With the reveal of Audi’s rakish A7 sports liftback in the summer of 2010, we knew it was only a matter of time before the Ingolstadt-based automaker enhanced the range with a top-spec model wearing the S badge and down the line, an even gutsier version with the firm’s famed RS moniker.
We’re still waiting for the RS7 but the development of the S7 appears to be reaching its final stages as you can see in these photos of a prototype spied in Europe. Being that unlike the flashy-looking RS range, all of Audi’s ‘S’ branded models are rather inconspicuous, it comes to no surprise that the only telling feature of the prototype model other than the S-Line aero package, which can be had on all A7s, are the four-exhaust pipes at the back.
The most interesting bit about the S7 is of course hidden under the hood. Initially, it was believed that the sporty liftback model would get either a modified version of Audi’s 3.0-liter TFSI supercharged V6 or the current 4.2-liter FSI V8 engine. But now we’re hearing that Ingolstadt’s engineers are working on the VW Group’s brand new 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 engine, that is also slated to power the recently facelifted Bentley Continental GT. In the S7, the force-fed V8 is believed to deliver somewhere around 400-horsepower. The same engine with a higher boost could also make its way in the RS7 if Audi decides to drop Lamborghini’s V10 unit.
Look for the new S7 making its world premiere at the upcoming 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
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