Armored cars come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but rarely do they come with a 202-mph top speed. This particular Audi RS7 is one such example, and it’s probably the coolest Audi you’ll ever see. Such platitudes come with a great deal of expectation, but you won’t have to worry about this particular RS7 meeting — and exceeding — those expectations. It’s called the AddArmor APR RS7, and it was built to withstand heavy artillery and embarrass any fool who thinks they can take this car on in a drag race.

The AddArmor APR RS7 is the brainchild of Wisconsin-based specialty car builder AddArmor. As the company's name so obviously implies, AddArmore specializes in comprehensive armor upgrades for vehicles. Every so often, though, the specialist goes the extra mile by enlisting the help of a performance tuner to truly spice up its creations. The result of this ambitious endeavor is the AddArmor APR RS7, one of the few cars in the world that can withstand a heavy artillery assault, look oh-so fine doing it, and blast off to 202 mph without breaking much of a sweat.

2019 Audi RS7 by AddArmor

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2019 Audi RS7 by AddArmor
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

The Audi RS7 by AddArmor is the Fastest Armored Car in the World!

It’s not often that you see a car as tricked out as this Audi RS7. I’m not talking about your typical aftermarket build with aerodynamic part and new engine components. I’m talking about a full-blown fortress on four wheels if that fortress can go a top speed of over 200 mph if it had to. This is the reality presented to us by AddArmor. The Wisconsin-based car specialty car builder took what is already a pretty slick Audi RS7 and turned it into a ride that would make Q himself green with envy. References to fictional characters aside, the AddArmor APR RS7 is as real as it gets. It’s a product of AddArmor’s desire to showcase how far technology has come in shaping a car with armor without having to add too much weight on it.

That’s pretty impressive, specifically on a car as big and long as the RS7. The minimal weight gain also benefits sports cars and even supercars since it doesn’t compromise their power and performance capabilities to the extent traditional — and heavy — armoring would.

So how does AddArmor do it? Apparently, the company has found a way to use polycarbonate composite instead of traditional steel plating. Not only is the polycarbonate composite lighter than steel, but it’s also 10 times stronger than ballistic steel. Talk about achieving more with less, right? With the right material identified, AddArmor infuses the RS7’2 body panels with the polycarbonate composite while also using mixing the good stuff with ballistic glass to fortify the performance sedan’s windows. The armoring product adheres to Euro-spec B4 armor protection, which basically means that it can withstand an assault of handguns, ranging from .38 special handguns and 9mm handguns to 44 Magnums, as well as 12 gauge shotguns. If you’re still don’t feel protected with that level of protection, AddArmor can go all-out and fortify your RS7 with B7-level protection that can protect you from armor-piercing rifles, sniper rifles, and maybe even Iron Man’s Photon Cannon.

Compare AddArmor’s product with other projects of similar ilk and you can see where the American firm has some advantages. Last year, an Aston Martin DB11 went up for sale on Jameslist with a peculiar feature you normally don’t see on Aston Martins. It was infused with its own armor uplift from German armoring specialist Trasco Bremen. Steel and composite armor were fitted into the doors while ballistics grade glass was installed on all the windows. The whole uplift added more than 300 pounds to the DB11, so it’s safe to say that even with the coupe’s 600-horsepower, 5.2-liter V-12 engine powering the DB11, performance compromises came at the cost of adding all that protection.

That’s not the case with the AddArmor APR RS7, though the reason for that isn’t particularly tied into AddArmor’s own product. Most of you have probably heard of APR. It’s an Alabama-based tuner that specializes in developing performance programs for Audi and Volkswagen models. Some of its past works include tuning programs for the Audi R8 V10, Volkswagen Golf GTI, and even the recently launched Volkswagen Atlas. At the 2018 SEMA Auto Show in Las Vegas, APR presented the mind-numbing, 536-horsepower Volkswagen Golf RLMS that was so fast it could snatch the Nissan GT-R’s lunch money and Godzilla wouldn’t be able to do anything to stop it. APR isn’t the type of tuner to mess around with its projects so when AddArmor brought it into the fold, the performance tuner was ready to bring its A-game.

Ok, so it’s unclear what kind of engine tuning APR did to the RS7’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine, but some form of advanced performance kits were definitely in play to raise the output coming out of the RS7’s twin-turbo V-8 to a whopping 760 horsepower. Torque numbers weren’t divulged, but considering that the Performance RS7’s V-8 engine produces 605 horsepower and 535 pound-feet of torque, it stands to reason that whatever APR did to increase the V-8 engine’s power figures up by 155 horsepower. That’s a significant bump, especially for a car that’s wearing around 200 pounds of armor. All things considered, the results are staggering. It’s not just that the Audi RS7 can hit a top speed of 202 mph, but it can also sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds. That’s faster than a standard RS7 by 0.4 seconds!

Audi RS7 - Performance vs AddAmor

Type

4.0 TFSI engine

4.0 TFSI engine

Output

605 HP @ 6,100 - 6,800 RPM

760 HP

Torque

516 LB-FT @ 1,750 - 6,000 RPM

TBA

0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph)

3.3 seconds

2.9 seconds

Top Speed

189.5 mph

202 mph


If all of this sounds a tad excessive, that’s because all of it is. While I do appreciate the idea of a high-powered, bullet-proof Audi RS7, I don’t expect the armor to be of much use if you’re just a regular man who goes about your business every day without ruffling any feathers. At one point are you going to need ballistic glass on your RS7? Maybe if you want to look cool, but in any other scenario, it’s the kind of excess most of us can probably live without.

Don’t get me wrong; the AddArmor APR RS7 is freaking fantastic, at least if you’re the type who needs a car like it. In the event that you do, you don’t even have to stop with just the armor and the engine upgrade. If you want to go on the offensive and turn your ride into its own weapon on wheels, you can ask AddArmor to throw in blinding lights, sonic cannons, tasers, a pepper spray dispenser, and even a front barrier that can let you blast through brick walls with the ease of a Sunday afternoon joyride.

As you might expect, all of this comes at a cost, and a pretty steep one if you want the full spec of upgrades. Safe to say, if you want the full AddArmor APR RS7 experience, you’re going to have to shell out somewhere in the vicinity of $220,000 to $240,000. It’s expensive, sure, but with what you’re getting, you can be sure that no one’s going to be messing around with your ride.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2016 Audi RS7 Sportback Performance.

Read our full review on the 2016 Audi RS7.