As a luxury manufacturer, having an exclusive personalization program is mandatory these days. BMW->ke178 has the Individual program, Porsche->ke1 offers new, bold designs via Porsche Exclusive, while Mercedes-Benz->ke187 will be happy to take your hard-earned to offer you some of its Designo exterior paints and interior leather and trims.

As expected, Audi->ke14 doesn't want to fall behind on this front so it stormed the New York Auto Show->ke226 with a more exclusive take on the 2014 RS7 four-door coupe. Already an aggressive-looking and luxurious vehicle, the said model got a few bells and whistles inside and out and a new name.

Dubbed Dynamic Edition, the fanciest member of the RS7 lineup isn't just a unique showroom model built to exemplify "some of the personalization options that are possible through Audi's exclusive program." It will go into production and will hit dealerships this summer, but its price tag might be a turn off for U.S. customers.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 Audi Exclusive RS7 Dynamic Edition.

2015 Audi Exclusive RS7 Dynamic Edition

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 Audi Exclusive RS7 Dynamic Edition
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 560 @ 5700
  • Torque: 516 @ 1750
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

This Exclusive RS7 comes with more than just the usual RS design elements seen on the regular 2014 model, with a carbon-fiber front splitter and a rear diffuser adding a touch of exclusivity to the already sleek four-door coupe->ke141.

The exterior is rounded off by a set of 21-inch wheels with Gloss Black accents and Toronado Red calipers with RS7 logos. The Dynamic Edition will be offered in four colors, but customers will only be able to choose between white, black and either metallic or pearl gray.

Exterior Color Options }}

2015 Audi Exclusive RS7 Dynamic Edition - Exterior Dimensions

Drag coefficient Cd

0.30

Length

114.8 inches

Width w/ mirrors

84.2 inches

Height

55.8 inches

Wheelbase

114.8 inches

Ground Clearance

7.87 inches


Interior

Things are more spectacular in the cabin, where the Black Valcona leather-wrapped seats feature honeycomb, contrast stitching in Crimson Red and matching safety belts. The same red stitching can be found on the dashboard, center console and door armrests, while the the shifter area is surrounded by a carbon fiber frame.

However, this special edition RS7 would've been much more attractive with a lighter interior scheme. The red stitching is way too subtle and the carbon fiber inlays have little impact on the overall picture. Black interiors are rather boring than exclusive, and even the folks over at Rolls-Royce->ke74 know it.

Shifter Carbon Frame }}

The black interior could use more brightness }}

2015 Audi Exclusive RS7 Dynamic Edition - Interior Dimensions

Headroom (Front/Rear)

36.9 inches / 36.6 inches

Legroom (Front/Rear)

41.3 inches / 37 inches

Shoulder Room (Front/Rear)

57.2 inches / 55.9 inches

Luggage Capacity

24.5 Cubic-Feet


Drivetrain

Save for a carbon fiber engine cover, there's nothing new under the hood. We're not complaining though, as the familiar twin-turbo 4.0-liter, V-8 unit pumps out 560 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. That's more than enough to push the RS7 from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and up to a top speed of 189 miles per hour.

The RS7 Dynamic Edition rides on a sporty RS suspension with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) and utilizes a sport exhaust that delivers a meaner note compared to the standard model. Audi claims EPA estimates remain unchanged on the Dynamic Edition at 16 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 19 mph combined.

Displacement

4.0L V-8 TSFI

Max. power output in hp at rpm

560 at 5700 - 6600

Max. torque in lb-ft at rpm

516 at 1750 - 5500

Top speed in mph

174

Acceleration, 0-60 mph) in sec

3.7


Prices

The Audi RS7 Dynamic Edition is scheduled to arrive in dealerships this summer starting from $146,045. Yes, that's no typo, this exclusive model fetches an extra $40,000 when compared to the standard RS7. In fact, we did a quick check only to find out that an RS7 equipped with all available options and packages is still $10,000 cheaper than the Dynamic Edition. Yeah, we know the latter is about exclusivity, but this is ridiculous.

Competition

Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG S-Model

The Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG is the exact reason the RS7 was developed in the first place. The range-topping S-Model carries a biturbo, 5.5-liter V-8 under the hood that enables the driver to command 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. The three-pointed star coupe needs just 3.6 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph, while its top speed is rated at 186 miles per hour.

The $107,425 starting price makes the CLS63 AMG S-Model a much more attractive alternative to the RS7 Dynamic Edition, allowing for a number of expensive options, such as the Premium package, the AMG carbon-ceramic braking system or the Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system, to be selected. Heck, you might as well go for some of those exclusive Designo exterior paint, leather and trim options for some additional chutzpah.

BMW M6 Gran Coupe

Audi RS7's second competitor is also a German-built machine. This time, we have leave Stuttgart and head over to Munich, because we're talking about the BMW M6 Gran Coupe. The longer, four-door version of the M6 coupe has 560 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque on tap, coming from a twin-turbo, 4.4-liter V-8 engine.

These numbers are available when the vehicle is acquired with the standard output. Once the Performance Package is added, an additional 15 horses are squeezed under the hood for a grand total of 575 horsepower. The M6 Gran Coupe sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds when fitted with a six-speed manual transmission and in 4.1 seconds when equipped with the seven-speed automated manual gearbox.

As for pricing, the M6 Gran Coupe starts from $117,225 (including the gas guzzler tax), which makes it more expensive than both the Audi RS7 and the Mercedes CLS63 AMG. However, it will still take more than $20,000 in options to get it past the RS7 Dynamic Edition's hefty sticker.

Conclusion

Don't get us wrong, we love exclusive and limited edition models, but this is too much. At least when it carries such a price tag. There are so many $140,000 options out there, including some Aston Martins->ke13, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or even the BMW Alpina B7, that the RS7 Dynamic Edition simply sunk to the bottom of our list quicker than a Camaro ZL1 in a community pool.