2013 Audi S7

Audi’s next logical step after the A7 luxury sedan is to bring out its S7 version. The S7 has already been caught testing, and judging by the fact there is no camouflage on it, we should expect to see a production version in the next few weeks. Now lets see what inside of this car. The model will get sports suspension. To be sure, we like the A7’s responsive and gutsy, 300-hp supercharged V-6, but its muted snarl just can’t deliver the aural satisfaction and hearty growl of a V-8. In addition, the 333 hp the engine produces in the S4 is likely near its maximum output. So we’re not entirely surprised that Audi has chosen to add an entirely new engine to its arsenal for the S7 (as well as the next S8): a turbocharged and direct-injected 4.0-liter V-8 good for at least 400 hp. Loosely based on the old naturally aspirated 4.2-liter V-8, the 4.0 will launch in the S7 next year, and will also serve as the base engine for the redesigned 2011 Bentley Continental GT. The fact that the power addicts at Bentley deem this power plant fit to move their portly luxo-cruiser with sufficient authority can be taken as a strong indicator of its capabilities. We expect it to be equipped with a single turbocharger in the S7 and with twin turbos in the S8, where it could make around 450 hp. We hear rumblings that the S7 will scoot to 60 mph in fewer than five seconds; top speed will be a governed 155 mph. Power will be channeled to a rear-biased Quattro all-wheel-drive system through Audi’s seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual, which will surely be programmed to deliver all sorts of sweet-sounding, rev-matched downshifts