Generally speaking, when you have a 4.0 liter TFSI twin-turbocharged V8, horsepower isn’t something of a worry. In Audi RS6 and RS7 form, the 4.0 TFSI engine develops 560 horsepower and can propel the car from 0-60 mph in just a touch over 3 seconds and will tear your face off while doing it. It’s a monster engine. However, tuning company, APR, has decided that it wasn’t enough and has created and ECU upgrade to add even more.

Audi 4.0 TFSI Engine

The Stage I ECU upgrade is for the RS6 and RS7 specifically, though the engine is offered in other Audi products, the ECU flash is only for those two cars. This ECU upgrade is an octane-specific tune which can be done directly through the car’s OBDII port without any mechanical modification. The tune took APR months to perfect and develop and is constantly changing during different load and environmental conditions.

This ECU upgrade is available to both 93 octane fuel and race fuel and has different horsepower and torque ratings for different octane. With 93 octane, just a touch over premium gas in America, the RS6 and RS7 will make a monstrous 667 hp and 746 lb-ft of torque. That is an absolutely incredible amount of power in a luxury sedan. However, it gets even more incredible on race fuel, which can boast up to 772 hp and 849 lb-ft of torque, which is ridiculous, frankly. 

The best thing about this APR tune is that it has several easy-to-use seeings that make living life with a 600-700 monster easy. There’s a stock mode, which reverts the engine back to stock settings if you want to go back for any reason. There’s also a valet mode, to insure that when some pimple-faced teenager is valeting your monstrously powerful car, they don’t try to fool around with it and use all of that power, by extremely reducing the power. All of this can be controlled by a smart phone or tablet.

Tuning your car can be a very efficient way to make more power, as it doesn’t do anything that the engine can’t handle, yet it provides incredible power upgrades. If you have an RS6 or RS7 and feel that it’s just too pedestrian, check out APR’s new tune. This way, you’ll have enough power to turn your face into that guy’s at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

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Audi of America has announced plans to stage the U.S. debut of the RS7 performance, S8 plus and second generation R8 at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show.

First up, the RS7 performance is a new range-topping version of that model lineup and comes with a stronger iteration of the TFSI V8 4.0-liter engine that now delivers 605 PS (445 kW) and 700 Nm (750 Nm with overboost). By infusing more power, Audi has managed to lower the model’s 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint time by 0.2 seconds to just 3.7 seconds while the 0-124 mph (0-200 km/h) task takes 12.1 seconds, representing a major 1.4s decrease. It also has a revised 8-speed tiptronic gearbox, some subtle body revisions and a few new goodies inside the cabin.

As for the S8 plus, it represents a last hurrah for the current generation A8 and is the most powerful version of the model Audi has ever made, with the TFSI V8 4.0-liter engine developing 605 PS (445 kW) and 700 Nm (750 Nm with overboost), the same as in the aforementioned RS7 performance. It can complete the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) task in 3.8 seconds and is electronically capped at 155 mph (250 km/h), but Europeans can have it with an increased top speed limiter of 189 mph (305 km/h).

Lastly, the second generation R8 is due to go on sale in the spring of next year as a 2017MY in United States and as most of you know it’s going to be a V10-only version as the V8 4.2 FSI motor has been discontinued from Audi’s flagship performance car. The standard R8 will have 540 PS from its V10 5.2-liter FSI engine whereas the R8 plus is getting 610 PS along with a weight loss and other upgrades.

All three cars will be on display starting November 17 when the Los Angeles Auto Show will open its doors.

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Audi has released a promotional clip with the RS6 and RS7 performance models set to receive public debut this week at Los Angeles Auto Show. A more appropriate suffix for these two would have been “plus” taking into account the RS6 and RS7 are all about performance, so adding this moniker is a bit redundant to these two higher specification derivatives which likely serve as a last hurrah for the outgoing generations.

