Despite wearing a 55 TFSI badge in passing off as a standard A7 Sportback, the RS7 betrays its go-faster persona by virtue of the lowered overall stance, flared wheel arches hiding under a layer of black cladding, a RS specific front bumper hidden under black-and-white masking and oval tipped exhausts.

While the prototype spotted by motor1.com sported a roll cage in place of the rear seats, the production RS7 is highly unlikely to come without this addition, instead featuring a RS tweaked version of the standard A7’s interior in the form of sportier seats, different materials and a bespoke Virtual Cockpit Display.

Expect the RS7 to also be significantly reworked underneath its skin, with motivation likely to come from the Porsche Panamera Turbo’s 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 that produces 404kW/770Nm.

A persisting rumour though is that Audi will also offer a hybrid model that packs the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid’s 4.0-litre petrol / electric drivetrain, but with upgrades to lift power from 500kW to a monstrous 515kW. If given the approval, this model will carry the RS7 Performance moniker and likely dispatch the 0-100km/h sprint faster than the Panamera’s 3.4 seconds.