It’s physically impossible to walk by either of these cars and not take a second glance. And when both are sitting next to each other in the same Estoril Blue Crystal paint, it’s as if a magnet in the floor activates and stops you in your tracks. There is no doubt that these are the two most impressive cars in the Audi lineup, but which one is the best?
I know the argument could ensue for decades so I’m just going to come out and say it; the RS7 is the best looking Audi on the road, hands down. Sure, the R8 is impressive and has that cool carbon fiber panel behind the door, but something about it seems off to me. Maybe it’s because it has the same size nose as a Golf or maybe it’s because, from the side, the middle bit looks like a bubble. I’m not sure. All I know is that the RS7 looks absolutely fantastic from every angle so it’s already ahead in my book.
Now if you like the way both look, how do you decide which to get? Well they both start at over $100,000, both go from 0-60 in 3.7 seconds, both have Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive, and both even have the same 4 year/50,000 mile warranty. So what gives? Why would Audi build two of the same car? Well they didn’t because there is one very big difference; the engines.
The RS7 has a 4.0 liter twin turbocharged V8 that’s good for 560 hp and a road-cracking 516 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough power to push this two-ton monster up to 174 mph. To make sure you can achieve these speeds, Audi has kindly put in an 8-speed Tiptronic transmission with a sporty differential. Add that to the giant tires and brakes and you have a car that can unquestionably scare your friends.
Yeah that’s all good and fine, but what about the R8? Well the R8 comes with two engine options but let’s face it, you want the V10. Not only is it 5.0 liters, it revs up to 8000 rpms so you get an insane Formula 1ish sound. And although it only makes a measly 550 hp and 400 torques, it is about 500 lbs lighter and more aerodynamic. With the 6-speed manual transmission you’ll be in control all the way up to 200 mph.
So which one do you get? If you’re already in the market for one of these two, price probably doesn’t matter. Both also have similar performance. You could argue that one has 2 doors and one has 4 but let’s be honest here, there’s really only one reason why you would get one or the other. It comes down to do you want a big, throaty snarl of the RS7’s V8 or the ear shattering blast of the R8’s V10? Whichever one you decide on, you made the right choice.
