Audi’s ultra-performance RS7 is a 560hp beast in practical and sporty five-door Sportback form. At over £80,000 it is more of a brand-builder than a volume model for the premium German marque, but it still offers a combination of performance and practicality that’s basically unmatched, as well as the kind of exhaust note that makes onlookers pause as you pass.
And compared with rival high-performance coupe saloons the Mercedes CLS63 AMG and BMW M6 Gran Coupe, it’s the most sensible. The residual value of 34.6% is very good at this level of car, and beats the Merc by 6.1 percentage points, while the much more expensive BMW is another two points further back.
It is ridiculously expensive to buy and run – although 28.8mpg is not horrendous given that the car’s performance is so extreme it can’t be fully exploited safely on public roads – but the RS7 is a car worthy of brand building, and combines practicality and pace perfectly.
