RS7 Performance

Some cars are chosen for the way they fill a scene. When the RS7 Performance descends towards the old harbour of Porto Cervo at sunset, its fastback roofline gathering the last of the light and its flared arches throwing long shadows, nothing more is required: this is a presence that never needs to raise its voice. For evenings between the Piazzetta and Porto Rotondo, villa arrivals and dinners at Cala di Volpe, it is the right attire. How to move around here in a car of this calibre is covered in our guide to supercar rental on the Costa Smeralda.

To reduce it to a Piazzetta car, though, would be a mistake: the RS7 was born for the great crossings, and Sardinia offers some unforgettable ones. The run from Olbia to Cagliari through the interior, the descent along the east coast, the return via Oristano and Bosa: with four proper seats and a tailgate that swallows a long weekend's luggage, this is the car for those who want to cross the island, not merely look at it.

Through the harbour streets the 4.0 twin-turbo mild-hybrid V8 mutters under its breath, almost absent-mindedly; when the asphalt opens up it becomes a deep, compact wall of sound that builds without ever turning coarse. The numbers are supercar-grade — 630 hp, 0–100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, a 280 km/h maximum — yet the dominant sensation is control: the thrust presses you into the seat while the car holds its line, immovable.

The secret lies in the all-wheel steering: beneath the arcades and in the car parks the rear wheels turn against the fronts and the RS7 moves like a car half a metre shorter; through fast sweepers they steer in phase and stability becomes granite-solid. The eight-speed tiptronic punches through its shifts with full, rounded strokes, and the brakes have a stamina the descents to the sea cannot dent.

The RS7 is the Audi Sport manifesto: frameless windows, sculpted flanks that swell over the wheels, a fastback tail from which the spoiler deploys as speed rises. Inside are four individual seats and a nocturnal environment of ambient lighting and dark materials — more lounge than cabin. It is the car that photographs itself outside the villa gates of Pantogia.

Within the fleet it occupies a precise position: those after the family estate look to the RS6; those who want the aesthetic statement choose this. To weigh it against the other grand tourers available in Sardinia, or to arrange delivery directly to your villa, the reference point is our Audi rental in Porto Cervo page.