The RS duo is up on power by 45 PS compared to the regular models and this translates into a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) run in a supercar-like 3.7 seconds and a 190 mph (305 km/h). You won’t be able to tell the two apart from the regular RS6 Avant and RS7 Sportback since the changes have been pretty much kept down to a minimum.  New 21-inch wheels, glossy black grille, revised diffuser and a fresh Ascari Blue paint are the only visual tweaks on the outside while the interior comes with RS sport seats wrapped around in leather and Alcantara.

Both the RS6 and RS7 performance have an adaptive air suspension and a revised 8-speed tiptronic transmission while at an additional cost these two can be fitted with a rear sport differential that grants active torque distribution. Also extra are the carbon ceramic discs for those in need of more stopping power when heading to the track.

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The Audi RS7 piloted driving concept is back and it has established a record for an autonomous vehicle at the FAST Parcmotor race track near Barcelona.

Audi’s engineers shaved off some weight to help the car achieve superior performances and this turned out to be true as the RS7 piloted driving concept drove itself on the Castelloli circuit in Spain in 2:07.67 minutes. It managed to cover the 4.2 km (2.6 mi) long course without any sort of human assistance as the car did all the handling, accelerating and braking. In other words, this concept is fully automated and can do all the work by itself.

This latest performance comes after October 2014 when the Audi RS7 piloted driving concept codenamed “Bobby” managed to hit a top speed of 149.1 mph (240 km/h) around the Hockenheimring. That vehicle has evolved into what is known today as “Robby” and is approximately 400 kg (881.8 lbs) lighter than its predecessor.

Robby was tested to the delight of the American audience when it drove itself back in July on the Sonoma Raceway in California, once again, without human aid. Let’s not forget that journalists attending CES Asia earlier this year experienced piloted driving in the busy traffic of Shanghai, China while last month Audi demonstrated automatic emergency evasive maneuvers of a test car with moving obstacles in the urban environment.

Some of the technology will be implemented in the next generation Audi A8 flagship model set to come out in 2017. The full-size luxury sedan will be able to drive itself at speeds of up to 37.3 mph (60 km/h) in busy stop-and-go traffic on freeways.

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Audi’s UK division has disclosed pricing information for the RS6 and RS7 Performance models.

The vehicles were introduced last month when Audi told us these would cost €117,000 and €121,700, respectively. Now, we found out in United Kingdom the RS6 Avant performance will set you back £86,000 whereas the RS7 Sportback performance will begin at £91,600. Audi estimates early buyers will receive their prized possessions starting February next year.

That’s a serious chunk of money, but then again you do get access to a level of performance only seen in supercars. These two cars share an evolution of the V8 4.0-liter TFSI engine delivering 605 PS (445 kW) as in the S8 Plus. If you hit the acceleration pedal hard, the RS duo will need just 3.7 seconds to hit 100 km/h from a standstill and will keep on going until reaching a maximum speed of 189.5 mph (305 km/h) if you go for the optional performance package.

The Audi RS6 and RS7 Performance are sharing the spotlight at the ongoing 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show in California along with the aforementioned S8 Plus. The latter originally debuted in Frankfurt back in September and represents a last hurrah for the outgoing A8 (D4) which is bound to be replaced at the beginning of 2017 by an all-new model.

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We all know Robby pretty well by now. Robby is Audi’s autonomous RS7 race car that was able to lap several different race tracks on its own and put down extremely fast lap times. It’s also worth mentioning just how consistent Robby was with its laps. At the FAST Parcmotor raceway, in Barcelona, Spain, Robby was able to put down 2:09 lap times. Four times in a row. So it clearly knows how to use a racing line.

Well, a human, but the name of Vincent Nguyen, of Slash Gear, decided to take Robby on and see if he could be faster. So after Robby set its lap time of 2:09:237, Vincent gave it a try and a nearly identical RS7. The only advantage for Vincent was that his RS7 was just a bit lighter than Robby, even with him in the car. Audi did a great job of lightening Robby up, by taking out all of the superfluous gizmos and gadgets, to get it close to that of the stock car, but it’s still heavier. So Vincent had a bit of an advantage in terms of weight, but Robby uses high-tech GPS monitoring to perfect its racing line, so it has a bit of an advantage there. Plus, a computer can’t lose its nerve when entering a corner hot, like a human can. So it will be interesting to see who wins.

