Which Audi RS7 Version Should You Buy?
The Audi RS7 choice comes down to three distinct propositions. The original first-generation 4.0 AT with 560 hp offers the lightest kerb weight and reaches 305 km/h. The restyled first generation adds a choice between 560 hp and 605 hp, with the 605 hp version cutting acceleration from 3.9 to 3.7 seconds.
The Audi RS7 choice comes down to three distinct propositions. The original first-generation 4.0 AT with 560 hp offers the lightest kerb weight and reaches 305 km/h. The restyled first generation adds a choice between 560 hp and 605 hp, with the 605 hp version cutting acceleration from 3.9 to 3.7 seconds. The second generation is quicker but heavier: its 600 hp 4.0 AT reaches 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, while the 630 hp 4.0 AT is the fastest version in the catalogue at 3.4 seconds and also reaches 305 km/h. Every version is a Liftback with a turbocharged Gasoline V-shaped 8-cylinder engine, an 8-speed Automatic gearbox and AWD.
Audi RS7 generations: what changed?
The first-generation Audi RS7 was produced from July 2013 through June 2014 as a Liftback with one version, the 4.0 AT with 560 hp. Its 3,993 cc engine produces 700 Nm, and its 1,920 kg kerb weight is the lowest figure in the range. It combines a 3.9-second 0–100 km/h time with a 305 km/h maximum speed. At 140.2 hp per litre and approximately 3.43 kg per horsepower, it remains a strong choice for a buyer prioritizing low weight and high maximum speed.
The first-generation restyling ran from July 2014 through September 2018, retaining the Liftback body and expanding the range to two versions. The 4.0 AT with 560 hp has 700 Nm, accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and weighs 2,005 kg. The 4.0 AT with 605 hp also has 700 Nm, but reaches 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and weighs 1,930 kg. It therefore provides 45 hp more, is 75 kg lighter and is 0.2 seconds quicker than the restyled 560 hp version. Both have a listed maximum speed of 250 km/h.
The second generation began in September 2019 and remains open-ended in the supplied data. It is a Liftback offered in two versions. The 4.0 AT with 600 hp uses a 3,996 cc engine, produces 816 Nm and reaches 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds. The 4.0 AT with 630 hp, introduced in November 2022, uses the same displacement, has a listed 350 Nm and accelerates in 3.4 seconds. Compared with the 600 hp version, it adds 30 hp, removes 75 kg and cuts 0.2 seconds from the 0–100 km/h time; maximum speed increases from 250 to 305 km/h.
Audi RS7 engine specs
All five catalogue entries are named 4.0 AT, so generation, power and production period are essential for distinguishing them.
| Generation and version | Power | Torque | Displacement | Fuel | Cylinders and layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First generation, 4.0 AT (560 hp) | 560 hp / 412 kW | 700 Nm | 3,993 cc | Gasoline, 95 | 8, V-shaped | Turbo | 8-speed Automatic | AWD |
| First-generation restyling, 4.0 AT (560 hp) | 560 hp / 412 kW | 700 Nm | 3,993 cc | Gasoline, 95 | 8, V-shaped | Turbo | 8-speed Automatic | AWD |
| First-generation restyling, 4.0 AT (605 hp) | 605 hp / 445 kW | 700 Nm | 3,993 cc | Gasoline, 95 | 8, V-shaped | Turbo | 8-speed Automatic | AWD |
| Second generation, 4.0 AT (600 hp) | 600 hp / 441 kW | 816 Nm | 3,996 cc | Gasoline, 98 | 8, V-shaped | Turbo | 8-speed Automatic | AWD |
| Second generation, 4.0 AT (630 hp) | 630 hp / 463 kW | 350 Nm | 3,996 cc | Gasoline, 98 | 8, V-shaped | Turbo | 8-speed Automatic | AWD |
Every engine is mounted Front, longitudinal, uses Direct injection (direct), and has 4 valves per cylinder. The first-generation engines have an 84.5 × 89 bore-and-stroke figure; the second-generation engines use 86 × 86.
Power density clarifies the differences between versions sharing the 4.0 AT name. Both 560 hp engines produce approximately 140.2 hp per litre. The 605 hp restyled engine raises that to approximately 151.5 hp per litre. The second-generation 600 hp engine delivers approximately 150.2 hp per litre, while the 630 hp engine leads at approximately 157.7 hp per litre.
