So, you’ve got some money. The sort of money that, at one point in time, may have parked a supercar in your garage. For starters, congratulations. But before you start hunting down pre-owned Ferraris or consider selling a vital organ to run in Lamborghini circles, there are a few things to keep in mind. For example, a supercar is wildly, almost hopelessly impractical. Oh, the compromises we make for speed, pantomime, and seductive styling.

In addition to the impracticality of a supercar, newer (or collectible) examples are expensive. Cripplingly expensive. And if you can live without the smartphone camera flash-inducing shock value of a supercar or hypercar, you have options. As it turns out, one German luxury car marque has a sports sedan capable of supercar thrust without the tight space or a price tag on par with median home values.

Who doesn’t want to go fast? Will Ferrell’s velocity-obsessed protagonist likely said it best in “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.” There are several ways to go fast, but none have quite the same panache as racking up the revs in a bona fide supercar or hypercar. That, of course, comes with compromise.

Take the attention magnet that is the 2026 McLaren 750S. On paper, the performance looks eye-watering: 2.3 seconds to 60 mph, a quarter mile in under 10 seconds, and 740 horsepower courtesy of a twin-turbocharged V8. What’s not to like? Let’s start with the price tag. $365,100 costs more than the average home price in Texas. Whew. Then you’ve got usability, or rather, lack thereof. Seats? Two. Cargo space? Yes. That is, if yes means two cubic feet. You read that right.

That’s where a luxury sports sedan comes in. Four doors, seating for up to five, and a properly usable trunk. And, depending on which one you pick, it can be ballistically, straight-up deceptively quick, and considerably cheaper than anything new bearing a McLaren, Koenigsegg, or Lamborghini badge. Bonus points if you can do it without giving up all the style you’d lose by looking outside the supercar and hypercar market. And Audi seems to think it has the boxes ticked with this outrageously quick hybrid sedan.

Good looks, a luxurious interior, a throaty V8, and a budget-friendly price tag.

Like other automakers, Audi organizes its cars using alphabetic code. If you see an “A” on the decklid, you’re looking at the German brand’s standard luxury offerings. Seeing an “S” ahead of a number? That means it’s a sport-focused version of an Audi staple, like the S3 or S5. Then there’s the RS models, and more specifically, the RS 7.

It’s the “RennSport,” or “racing sport” take on the now-discontinued A7 and S7 sedans. Now, the fact that the A7 and S7 have moved on to the great garage in the sky does likely mean the RS 7’s days are numbered. But, in the meantime, the snarling, RennSport version of the Audi sedan remains. And with a thunderous twin-turbocharged V8, standard AWD, and space for the whole family, the 2026 Audi RS 7 might just be one of the finest examples of a luxury sports sedan to fill a supercar-shaped hole in your heart.

Tracing the Audi RS 7’s lines back down its profile to its sloping rear section reveals more of a hatchback than a traditional sedan. Raise that hatch, and the rear cargo area provides around 25 cubic feet of space. It’s a segment-topper, too. You’ll find 17 cubic feet of space in the 2026 BMW M5’s trunk. One fewer should you go for the 2026 Mercedes-AMG GT sedan.

It’s practically cavernous compared to today’s supercar and hypercar offerings. Don’t believe it? Take a look at the 2026 Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo. For $168,495, you’ll have to make do with 11 cubic feet of cargo volume. If that wasn’t enough, the RS 7’s rear seats fold flat, opening things up with an additional 24 cubic feet of storage. That’s nearly 50 cubic feet in a blisteringly quick sports sedan.

Supercars and hypercars are expensive. Duh, right? But just how expensive? The 2026 McLaren Artura will demand a starting price of $260,400. A 2026 Lamborghini Revuelto will set you back $608,358. Oh, and a 2026 Ferrari F80? The legendary marque’s new golden boy has a sticker price of $3,735,000. That’s as spendy as an NFL champion Aaron Rodgers’ Hobart, Wisconsin, mansion. Whew. Prices like that make the 2026 Audi RS 7 look like a downright practical choice. For 2026, the RS 7 has an MSRP of $130,700 before options and fees.

While the Audi RS7 is an absolute beast, there are many sleeper cars on the market that will give the RS7 a total run for the money

Launch the 2026 Audi RS 7 just right, and the automaker says it will hit 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. However, in testing, 60 mph and 100 mph went by in just 2.9 and 6.9 seconds, respectively. The quarter mile is done in 11.1 seconds on its way to a manufacturer’s claimed top speed of 190 mph. That’s fast. Depending on your point of comparison, it’s supercar fast.

Take the as-if-sculpted-by-artisans Ferrari 458 Italia. That Italian stallion, despite weighing nearly 1,900 pounds less than the hulking Audi, required around 3.4 seconds to do the deed. And what’s the source of all that speed? It starts with a thumping great V8. In the case of Audi’s super sedan, it’s a turbocharged 4.0-liter mill paired with a 48-volt hybrid electric system. At 6,000 RPM, the RS 7’s V8 pumps out a combined 621 angry German horsepower. Torque figures are even higher, with 627 pound-feet of stump-pulling, Audi-launching torque coming on at 2,300 RPM.

The Audi RS 7 has just one drivetrain option: a Quattro all-wheel drive system. While many performance car enthusiasts prefer smoky burnouts and tail-happy shenanigans instigated by rear-wheel drive, the RS 7’s all-wheeled grip is as sure-footed in inclement weather as it is leaping off the line and bending through corners. It also helps the Audi sedan tame its rather hefty curb weight, tipping the scales at 4,916 pounds.​​​​​​​

Engine downsizing and electrification continue to take over, even on the performance side as the RS7 gains a PHEV setup and the RS6 goes all-electric.

The Audi RS 7 is quick enough to hang with supercars, yet usable enough to handle daily life better than many of its closest rivals. It’s something of a Swiss Army sedan. Now, a $130,700 MSRP isn’t exactly accessible for everyone. Well, for the staggering majority of car buyers, really. Of course, there are alternatives. A BMW M3 Competition xDrive, for instance, starts at $89,950 and delivers a similar, sub-three-second sprint to 60 mph. That said, the M3 doesn’t offer the same family car usability as the RS 7.

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Source: https://www.topspeed.com/performance-machine-supercar-speed-without-downsides/