The Audi A7 is an excellent car; quick, comfortable, and thanks to its hatchback design, impressively practical. If you want to turn up the performance characteristics a notch, there’s a version called the S7 that adds power and tightens the suspension for sharper handling.

Not enough? Can Audi interest you in the RS7? That’s the real speedster of the Audi lineup with more power and speed than you’ll know what to do with. But what if you DO know what to do with it? Well, then for 2024, Audi has added the RS7 Performance, which provides more, uh, performance.

That means 30 more horsepower and another 37 lb.-ft. of torque, bringing the totals to 621 hp and 627 lb.-ft. from the car’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine. That’s good for EV-like acceleration, going to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds, which is 0.2 seconds faster than last year’s model.

Top speed is 174 mph, but it would be hard to even hit that number on most race tracks. Maybe plan a trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats, considering that there was a crash in the 2024 Tour de Force in Idaho where I was able to drive 200 mph in 2023, leaving the future of that closed-road event in question.

The 8-speed Tiptronic dual-clutch transmission routes power through all four wheels. This Velcro-like traction leaves the RS7 feeling a little muted, as there is not much obvious drama from its muscular engine. However, as the RS7 Performance, the transmission is calibrated for more abrupt shifts than lesser versions, perhaps to inject a modicum of drama. I’d rather have the smoother shifts of regular models, at least as an option available through the driver-selectable mode settings.

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The RS7’s $151,840 MSRP includes both the $1,095 destination fee and the well-deserved $1,300 EPA gas guzzler tax. The government estimates the RS7’s thirst at 14 mpg in city driving and 22 mpg on the highway. The combined estimate is 18 mpg but I got closer to 16 mpg with a mix that leaned toward more highway driving.

The Audi RS7 Performance's beastly 621-horsepower twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. AUDI

The price tag also includes $1,000 for the RS sport exhaust system. Unlike Audi’s rivals at Cadillac and Mercedes, whose performance vehicles deliver window-rattling noise, the RS7’s performance exhaust produces a mellow burble that reminds us that good V8 sound doesn’t have to irritate the neighbors every time you start the car. The mild grumble is especially notable for its ear-friendly tones considering that the Performance model has shed 17 lbs. of sound deadening employed on the other A7 derivatives.

This doesn’t mean the RS7 is subtle. The monstrous 22-inch wheels give the sleek silhouette a stance that turns car enthusiasts’ heads everywhere the car goes. The wheels are forged, which lets them shave 11 lbs. of unsprung weight at each corner.

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Even with the sporty styling, the large hatch and split folding rear seat meant that it could carry a flat-packed DIY chair even with a back seat passenger aboard.

The RS7 Performance carries a variety of styling details that set it apart from lesser models, but the design tidbit that got my attention is the car’s use of illuminated seatbelt buckles. The light makes it much easier to find the buckle at night, leaving me to wonder why all premium cars don’t have this feature.

Open hatch, insert flat-pack chair. AUDI

It turns out to be harder than you'd think to photograph a feature that lights up in the dark. Shoot it in the light and you can't tell that it is illuminated. Shoot it in the dark, and all you can see is the glowing rectangular shape at the top of the buckle. So you're going to have to trust me that this is both helpful and cool-looking.

There is no doubt that Audi enthusiasts are thrilled by the RS7 Performance, and it is an impressive statement of capability in defiance of the BMW, Mercedes, and Cadillac alternatives. The less hard-edged, and thirsty S7 is probably the better solution for me.

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