Autonomous Audi RS7

Vincent is able to, with just a warm up lap and one timed lap, beat Robbies time by about half of a second. Vincent completed his lap in 2:08:807, so just a about four tenths of a second between the two. Firstly, that’s impressive that a human with little practice or experience could beat a computer engineered to be fast around the track, even if it was only by a bit. Secondly, it’s mighty impressive that a computer-controlled car could lap the track in that amount of time. If that’s the kind of time that an amateur driver was able to put down, then Robby is incredibly fast for a machine.

The video is really interesting to watch Robby autonomously drive around a circuit without any interaction. The only interaction between man and machine is that fact that there’s a person in the driver’s seat hold a dead man’s switch, so if anything goes wrong the passenger simply let’s go of the switch which shuts the autonomous program down and puts the car back into the control of the driver. Other than that, Robbie lapped the track on its own, quickly and consistently. But, despite all of its clever programming and GPS view of the track, the human eye and hand was still faster. Thankfully.

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After showing off the RS6 Avant performance in a new video, Audi is now doing the same thing with the RS7 Sportback performance.

The “performance” duo represents the pinnacle of the RS6 and RS7 models as the two sit on top of the range and are almost as powerful as the mighty R8. In this latest application, the twin-turbo V8 4.0-liter engine produces a massive 605 hp and 700 Nm which is exactly the same you get in the S8 plus.

In our humble opinion, the A7 has the most appealing design among the ever growing Audi lineup and in this RS7 performance specification it looks jaw-dropping. It’s not only the styling that manages to impress, but also the level of performance offered as the model can do 0-100 km/h in 3.7s and hit 305 km/h.

Let’s not forget the engine benefits from cylinder on demand system which will turn off half of the cylinders whenever the car doesn’t need all the power. This obviously helps cut fuel consumption and Audi says the RS7 Sportback performance needs 9.7 liters / 100 km in the combined cycle. This is actually a more than decent number taking into account the massive power provided, the hefty curb weight and the car’s size.

The gorgeous design and stellar performances obviously come at a price as Audi is asking a steep €121,700 in Germany.

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The Audi Forum Neckarsulm in Germany currently has on display the interesting Audi RS7 piloted driving concept.

Audi RS7 piloted driving concept

It’s the original version of the concept that was able to drive itself around the Hockenheim where it managed to hit a top speed of 149.1 mph (240 km/h) The concept is very important for Audi as the company is working hard to develop autonomous driving technology that will premiere on the new A8 set to arrive either by the end of next year or early 2017.

It may look like a regular RS7 with a black & white livery, but underneath the familiar skin is a technological tour de force as it’s packed with lots of cameras and sensors. It can orient itself on the road through specially-corrected GPS signals that are transmitted to the vehicle via a Wi-Fi connection. The 3D cameras can film the road up ahead and send the analyzed images to an on-board computer program.

Audi RS7 piloted driving concept

Whether we like it or not, driverless cars are on their way and this Audi RS7 piloted driving concept represents the company’s cornerstone in terms of autonomous technologies. The updated version, baptized “Robby”, has lost 881.8 lbs (400 kg), so the technology is fast evolving and won’t add a lot of bulk once it will hit a production model.

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The 2016 NAIAS is currently being held in Detroit and there are several incredible new car launches. So many enw cars are being debuted in Detroit and are creating a ton of buzz around the world. One car that isn’t new, but packs more pf a punch than nearly every new car there, is the Audi RS7.

The Audi RS7 is a rockstar and will always command the attention of any company that its in. This 2016 Sepang Blue Audi RS7 most certainly fits that bill, as it absolutely demands your attention. Its menacing looks, awesome hatchback body style, front and rear diffusers, massive exhaust pipe and kick-ass wheels make this one of the best looking cars at the Audi exhibit. It’s gorgeous.

