2013 Audi S7

More powerful answer to your five-door prayer

Looking at the Audi S7, we find it hard to believe hatchbacks ever went out of fashion. Few cars on the market have the presence of the A7 and its new high-performance derivative. While other manufacturers were busy building market-research-driven hatchbacks—vehicles like the BMW 5-series GT and Mercedes-Benz R-class—Audi simply tasked its designers with creating a beautiful five-door. The A7 doesn’t want for much, except perhaps more muscle than the 310 hp provided by its supercharged V-6.

Power to the Five-Door People

The S7 is powered by a 420-hp variation of the brand’s new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8. This engine, at the same output level, also motivates the new S6; it makes more power in the S8 and base Bentley Continental GT. There’s considerable commonality with the naturally aspirated 4.2-liter FSI V-8 still offered in other models, but the new engine features a number of enhancements, chief among them a pair of twin-scroll turbochargers and an indirect intercooler, all placed in the vee between the cylinder heads. The crankshaft design carries over from the 4.2 FSI, with reduced stroke; friction losses are significantly reduced. A cylinder-deactivation system—it closes the valves of cylinders 2, 3, 5, and 8 under light loads—helps fuel economy noticeably, especially when cruising in higher gears at constant speed. An engine stop-start system is standard.