Audi RS6 Avant quattro Tiptronic
An über-wagon with firepower to burn and supreme practicality ... is it Audi’s most complete RS model?
Only a step separates the ridiculous from the sublime. It’s an old saying that’s been regularly paraphrased from the musings of Napoleon Bonaparte to the political activism of Thomas Paine, but it’s an observation that’s stood the test of time and one that’s particularly apt when taking in Audi’s beastly RS6 Avant.
Back in 1994, when the nowcommon concept of shoehorning performance motoring mechanicals into an SUV would’ve met with howls of derision from most, Audi teamed up with Porsche to produce what’s largely held as the first-ever highperformance estate car, the wonderful RS2 Avant.
They slotted in what was at the time a hugely powerful fivecylinder turbocharged 2,5-litre engine into a practical family car and Zuffenhausen’s finest fettled the chassis and powertrain, which no doubt cocked an eyebrow or two from dyed-in-the-wool motoring folk. However, when this über-wagon started putting in performances that humbled many
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supercars of the time, an unconventional die was cast. Audi made a name for itself as a producer of practical performance cars, even going as far as ensuring many of its Rs-badged models would debut in estate car guise.
It’s a tradition that has continued unabated in the face of increasing competition from the high-performance SUV and crossover sets and one that’s especially impressive in the RS6. The positively demure firstgeneration model mounted a Cosworth-fettled 4,2-litre twinturbo V8 producing 331 kw and 580 N.m when it burst onto the scene in 2002. It was likely seen as a ridiculous undertaking, only for its lunacy to be completely overshadowed by Audi’s decision to stick a twinturbo V10 engine – architecturally similar to that of the Lamborghini Gallardo – into the nose of its successor six years later. That particular unit’s 426 kw and 650 N.m meant it gave up its mantle as Audi’s most powerful production car only in 2016 when the 445 kw Performance-badged version of the previous-generation
RS6 made the scene.
Fast forward to 2021 and while the latest RS6 may not bristle with the same sort of raw firepower, its combination of searing pace and practical packaging means it still dips its toes into the ridiculous and sublime camps. Just take in the styling treatment doled out to the latest iteration: the juxtaposition of sensible estate car frame – replete with an impressive 1 168 litres of utility space – and a body kit that exudes a far greater air of menace than those of its forebears.
In light of the recent exposure we’ve had to mechanically related RS models, the RS6’S interior fits a similar mould the S7, RS Q8 and SQ8. It’s exquisitely constructed and spacious with seats that cosset and support equally well. Yet, the haptic feedback-driven infotainment system continues to divide opinion.
Power is provided by Audi’s 48V mild-hybrid equipped 4,0-litre V8 twinturbopetrol unit. Its 441 kw and 800 N.m of torque – the latter occupying a broad swathe from 2 050-4 500 r/min in the rev range – is sent to all corners via an eight-speed torque converter transmission. It may not feature the electrically assisted turbocharging tech of its V6 Sbadged cousins, however, this unit’s sheer grunt mitigates anything in the way of turbo lag, making its power delivery feel linear and relentless. On our test, the 2 254 kg estate cracked zero to 100 km/h in just 3,84 seconds with full-bore acceleration unearthing only the mildest hint of off-theline tyre scrabble.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about the RS6 is how it harnesses all of that power. Even when driven in anger, you don’t realise just how fluidly the car is distributing drive to the tarmac. The quattro permanent AWD system can apportion between 40% to 70% of the engine’s drive to the front axle; and as much as 80% to the rear, as required.
Our test unit was fitted with
the optional R90 000 RS dynamic package, which not only bumps up the top speed from 250 km/h to 280 km/h, but incorporates a high-performance Torsen rear differential. This employs lateral torque vectoring to provide greater drive to the outermost rear wheel under hard cornering to nullify the understeer that can afflict powerful AWD cars. The package further adds dynamic and all-wheel steering systems. At lower speeds, this setup turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front by up to five degrees. As speeds climb, the system applies up to two degrees of lock to the rear wheels in the same direction as the front.
While we’d stop short of claiming the RS6 is quite as dynamically gifted as the likes of the M5 Competition, it’s nonetheless a remarkable piece of machinery. The steering, although not the final word in razorsharpness at the ragged edge, is direct and pleasingly weighted. Given the car’s weight and a ride that caught all of the CAR testers by surprise – the measured damping and resistance to rebound belie its optional 285/35/ R22 wheels – this softness is understandable and a far better fit to a car that so ably balances huge power and comfort. There’s a similar flavour to the RS6’S body control. It’s a mite softer and more apt to roll than the E63 S and M5 Competition, but it’s in no way detrimental. Experienced alongside the RS6’S limpet-like grip, it’s a setup that seems to better manage lateral weight transfer than a stiffer arrangement that would otherwise set this big estate tremoring at speed.
TEST SUMMARY
It’s the impression of fine balance – be it that between the ridiculous and sublime, or just the sterling job Audi’s engineers have done to house a nuclear warhead of a powerplant in an estate car – that
makes the RS6 such a rewarding car to pilot. If you want to sink back into those bolstered seats, gently dip the pedal and waft along, it willingly obliges and quietly decants you at your destination, relaxed and refreshed. Select one of the sportier drivetrain presets and it’ll happily play … manual gearshifts become almost video game-fast; the steering and suspension tauten just enough to peel away a layer of isolation from the road; and the engine eagerly serves up everything it’s got to rocket you into corners. The finely balanced chassis and vast reserves of grip will rein you in before catapulting you to the next twisting section of tarmac. It’s incongruous yet intoxicating and may well be the pick of Audi’s RS litter.