The Audi RS7 is the latest big-body Sportback sedan based off of the A7 platform. This impressive cruiser boasts a 560 hp twin-scroll turbo 4.0 TFSI V8 that powers all four wheels thanks to Audi’s impressive Quattro all-wheel-drive system. An eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox smoothly shifts the RS7 through the gears and shoulders the power produced by the turbo V8 that propels it to 60mph in roughly 3.9 seconds. With such an exceptional balance between performance, comfort, and utility, the Audi RS7 is one of our favorite cars for which we have experience fitting with aftermarket parts. Let’s explore the history of this incredible machine and take a look at some of our additions to the latest descendent borne from the legacy of the first Avant.

Although it is an absolute powerhouse now, the RS7 had humble roots. In the late 60’s, Audi unveiled the 100, named for its original power output of 100 PS. It was immediately followed a year later with the release of the Audi 100 Coupé S, a fastback coupe that was available with a slightly more powerful engine. The Audi 100 C1 quickly became the company’s most successful commercial vehicle and offered several variants including the coupe, sedan, and Avant. The Avant was a 5-door Sportback and became the grandfather to all Audi wagons, including the RS7 Sportback.

The C7 RS7 is the culmination of both the Audi 100’s commercial success and the Audi 200 Quattro’s motorsport wins in the 1988 SCCA TransAm Championship. Our own RS7 was delivered in the special-order Signal Green exterior and with a black leather interior. We aptly dubbed the car “the Hulk” and immediately began upgrading it as soon as the break-in period had ended.

Since we are more concentrated on performance rather than overall comfort, our RS7 favored its motorsport history more so than its luxury lineage. While it did not receive as drastic a treatment as many of our other cars, the RS7 did benefit from an APR tune, H&R suspension, and a Milltek Sport exhaust. The car’s heritage was allowed to show through with the overall upgrades from Audi alongside our own contributions that pushed the car to what we feel is the perfect all-around package a driver could want from a touring Sportback.

The “RS” designation is why we largely decided to leave the car as Audi had built it: the C7 RS7 already stands as a tribute to its lineage with its impressive 4.0 TFSI V8, six-piston front brake calipers, ceramic discs, and forged 20” wheels. Even the large square taillights harken back to the design of the old 100 Avant, especially when you stand back and see the whole profile of the car with its swept-back roofline that seamlessly meets the tail in a flat point. The whole car embodies what Audi set off to make originally. It is both an engaging sports car and a comfortable, spacious, luxury car.

We think our C7 RS7 represents its inheritance well. With the RS package, the C7 Sportback claims breathtaking acceleration, face-shredding deceleration, stunning looks, and a suave interior. Were it not for Audi’s use of the 200 Quattro in the 1988 SCCA TransAm Championship, and its subsequent domination of eight races that season, the RS7 and many of Audi’s most notable S-designated variants might have never been. While the old 100, 200, and 5000 make us feel warm and fuzzy, nothing compares with the sheer volume of technology and performance capabilities present in this latest C7 RS7. Stay tuned for more flashbacks in motorsport history as we delve into the heritage of the cars we call our bread and butter right here at ECS.

 

Check out our lineup of parts for your own C7 RS7: