KING OF THE ASPHALT

The car you are about to see came into being when a couple of freethinkers escaped the offices of Audi and Porsche. They set out to design a new type of car: the lifestyle station wagon. More than a quarter of a century later, that model evolved into the 600 hp Audi RS6 Avant.

The car you are about to see was created because a few free thinkers escaped from the offices of Audi and Porsche and asked for help with the design of a new type of car: the lifestyle station wagon. More than a quarter of a century later, that model evolved into the 600 hp Audi RS6 Avant. Text: Erik Kouwenhoven
Image: Audi
Online editor: Mical JosephThe competition cried with laughter when they heard about the collaboration between Audi and Porsche. After all: a station wagon was a car for construction workers and market traders at the time and they would never be willing to pay the extra price for such an expensive, fast car. However, it wasn't long before the tears flowing in the boardrooms were no longer of laughter, but of pure sadness. Audi had entered a new segment with the super-fast S2: the lifestyle Avant. The S2 was also the start of the Rennsport sports department, with successes such as the RS4 Avant and the RS6 Avant. Now, a quarter of a century later, we are ready for the fourth generation of the RS6 Avant – not coincidentally the fastest Audi of all time. In our opinion, the monumental-looking RS6 is the Audi. Even more than the S8 and R8, this is the standard bearer of the brand.

Stealth

The model is also 'stealth', because only experts can see its true nature and with its four-wheel drive you have traction always and everywhere. The icing on the cake is that you can work with an eight-cylinder with two turbos, with which you can effortlessly push big sports cars into the right lane. The 4.0 V8 under the hood has 600 horses, making Audi's power car stronger than ever before. Although the RS6 is clearly a model from the A6 range, Audi claims that only the front doors, tailgate and roof are the same as those of the less sporty A6 versions; all other parts have been made wider, rougher or sportier. The thicker wheel arches (four centimeters wider on both sides), the familiar oval exhaust tips, the rear diffuser and especially the shape of the bumpers immediately show that this is not a standard A6. The black grille is the most impressive.

King

When you get in and drive away, you immediately feel that this is a sporty model. Everything feels tight and the stiff handling suggests that you can also conquer bends well with this model. The engine starts with a deep, hollow sound. The Audi opens all exhaust valves briefly when starting from cold. Formally to start the engine better, but it is also a piece of auditory chest-thumping. The king is awake and everyone should know about it. And a king is the RS6. Because in the fourth generation, Audi has once again managed to beat competitors such as the E 63 AMG and BMW M5 in terms of power. The top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h. With the optional Dynamic Pack, the Audi reaches 280 km/h and with the Dynamic Pack Plus even 305 km/h. This is the first time with the RS6.

Rocket ship

To save fuel, the car is not only equipped with 48 Volt 'mild hybrid' technology, but also with temporary cylinder deactivation. At low to medium loads, this system shuts down four cylinders by deactivating the injection and ignition and closing the intake and exhaust valves. This cylinder deactivation results in fuel savings of 5 to 12 percent, Audi says. This leads to an average consumption of 11,7 liters per 100 kilometers. And then the final figures: the luggage space varies from 565 to 1.680 liters and the rear seat can be folded in a ratio of 40:20:40. But that's really all secondary. The best thing is that you can not only shoot towards the horizon like a rocket, but you can also take it around bends with ease. Particularly helped by things like the optional quattro sports differential. There is a choice of adaptive air suspension and a special RS sports suspension with steel springs and adjustable 'analog' shock absorbers.