The new Audi RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback Performance have been unleashed in South Africa and they’re the most potent four-ringed models ever to go on sale locally.
The Audi RS 6 Avant Performance will set you back R2 332 700 while the RS 7 Sportback Performance is yours for R2 444 500, and first customer deliveries for the new wagon and three-box hatch will commence this month.
For the record, their (albeit indirect) sedan rivals are more expensive, with the BMW M5 Competition currently listed at R2 547 466 and the Mercedes-AMG E63 S 4Matic costing R2 670 479.
While it’s certainly true that even the regular Audi RS 6 and RS 7 are ‘performance’ models of the highest order, the ‘Performance’ moniker attached to the latest editions extracts even more potency from Audi’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 powerplant.
The Performance models produce 463kW and 850Nm, which is an increase of 22kW and 50Nm over the regular RS 6 and RS 7. Thanks to this, customers can look forward to a 0-100km/h blast taking place in just 3.4 seconds, which is a 0.2 second improvement, albeit still 0.1s shy of the electric RS e-tron and 0.2s behind the lighter R8 V10 Performance.
To achieve the elevated outputs, Audi’s engineers fitted larger turbochargers, with boost pressure increasing from 2.4 to 2.6 bar.
The carmaker has also reduced the amount of insulation fitted between the engine compartment and the interior, thereby allowing the V8 to be heard in all its glory and removing 8kg from the car’s kerb weight.
But there’s more.
A smaller and lighter self-locking centre differential has been fitted with the aim of reducing understeer at the handling limits. Under normal circumstances it sends 60 percent of the torque to the rear axle, but if needed it can direct up to 85 percent to the rear or even 70 percent to the front.
Drivers can control the car’s dynamic and performance characteristics through six drive modes, including the customisable RS1 and RS2 profiles.
Furthermore, the vehicles roll on unique 22-inch 5-Y spoke wheels, shod with high-performance Continental “Sport Contact 7” 285/30 tyres.
The wheels are finished in diamond-turned matte titanium grey, however, buyers can also opt for glossy metallic black, matte black or matte neodymium gold.
While we’re on the subject of styling, the new Performance models ship with matte grey trim for the mirrors, front spoiler, side sills and diffuser. A matte carbon/black styling package is available as an option, and Audi has also added two new exterior colour options to the mix, in the form of matte and metallic Ascari Blue and matte Dew Silver.
There’s a choice of three RS interior design packages too, with the traditional grey and red being joined by a new blue option. Audi has also added fresh displays to the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, including a blinking shift indicator as well as a traffic light graphic display to help you use the Launch Control to its best effect.
The new Audi RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback Performance models are sold with a five-year or 100 000km Audi Freeway Plan, which can be unbundled.
Pricing (July 2023):
Audi RS 6 Avant Performance Quattro - R2 332 700
Audi RS 7 Sportback Performance Quattro - R2 444 500