ANYONE of a slightly nervous disposition should definitely steer well clear of the thunderously powerful and lightening quick Audi RS 7 Sportback.

In fact, they should probably go inside, lock their doors and close the blinds.

For this Audi is a little bit special and the 0-62mph sprint time of 3.9 seconds is just a hint of what's to come when you buckle into this awesome fire cracker of a car.

The RS 7 is the seventh Audi in the current line up to wear the RS badge and it's also the 60th model the German car maker has produced.

Audi has combined the awesome performance and power of the 560ps RS 6 Avant with the sleek, elegant coupe-like styling of the A7 Sportback and the end result is a car that oozes sophisticated design features and takes off like a rocket.

Add in an option pack and the RS 7 Sportback can achieve a staggering 189mph, which immediately conjured up images of the German autobahns with their wonderful unrestricted speed limits.

Audi has utilised its latest lightweight construction technology with aluminium accounting for 20% of the car's surface area. This means the car is faster, more agile and even more economical to run with official figures claiming combined fuel efficiency of 28.8mpg and emissions of 229g/km.

But the RS 7 Sportback is so much more than a muscle car with blistering pace and incredible handling potential. It's actually very practical. It looks like a normal car - albeit a very expensive one - and has room for back seat passengers along with generous storage capabilities.

It has beautiful coupe streamlining with flowing lines, sweeping all-LED headlights, a spoiler that automatically deploys at 81mph and retracts again at 50mph, darkened rear LED lights, 21-inch 5-spoke blade alloys, a slide and tilt glazed sunroof and a list that just goes on and on.

The interior is pure quality with only the very finest leathers and materials utilised to create a distinctive and very refined cabin environment.

The seats are Black Valcon Honeycomb quilted leather with rock grey stitching. They offer amazing support combined with the comfort usually associated with a favourite armchair.

There is a soft-touch dashboard and flashes of aluminium race inlays scattered around.

The flat-bottomed racing-style steering wheel has a multitude of buttons to help control the car's multi-media systems and driving modes without taking your hands off the wheel. And the head-up display offers a constant reminder of your speed, which is vital in this car as the acceleration is so fast and deceptively smooth.

The car we tried had a whole host of optional extras which bumped up the asking price from £82,000 to £111,255 and these included the likes of heat/sound insulating glass, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, power door closing and a Dynamic Package which adds a top speed increase to 189mph, ceramic brakes, RS sports suspension with Dynamic Ride Control and Dynamic Steering.

It seems Audi like the use of the word dynamic, and in fairness, they have every right to because it perfectly sums up the RS 7 Sportback.

The handling of this 4.0-litre V8 powered car is incredible and any bend or corner can be attacked with complete confidence and there is the added assurance of the car's quattro four-wheel-drive system.

It is beautifully smooth through its eight-speed automatic gearbox and with the exhaust flap control, the car literally crackles and pops as it accelerates and brakes drawing attention with every note.

There are different driving modes which alter the car's performance and driving dynamics and the seemingly endless range of techno treats means you can utilise all your multi-media devices on the go too.

Road-holding, comfort levels and performance are breath-taking and certainly not for the weak-hearted and the all-round package is a perfect combination of grunt and grace.

It is refined without being garish, frighteningly fast without losing control or traction and comfortable but not in a pipe and slippers way.

The RS 7 Sportback is definitely the flagship of the Audi A7 Sportback range and this is truly a car that could strut its stuff in any of the fashion-led destinations around the world. From Milan to Monaco and Paris to Copacabana Beach, it would fit in perfectly.