The Audi RS7 packs a 4.0 liter TFSI twin-turbocharged V8 engine that develops 570 hp and is paired with the seven-speed S-Tronic gearbox which sends power to all four wheels via Audi’s Quattro. It’s a powerhouse of a machine that nails the 0-60 sprint in the low three second range, something that is almost unheard of for a car of its size. It has tremendous grip, power and handling and can hand with the best supercars in the world on a track.

The Audi RS7 might not be a new debut, but it sure seduces like one.

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Audi recently was able to pump out some extra performance and power from the already very potent 4.0 liter twin-turbocharged TFSI V8 in both the Audi RS7 and Audi S8. In extra-strength from, these two cars are now dubbed the RS7 Performance and S8 Plus (don’t ask why Audi doesn’t just stick to one name, we don’t know either) and they’re both very, very fast. Now putting down 605 hp in both cars, mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, this pairs is able to get from 0-60 mph in around 3.7 seconds, though a bit faster for the RS7 Performance. That’s madness in cars as big and luxurious as they are.

Well, the lucky bastards at Autoweek were able to get the pair for a roadtrip from Miami to Daytona, to check out the Rolex 24 that Audi was participating in, and they’ve come back with quite a lot of praise. It’s funny, typically with press events like this one, journalists are flown to a pretty place, put up and a nice hotel and given a chance to test out awesome cars on awesome roads and it’s all paid for by the automaker. This usually means that the journalists are quite pleased when they’re writing about the cars and tend to write nicer things. But this location, and unfortunate weather, was one of the worst places to drive these cars.

The trip from Miami to Daytona is very flat, very straight and very boring. So not the best place to test out two 605 hp super sedans. Plus it rained heavily their entire trip with the cars, forcing them to drive slowly in cars that want to drive quickly. Very quickly. So it wasn’t the best meeting of the cars. However, the folks at Autoweek only have glowing things to say about these two cars, despite the less-than-ideal conditions.

The power is always there, obviously, regardless of gear or rpm, just stab the throttle and hit hyperspeed. These cars are massively powerful, which could be scary in the rain, but the Quattro all-wheel drive system and clever software keep the power down and the cars pointing straight. The ride is comfortable as well, though Florida roads are very flat so it wasn’t much of a test. Autoweek also raved about the interiors, wondering “Why can’t all car companies do interiors like Audi?”.

Audi S8 Plus – Interior

But the biggest thing they learned while driving these two beasts in the pouring rain is just how good of cruisers they are. They’re confident, comfortable, extremely powerful, very fast and have gorgeously appointed interiors. Though, we could have already surmised that, it’s interesting to hear people rave about these two cars while driving them in the least ideal conditions. We can’t wait to get our hands on them.

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I’m pretty sure no one has ever driven an RS7 and though to themselves “Ya know what, this thing needs even more power.” The Audi RS7 is silly fast as it is, with 560 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds. So adding more power is genuinely unnecessary. However, these Russian tuners, called Total Race, felt that the Audi RS7 just didn’t pack quite enough of a punch.

To satisfy their need…for speed (shameless Top Gun plug), they replaced the 4.0 liter TFSI engine’s two turbochargers with massive external ones that stick out from the top of the engine. To fit these monster snails, they basically just removed the hood. It’s a bit odd. Actually, it’s freakishly strange, but one cannot deny that it’s immensely powerful, as this Frankenstein RS7 is said to make 1,100 hp. It needs all that power in case, you know, it needs to power the next space shuttle.

Stock Audi RS7

However, regardless of the immense silliness of this monster RS7, it certainly is fast. In the video, this beast takes off like a rocket. No drama, no wheel spin, just instant and violent thrust. So despite the ridiculousness, this RS7’s turbochargers make it very fast.

Would we ever build an Audi RS7 like this? No, because an RS7 is equally as luxurious and good looking as it is fast, so this completely butchers it. But if making cars absurdly fast for the sake of being fast and don’t care if it looks insane, then maybe the folks at Total Race are the right people to hire to turn your car.

