A SUPERCAR on test in the depths of a British winter? Fat chance.

But the weather gods were kind and the awesome Audi RS7 Sportback arrived bathed in wintry sunshine - tepid - but sunshine nevertheless.

The Audi's stunning profile was enough to zap any winter blues and its mighty, muscular power-stream was enough to blast away any snow or ice in its all-wheel drive trajectory. We are talking about a powerful performance car, with tremendous four-corner grip, which really does snatch your breath away.  With a 0-62mph a done deal in 3.9 seconds, you can only imagine the thrill and exhilaration. The blistering pace of the 4.0-litre, V8 engine knows no bounds  - well it does, actually, with it normally limited to 155mph. However, if you pay extra you can inch up to 174mph top speed - or blast up to a whisker under 190mph - as in the test car. That's mind-numbing. There were a few opportunities too, on convenient out-of-use airstrips on which to unleash the top-end performance, but ultimate speed isn't what the RS7 is really about. The overtures from the tailpipes were an intoxicating mix of screaming roar and roaring thunder, an automotive orchestral achievement worthy of a sprint down the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans. Download that soundtrack onto a CD - anything - and it would make the perfect lullaby for the performance junkie. Play it through the car's Bang Olufsen Advanced Sound System provided here (a cool £6,300 option) and you could transport the afficianados to seventh heaven. The throbbing heart of the coupe punches out an awesome 552bhp and delivers a stonking 516lb/ft of torque, so this isn't for the faint-hearted. Yet drivers of even a mild disposition could quite easily jettison their inhibitions once behind the wheel of the 4.0-litre TFSI quattro Tiptronic - and be grateful for the experience: it feels so balanced and composed and even a little responsible. With the quattro permanent all-wheel drive capability (plus self-locking centre differential) and ceramic brakes you can't help but feel secure and reassured. Add the optional Dynamic Ride Control that came with the test car (part of the optional £10,725 Dynamic Plus package which limits lurch and roll - and you feel even more secure. The eight-speed Tiptronic transmission is silky smooth, not a hint of change-up as it races through the automatic box. Want more involvement? Then play with the gear shift paddles on the steering wheel. You can't wipe the smile from your face. Just dabbing the accelerator can instantly creates an ear-to-ear grin. What's not quite as hot is the speed dependent power-assisted steering which will lack feel for the serious performance drivers. But for me it wasn't an issue: the coupe can light your fire with the rest of the car's dynamics and though the ride was pretty firm, the handling was inspiring while threading through bends was quite a civilised affair. The twin-turbocharged petrol coupe is lavished in quality and luxury with luxury appointments in the cabin such as the Black Volvano honeycomb quilted leather with grey stitching - a lovely contrast to the Ibis White livery. There's a plethora of instrumentation on the dash akin to a fighter jet, but it's amazing just how soon you link up to everything - about 90 seconds. Well, you don't want to squander driving time, do you?

Loved it - and the head-up display giving your speed - and that of the speed zone you are travelling through, though some might regard it as an irksome reminder to feather the throttle, I was grateful it helped keep me on the straight and narrow.