Audi seems determined to bid its high-performance internal combustion engines a fitting farewell. The brand’s stalwart 4,0-litre bi-turbocharged V8 petrol unit installed in the potent RS6 Avant is one of these. Here is what we thought of it in this year’s edition of Performance Shootout.
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Audi RS 6 Performance Fast Facts
- Price: R2 332 700
- Engine: 3 996, V8, turbopetrol hybrid
- Power: 463 kW
- Torque: 850 N.m
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic, AWD
- 0 – 100 km/h (claimed): 3,4 seconds
- 0 – 100 km/h (tested): 3,78 seconds
- Fastest lap time: 1:10,1
The new Performance derivative of this vehicle introduces bespoke styling, a matte grey exterior finish on the mirrors, spoilers and roof rails, as well as – as the name suggests – increased performance. Our favourite feature is the considered deletion of up to 8 kg of sound insulation from the rear of the car in order to enhance the volume of exhaust note that enters the cabin.
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Larger turbochargers see to an increase in boost pressure from 2,4 to 2,6 bar, enabling the RS6 Performance (and its RS7 Sportback Performance sibling) to now deliver 463 kW and 850 N.m of torque – a gain of 22 kW and 50 N.m – to all four wheels using an eight-speed Tiptronic transmission and new self-locking centre differential.
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With 70 per cent of torque available to the front wheels and up to 85 per cent of twist to the rear axle should conditions dictate, on our test strip Audi’s most powerful wagon ever sprinted from standstill to 100 km/h in 3,7 seconds, before passing the one-kilometre mark after 21,28 seconds at a speed of 252,05 km/h.
The Hype
As massive fans of fast Audi wagons, the RS6 is one that from the outset had ticked many boxes for us, not least for the fact that it similarly offers sumptuous levels of interior comfort and versatility while capable of a truly astonishing turn of pace. Likely to be the last of its kind to feature this drivetrain layout, the new Performance derivative turns up the wick in every department.
Thoughts from the Cockpit
What does our guest driver, reigning GR Cup Champion and sim racer, Setshaba Mashigo, think about each of the Shootout cars after some hot laps around Aldo Scribante?
“This Audi is like an MMA fighter dressed in a Yves Saint Laurent suit. What a car. On track, I couldn’t get the transmission to stay in manual mode, and the driver’s seat didn’t hold my slender frame as tightly as I would prefer, but look at that lap time! This a big car that leans on its front end, so I was aware to be patient on turn-in, but what a sensation to be able to use all that performance leaving a corner.”
Find the full feature in the January 2023 issue of CAR Magazine.