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The standard Audi RS7 is a very fast car. Capable of 0-60 mph in around 3.7 seconds with its 580 hp 4.0 liter TFSI engine and Quattro all-wheel drive. Most journalists have actually gotten faster times out of it, as well. So it didn’t need to get any faster. However, have fun trying to tell that to the madman at Audi’s Quattro GmbH that came up with the Audi RS7 Performance.

The “Performance” variant of the RS7 uses the same 4.0 liter engine, but develops a whipping 605 hp and gets from 0-60 mph in an Audi-claimed 3.6 seconds. However, Hooniverse recently got their hands on one and was able to record a 0-60 mph time of just 3.3 seconds. That’s monstrous. But what’s even more impressive is just how fast the RS7 is in a straight line for the course of a 1/4 mile, where it can really use all of its 605 ponies.

If you’ve ever taken a car to a drag strip, or attended a drag race, you’d know that almost none of the cars will show up stock, if any at all. At drag races, trap speeds and 1/4 mile times are the only things that matter, so drag racers will always modify their engines to put out as much power as humanly possible, regardless of what it does to the handling, ride or durability. So when stock cars show up to drag races, they almost always lose. Not the case with the Audi RS7 Performance.

The crazy people (and I mean that in the best possible way) at Hooniverse decided it would be a good idea to take the stock RS7 Performance to the drag strip and see how it fared against some tuned competition. It went up against things like tuned Corvettes, Challengers, Porsches and Mustangs. It beat all of them by a long shot. The RS7 Performance’s insane low-down turbocharged torque and monster Quattro all-wheel drive traction allow it to fire off the lineas if it were fired from a slingshot. It’s just an instantaneous launch. The only cars that managed to beat the RS7 were similar minded cars, but highly tuned versions, like tuned Nissan GT-Rs and Porsche 911 Turbos. But you have to remember, the RS7 Performance is a bone-stock four-door luxury sedan with a practical hatchback trunk, not a two-door supercar. So a tuned RS7 Performance would eat everyone’s lunch without issue.

This just goes to show that it doesn’t matter how much power a car has, it’s how it uses and manages that power. that makes a difference. The Audi RS7 Performance is able to put almost all of its torque to the ground and use it at near idle and its Quattro all-wheel drive is the best setup in the business for finding a way to make all that power grip the road, making it an absolute rocket off the line. All of that power and performance in a car that can comfortably chauffeur four adults in supreme luxury. While the six-figure price tag might have some people wincing, just think, is there anything else at that price that can do all of those thing so well? I’m not so sure.

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If you’ve ever driven the Audi RS7, in either stock or Performance guise, you’d know that the one thing it absolutely does not need is more power. It’s an absolute monster on the road, with 560 hp (605 hp for the RS7 Performance) and can get from 0-60 mph in around about 3.5 seconds, depending on which model. So it’s a seriously fast car, especially so for one with four doors and a hatchback.

However, the wonderful lunatics over at TAG Motorsports in Nevada have decided to give it exactly what it didn’t need — more power.

So in this new video from The Smoking Tire, Matt Farah drives the brand new TAG Motorsports Audi RS7 that develops an monstrous 700 hp. A new tune, AWE carbon fiber air intake and an Akropovic exhaust are what give the RS7 its mighty power output. If the stock car gets to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, how fast does this one go?

Audi RS7

Unfortunately, Farah didn’t have the proper gear to accurately test such things, but he does say that it’s very fast. In fact, on an open straight he claims that he gets into “jail time” speeds really, really quickly. But it doesn’t seem scary or unruly. It seems easy to drive and drive really quickly. That’s likely because of Audi’s brilliant performance Quattro all-wheel drive system and eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox.

But Farah doesn’t really test straight line speed in this video, rather he puts it through its paces on some curvy roads. While twisty roads are something the RS7 is very capable of, it’s more of a highway bullet than a canyon carver. Nevertheless, Farah runs the TAG RS7 pretty hard through some very twisty roads and it handles it with poise and ease. This is definitely a car that can get you where you want to go very quickly. It simply fires out of corners and never gets sideways, thanks to all of that monstrous power and tenacious Quattro grip.

