an all-new platform, the regular RS7 will utilise the VW Group’s ubiquitous 4-litre, twin-turbo V8 as found in the Panamera Turbo and new Bentley Continental GT. The engine will be mated to the latest eight-speed S-tronic gearbox, and drive will be channelled to all four wheels, in regular quattro fashion. Standstill to 100 kimph should take around 3.5 seconds, and top speed is expected to be just over 300kmph.
However, topping the RS7 line-up will be the first plug-in hybrid Audi performance car, which we would expect to employ similar technology found in the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-hybrid. A further development of the lithium-ion drive battery pack and electric motor power system should allow Audi to extract an extra 150bhp to add to the combustion engine’s output. It’s expected that the internal combustion engine’s output will be pegged back to 550bhp for the hybrid RS7, resulting in a total combined output of 700bhp.
