2023 Audi RS6 and RS7 Performance Get 621 HP, New Differential

The Audi RS6 Avant and RS7 Sportback are getting a new "Performance" trims, bringing a hefty dose of extra power and some driving tweaks to the V-8 wagon and liftback. With a 30-hp boost over the standard models, the RS6 and RS7 Performance will each make 621 hp, the company announced Monday.

Torque also improves, from 590 lb-ft to 627 lb-ft, though it's hard to argue that either car needed more. The Audis are already blindingly quick, but bragging rights must be maintained. So while Audi claimed a (conservative) 3.6-second 0-62 sprint for both cars before, the performance models get the job done in 3.4 seconds. We expect both will be quicker than their claimed figures.

The changes aren't all about straight-line speed. There's less sound deadening, contributing to a louder in-cabin exhaust note and a 17-pound lighter curb weight. Performance models also get a new version of its "self-locking" center differential, which Audi says is lighter, more compact, and provides "noticeably more precise cornering." We'll have to test that out for ourselves. Torque split is still 40:60 front:rear in normal driving, but up to 85 percent of the car's power can go to the rear wheels if slip is detected.