Audi RS7 Performance Interior

One thing we really like about this TAG RS7 is that it still looks like an RS7. It’s wearing a set of Vossen wheels and is on height adjustable suspension, so it’s a bit lowered, but it still looks pretty normal and like an RS7 should look. It doesn’t look crazy and they didn’t add anything just for aesthetic purposes. This is a legitimate high-performance RS7 that looks the part. It’s equally as brutal looking as it is classy.

More power is the last thing the Audi RS7 needed, as it’s simply a beast as it is, but we’re glad TAG Motorsports didn’t think so. The world needs hilariously fast cars like this that also look good and still look and feel like they’re meant to.

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The Audi RS7 is one of the best high-performance cars available on the market today. It’s able to haul a family of four and loads of cargo in the rear, while being able to give Ferraris a run for their money. The RS7 features a powerful 4.0 Liter V8 TFSI engine which delivers a whopping 560 horsepower and 516lb-ft of torque.

This kind of performance levels allows the Audi RS7 to sprint from 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in just just 3.7 seconds. When Audi tested the RS7 on the track, it managed to achieved a top speed of 174mph (280km/h). Not bad for a vehicle that can haul four people, loads of baggage and still look amazing.

Additionally this Audi RS7 features a gorgeous exterior finish. Something that’s becoming the norm for the vehicles of this price level, the owner of this vehicle opted in for a custom individual finish.

We’ve seen Nardo Gray appear on everything from BMW M4’s to Ferrari 458’s lately, but it suits an Audi perfectly. To further refine his vehicle, the owner of this Audi RS7 took it to get some aftermarket ADV.1 Wheels installed by TAG Motorsports, based out of California. The wheels are the ADV5 M.V2 CS wheels. They are sized 21×10.5 in the front and rear, respectively. Wheels feature a Brushed Gunmetal and Polished Smoke Windows as the finishing choice.

The setup clears the Carbon Ceramic Brake system with ease and provides a light, strong and welcome upgrade over the OEM setup from Audi. In addition to the aftermarket forged wheels, it also features a complete carbon fiber aerodynamics package installed, as well as a complete carbon fiber ABT aero kit. This consist of a front lip spoiler, a rear diffuser and a rear decklid spoiler – all are made out of high-quality hand laid carbon fiber composite material. A complete photoshoot of this Audi RS7 is available right below.

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One of the most viciously fast vehicles to ever be made is the Tesla Model S. Its all-electric torque going to two electric motors and four wheels allows it to simply fire off the line with incredible immediacy. When the Model S P90D first debuted, it was the fastest accelerating sedan on the planet, capable of 0-60 mph in just 2.8 seconds. To do so, a “Ludicrous Mode” must be engaged and, once engaged, it then becomes an absolute road-going missile. The P90D variant has since been topped by the brand’s own brand-new P100D variant, but that doesn’t undermine just how fast the former is. But it’s not as fast as this Audi RS7.

While the standard Audi RS7 is fast, it’s nowhere near Tesla Model S P90D fast. Its 570 hp and Quattro all-wheel drive allow it to get from 0-60 mph in about 3.5 seconds, but that’s still almost a full second slower than the Tesla. However, this particular RS7 is no ordinary one. In fact, in the quarter mile, it’s even faster than the monster Tesla.

The folks at PP-Performance were able to tune the 4.0 liter TFSI V8 in the RS7 up to 735 hp and 743 lb-ft of torque. We don’t know exactly how PP-Performance was able to get that sort of power out of the engine, but it’s likely just a tune and some minor upgrades. It did get an Akrapovic Evolution Exhaust system, new downpipes and a BMC Sports Air Filter. It sits on 21″ Schmidt Gambit wheels with a two-tone black and gold powder coated finish. It also wears a “Sparkling Berry” wrap from Cam Shaft that changes colors in a chameleon-like fashion. It’s a crazy looking car.

