- The Audi RS6 Avant and RS7 gain a new Performance trim with extra power and other tweaks.
- The twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 engine produces 621 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, an increase over the previous model's 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet.
- Audi says these models will arrive in the U.S. for the 2024 model year.
Audi is rolling out a new Performance version of the RS6 Avant and RS7 models that gets a big boost in power and torque, along with some chassis upgrades and visual tweaks. The twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine now makes 621 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, increases of 30 horsepower and 37 pound-feet compared with the outgoing versions.
The extra grunt comes from larger turbochargers that make more boost. Audi claims this will make the cars 0.2 second quicker in the sprint to 62 mph; in our testing, the RS6 got to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and the RS7 did it in 3.0 seconds, so we can expect some improvement on these numbers once we strap our test equipment to the upgraded models. The Performance models are also 18 pounds lighter thanks to Audi's deletion of some of the sound deadening, which is also meant to allow more engine sound to enter the cabin.
Newly available 22-inch wheels are wrapped in 285-width Continental Sport Contact 7 tires. Audi says these tires provide more grip and that the new wheels reduce unsprung weight by 44 pounds overall. There are also revisions to the center differential, and tweaked programming for the drive modes that include Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, and customizable RS1 and RS2 modes.
A few new matte colors join the palette, including Ascari Blue and Dew Silver, and certain exterior trim pieces are also finished in matte. Inside, the Performance models gain blue contrasting stitching, blue seatbelts, and other blue accents.
Audi has yet to release pricing for the 2024 RS6 Avant Performance and RS7 Performance, but we can expect them to carry a price premium over the current starting prices of $119,995 for the RS6 and $122,995 for the RS7.
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.
