Audi RS6 Replacement Won’t Make The Same Mistake As The BMW M5

We were misinformed: previous sightings of what was thought to be the upcoming Audi RS7 Avant (and replacing the existing combustion-powered RS6 Avant as even-numbered Audi cars go electric) have turned out to be of the future Audi A7 allroad. In hindsight, it’s pretty obvious that the bulbous arches are not temporary placeholders before more aggressive fenders are tried on, and that point is only highlighted further by sightings of the actual Audi RS7, caught testing near the Nürburgring. With these new images, we can all rest easy knowing that the design department of the RS division has not gone soft, modernizing trademark styling elements for the new era. This is probably not the time or place to discuss an opinion of the G90 BMW M5, but this writer believes Munich could have done more to improve its new super sedan’s sex appeal. Still, the M5 has its USPs, and we look forward to seeing its Touring variant compete with Ingolstadt’s new beast on US soil.

• 2024 Audi RS7

  Base MSRP

  $127,800

  Engine

  4.0L Twin-Turbo V8 Gas

  Horsepower

  621 hp

  Fuel Economy

  14/22 MPG

• 

  2024 Audi RS6 Avant

  Base MSRP

  $125,800

  Engine

  4.0L Twin-Turbo V8 Gas

  Horsepower

  621 hp

  Fuel Economy

  14/22 MPG

• 

  2024 Audi RS3

  Base MSRP

  $62,300

  Engine

  2.5L Turbo Inline-5 Gas

  Horsepower

  401 hp

  Fuel Economy

  19/29 MPG

Aggressive, But Still (Relatively) Restrained

There’s simply no hiding the high-performance intent of this car from any angle, with a deeper front grille framed by a bold outline that flows into high-rising angular intakes (likely for air curtains and brake cooling) just below the headlights. These headlights, expected to adopt advanced matrix HD LED technology, are much sharper and more aggressive than any we’ve seen on A7 prototypes. Large, diamond-shaped mesh fills this central grille, while a chunky set of front fenders further increases the RS7’s presence. Their vented design aft of the wheelhouses is in line with what we’ve seen on the record-breaking RS3 Sedan. These house Pirelli-shod wheels and larger-than-normal brakes.

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Chunky side skirts lead the eye backward, where another pair of bulbous arches fuse into widened fenders. A full-width taillight bar, not unlike that on the just-released A5 range, will extend into these fenders. In the bottom of the rear bumper, we suspect the diffuser will get a little more aggressive to match the front fascia’s design, but either way, a set of the now-traditional oval RS tips hide butterfly valves, pointing to an adaptive exhaust system. More extreme elements could have been fitted, but they’ll be reserved for special editions like the RS6 GT.

V8 Power Expected To Live On

Previously expected to go all-electric by 2033, Audi has become more flexible in its EV plans and will continue introducing new gas-powered cars for the foreseeable future. We expect the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 to live on but updated with plug-in hybrid technology for cleaner emissions and more instantaneous performance. We predict that the same V8 PHEV setup found in the new Bentley Continental GT and the Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid (a Turbo S E-Hybrid variant is to be revealed imminently) will motivate the new Audi range-topper.

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In the Porsche, you get up to 670 hp, but the new Conti GT tells us that as much as 771 hp is possible. We expect no more than 690 hp so as not to step on the toes of more expensive corporate cousins. With this nearly production-ready prototype cruising the streets, a reveal can’t be too far away.