But its looks are only outdone by its monster performance. With all of that power and torque being sent to all four wheels, the PP-Performance Audi RS7 is capable of running the quarter mile in just 10.6 seconds. That’s blisteringly fast for a car with four doors, seating for four and a hatchback. To put that into perspective, that’s faster than the aforementioned Tesla, Audi R8 V10 Plus and Ferrari 488 GTB. That’s one fast RS7.

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Last night’s first 2016 Presidential Debate was certainly interesting. It might have been the only one in history that could have also doubled as comedy. But we won’t get political here, that’s not our job. Our job is to talk cars. However, Audi decided to send a message for the viewers of the debate.

During the debate, Audi aired a pretty entertaining commercial, one with a message that isn’t immediately clear. At first, we see two people, one man and one woman, dressed up and beating the hell out of each other, but in reverse. It’s showing the fight in reverse, watching them zip around, with punches rewinding and shattered glass reassembling. The fight was of epic proportions, judging by the destruction and broken surroundings.

But it seems as if they were fighting over some sort of ticket. It isn’t immediately clear what that ticket is. However, it must be important because these two are having a crazy, Mission Impossible-stlye fight chase over it. When the fight finally ends, or technically begins, we see they are valets and they were fighting over the valet ticket of an Audi RS7.

After that, the screen goes black with just text that reads “Beautiful things are worth fighting for”, followed with text that reads “Choose the next driver wisely”.

This is clearly a metaphor for the Presidential election, with the “Beautiful thing” being the country and the “next driver” being the next President of the United States. Now it makes sense that one valet was a man and one a woman, to represent the Presidential Candidates. It’s a good message and was delivered in a humorous and entertaining way. Touché, Audi.

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Happy Halloween, everybody. It’s officially October 31st and that means all the creepy monster are coming. Actually, it means many adults of various degrees of intoxication will be wearing silly costumes and making bad choices. But it’s fun to pretend the former is happening. Which is why Audi recently went to the spookiest place on Earth for Halloween — Transylvania.

But it wasn’t just a visit to Transylvania, the home of Dracula, as Audi actually went to Bran Castle, the very place Vlad Dracula lived. Actually, Bran Castle was only the home of Dracula in Bram Stoker’s Dracula and there’s no real evidence that Vlad the Impaler lived there, only rumors. In fact, Vlad Tepes (commonly known as Vlad Dracula) is said to have lived in an old stone house in Sighi?oara, Romania. Still, it’s spooky anyway and there’s rumor that Vlad’s spirit still haunts the castle and the town.

So what better place to take an Audi RS7, with its mighty twin-turbo V8, on Halloween? Exactly. The photos on Audi’s Instagram story are breathtaking and makes us want to drive the RS7 there ourselves. Check it out on the brand’s Instagram but we have a few snaps of the story here.

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Audi Canada recently got together with the performance skiers of Alpina Canada to surprise them with some of the high-performance models Audi has to offer. Audi Canada allowed the skiers to drive Audi R8s and RS7s around Toronto to show them just how capable Audi’s high-performance cars are in winter weather. Once that was finished, Audi Canada handed each athlete the keys to their very own brand-new Audi. They were able to get either an Audi Q7, Q5 or A4 Allroad to be theirs for a year. Not a bad surprise.

“When you look at ski racing, there’s a lot of similarities [to auto racing] when you think of how to take a turn. For us it’s important to get together with athletes and the brand and to get the athletes in front of their fans.” said Christian Schueller, Director of Marketing for Audi Canada. “The Quattro all-wheel drive system is the perfect match for the winter time, so for us it just makes perfect sense”.

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For awhile, the Audi A7 has been the best looking luxury four-door hatchback. While that is a small niche, with only the A7 and Porsche Panamera, the A7 was clearly the better looking car. The first-gen Panamera was downright ugly while the Audi A7 is a stunning thing. However, the Panamera always made a case for itself by being a great handling and great performing car. And now that the new second-generation Porsche Panamera has mostly fixed its looks, should its combination of looks and performance scare off the Audi A7?

