These are the latest spy pictures of the first ‘hot’ variant of the new Audi A7, the S7.

Spied in testing at the Nurburgring for the second in a week, this heavily disguised prototype hints at the S7’s potential performance, with quad exhausts, a more aggressive front bumper, bigger air intakes and larger wheels.

See the new Audi S7 spy pics

It’s also clear from this car that the production A7 will stick closely to the look of the Sportback concept when it goes on sale in the UK next year. It has what Audi calls “a less formal look than that of the A8”, with some styling cues from Audi’s 100 S coupé from the 1970s.

The S7 is likely to have about 500bhp on tap; US market demands are likely to mean that the power comes from a V8 motor instead of a supercharged V6.

This model is intended as a rival to Mercedes’ top-end CLS models, although it won’t have to take on the full-house AMG variant. That role will be taken by an RS7, equipped with a dual-clutch transmission and a 580bhp V10.

The Audi A7 will be revealed at the Moscow motor show on 26 August.

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