Listen to the 2020 Audi RS 7 Assault the Nurburgring With Its Thunderous Twin-Turbo V8
While unconfirmed, it certainly sounds like the RS 7 super sedan will avoid downsizing its powerplant and perhaps even sport an all-new V8.
The all-new 2020 Audi RS 7 has been spotted doing laps 'round the Nurburgring, screaming its raspy yet symphonic exhaust note for well-tuned ears to admire.
The RS 7 has been spotted a few times on public roads already, undergoing the final bits of fine-tuning before the automaker begins to prepare the car for launch.
In reality, we still don't know exactly what powerplant the RS 7 will end up with. Previous reports indicated that its sister model, the S7, would receive the twin-turbo V6 from the RS 5, raising questions if the RS 7 would continue to get the V8 treatment or debut with two fewer cylinders in the name of fuel economy. Judging by the roaring sounds produced by the exhaust note of the RS 7, though, it seems that the automaker is continuing its journey with the V8.
It's believed that the next-generation RS 7 will feature a newly developed 4.0-liter V8 engine, shared with the Porsche Panamera Turbo, Lamborghini Urus, and Bentley Bentayga. In some of these applications, internal-combustion alone can provide 640 horsepower without hybrid assists.
Coupled with Audi's eight-speed automatic transmission and revered Quattro all-wheel-drive, we can likely expect a 0-to-60 time of under four seconds. If Audi chooses to implement the same hybrid system found in the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, that number could potentially drop even further.
Enjoy the sweet siren song of the RS 7 while you can, because this might be one of the last iterations of the car with a petrol powertrain. While the 2020 RS 7 will supposedly be treated to the aforementioned new V8, the previous generation powerplant (which has the same number of cylinders and displacement) has graced the S7 and RS 7 since 2012. If this timeline is any indication of how long Audi plans to go between engine refreshes, the following-gen RS 7 may be powered by batteries should Volkswagen's bid for electrification go as planned.