Thanks to this new video from Carfection, we find out.

Its looks are much improved, although I still don’t love its profile. It looks like a longer 911 and it just doesn’t seem right. However, it’s far better looking than the first car and is a handsome overall luxury car. Its deployable rear wing is also one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen on a car, being outdone only by the aerodynamic flaps on the Pagani Huayra. The wing is completely flat, hidden in the rear of the car but lifts up and extends outward on either side and looks like something Iron Man would have on his suit. It’s flipping brilliant.

Inside, the Panamera continues its familial trend of looking good. The first-gen Panamera had a great cabin and this new car is even better looking on the inside. It looks sporty and elegant all at once with rich materials everywhere and beautiful looks touch buttons. However, it does have some flaws. All of those touch buttons seem to be maddening to use while driving and touchscreen infotainment systems are never fun to use while on the move, as you have to actually take your eyes off the road to look and touch the icons. Physical buttons can be found and memorized without taking your eyes off the road and is why most German brands (Audi, BMW and Mercedes) mostly stick with physical controls, such as buttons and rotary dials. Audi’s new MMI system seems far easier to use.

Audi RS7

One you set off, though, and you might forgive the big Porsche. It apparently handles and drives every bit as well as you’d expect a Porsche to. It also seems to move far quicker and seems far lighter on its feet than any car its size has the right to. It’s nimble, agile and genuinely fun to drive.

The specific car in this video is the Porsche Panamera Turbo, meaning it’s powered by a 4.0 liter twin-turbocharged V8 that makes 550 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque. That’s monstrous and stacks up well against the Audi RS7’s 560 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque (thought the RS7 Performance outdoes it with 605 hp). The Porsche is capable of getting from 0-60 mph in a claimed 3.6 seconds and has a top speed of 190 mph, though expect it to be faster than that in both regards. Those numbers are right there with those of the RS7. Oh, and that V8 sounds delicious.

We haven’t driven the new Porsche Panamera Turbo, so we can’t say for sure whether or not it will be better than the Audi RS7. However, its performance, style and dynamics seem to be capable of taking it head on.

The post VIDEO: Should the Audi RS7 be afraid of the new Porsche Panamera Turbo? appeared first on QuattroDaily.

When Porsche developed its new second-generation Panamera, we were excited. It lost a lot of its ungainly looks and became quite a bit prettier. It’s also built on a new platform and uses a new suite of engines, engines shared with Audi in fact. So it’s significantly better than its predecessor and a superb overall performance luxury sedan. So how does the new Porsche Panamera stack up against a considerably older car but one that’s been at the top of its segment for so long?

The Audi RS7 Performance has been one of the best luxury performance sedans in the world for many years. But it’s getting a bit long in the tooth so how does it against a much newer car.

Both cars are tremendously fast. The Audi RS7 packs a 605 hp twin-turbocharged 4.0 liter V8, which is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive. That means its capable of 0-60 mph in about 3.5 seconds, despite weighing many, many tons. It’s a leather-lined cruise missile that’s capable of embarrassing super cars. Although, it does have some faults. Its steering is a bit too numb and gluey, its handing isn’t as impressive as it could be and its ride is either too stiff or too soft.

The Porsche Panamera Turbo is, frankly, the better car. It’s more modern, sharper and more dynamic. While it’s a touch underpowered compared to the RS7, making 550 hp and 568 from its own 4.0 ltier twin-turbo V8, it’s actually faster in a straight line. In this video from Piston Heads, they take both cars to the drag strip and the Panamera beat the RS7’s best time by a few tenths, with both cars running under 11-seconds. But, according to Piston Heads, the Panamera just does everything a little bit sharper, a little bit better and with a little more excitement.

So overall, the Porsche Panamera is the winner of this comparison. While the RS7 is a great car and one that anyone would be happy to own everyday (and one that looks better than the Porsche), it’s just getting a bit too long in the tooth. The newer, more dynamic Porsche Panamera is the better car of the two.

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