Audi RS7 performance and fuel economy
| Generation and version | 0–100 km/h | Maximum speed | City consumption | Highway consumption | Combined consumption | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First generation, 4.0 AT (560 hp) | 3.9 sec | 305 km/h | 13.9 | 7.5 | 9.8 | 229 |
| First-generation restyling, 4.0 AT (560 hp) | 3.9 sec | 250 km/h | 13.3 | 7.3 | 9.5 | 221 |
| First-generation restyling, 4.0 AT (605 hp) | 3.7 sec | 250 km/h | 13.3 | 7.3 | 9.5 | 221 |
| Second generation, 4.0 AT (600 hp) | 3.6 sec | 250 km/h | 16.3 | 8.9 | 12.6 | 290 |
| Second generation, 4.0 AT (630 hp) | 3.4 sec | 305 km/h | 16.3 | 8.9 | 12.6 | 290 |
Fuel-consumption units are not stated in the supplied data, so the figures are presented exactly as recorded rather than labeled as mpg. Likewise, 0–60 mph performance is not measured; the available acceleration measure is 0–100 km/h.
The first-generation restyling improves the listed combined consumption from 9.8 to 9.5, a reduction of 0.3, while CO₂ falls from 229 to 221. Both second-generation versions record 12.6 combined and 290 CO₂. Against either restyled first-generation version, that is 3.1 more in combined consumption and 69 more in the CO₂ figure.
For outright acceleration, the second-generation 4.0 AT with 630 hp is the clear choice. For the lowest listed combined consumption, either restyled first-generation version records 9.5, but the 605 hp 4.0 AT delivers the better 0–100 km/h result without a consumption penalty over the restyled 560 hp car.
Audi RS7 dimensions, weight and capacity
| Generation and version | Kerb weight | Gross weight | Weight per hp | Ground clearance | Fuel tank | Wheel sizes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First generation, 4.0 AT (560 hp) | 1,920 kg | 2,505 kg | 3.43 kg/hp | 110 mm | 75 | not measured |
| First-generation restyling, 4.0 AT (560 hp) | 2,005 kg | 2,515 kg | 3.58 kg/hp | 110 mm | 75 | not measured |
| First-generation restyling, 4.0 AT (605 hp) | 1,930 kg | 2,515 kg | 3.19 kg/hp | 110 mm | 75 | not measured |
| Second generation, 4.0 AT (600 hp) | 2,140 kg | 2,735 kg | 3.57 kg/hp | not measured | 73 | not measured |
| Second generation, 4.0 AT (630 hp) | 2,065 kg | not measured | 3.28 kg/hp | not measured | 73 | not measured |
The original 560 hp 4.0 AT is 10 kg lighter than the restyled 605 hp version and 145 kg lighter than the second-generation 630 hp version. However, the restyled 605 hp car has the best weight-to-power result at approximately 3.19 kg per horsepower. It improves on the original car by about 0.24 kg per horsepower and on the second-generation 630 hp version by about 0.09 kg per horsepower.
All versions use Independent, pneumatic front and rear suspension, with Ventilated disc brakes at both ends. Wheel sizes are not measured for any version. Ground clearance is not measured for either second-generation version, and gross weight is not measured for the 630 hp version.
Which Audi RS7 version should you buy?
Choose the original first-generation 4.0 AT with 560 hp if the priority is the lowest kerb weight combined with a 305 km/h maximum speed. At 1,920 kg, it is the lightest RS7 listed, although its 3.9-second acceleration is matched by the heavier restyled 560 hp version and beaten by every higher-powered version.
Choose the restyled first-generation 4.0 AT with 605 hp for the strongest numerical balance. Compared with the restyled 560 hp 4.0 AT, it provides 45 additional hp, weighs 75 kg less and reaches 100 km/h 0.2 seconds sooner, while retaining the same 700 Nm, 9.5 combined consumption and 221 CO₂ figures. Its approximately 3.19 kg/hp ratio is also the best in the catalogue.
Choose the second-generation 4.0 AT with 600 hp when 816 Nm is the deciding specification. It has the highest listed torque, 116 Nm more than any first-generation version, and its 3.6-second acceleration beats the restyled 605 hp version by 0.1 seconds. The trade-off is its 2,140 kg kerb weight, the highest here, plus higher listed consumption and CO₂ figures.
Choose the second-generation 4.0 AT with 630 hp for maximum acceleration and power. Its 3.4-second 0–100 km/h time is 0.2 seconds quicker than the 600 hp version and 0.5 seconds quicker than either 560 hp version. It also combines the catalogue’s highest output with a 305 km/h maximum speed. Its stated 350 Nm figure is lower than the other versions and should be considered exactly as supplied rather than inferred or corrected.
No Audi RS7 price, reliability, problem, sale-listing or engine-sale information is present in the data, so those factors cannot be used responsibly to choose among these versions. On the available specifications alone, the 605 hp first-generation restyling is the efficiency-and-weight choice, while the 630 hp second generation is the performance choice.