Four generations and 20 years later, Audi has decided to celebrate their flagship performance station wagon by bringing the beefy RS 6 sedan and Avant models of each generation altogether. 

Wider wheel-arches, all-wheel drive, twin-turbocharging and sizable wheels are some of the characteristics that embody an Audi RS 6 over its standard counterpart. It has emerged as an ominous nameplate that has been in the motoring world for two decades now as of the 25th of July. In this time, the Ingolstadt based automaker has managed to evolve the station wagon into a plush cruiser capable of some serious speeds.

The RS 6 all started 20 years ago

Starting out with the C5 generation in 2001, Audi Sport decided to branch the RS, Renn Sport or Racing Sport, tag onto other models after successfully fielding it on the RS 4. The beginning of the millenia had the automaker comfortably win several endurance races and four 24-hour Le Mans wins. The best way to market this was to put some of that sporty flavour in as many of their commercial offerings and offer them for sale. 

It was decided the A6 would be the next vehicle of choice to undergo this project but the immense undertaking was not as straightforward as placing the Cosworth tuned, 4,2-litre twin-turbo under the bonnet. Considering the sheer size of the naturally aspirated motor found in the S6 and bolt-on components which it came with, the front-end of the new RS 6 had to be extended by 40 mm to accommodate the changes. On the outside, the model was fitted with 18 or 19-inch wheels and twin oval tailpipes at the rear among sportier skirts and wider sills. This meant that the performance wagon also grew 40 mm in width over its standard model. 

The first RS 6 badged model now put out a healthy 330 kW and 560 N.m, the same amount of power used by Laurent Aïello of the ABT team which won the DTM championship for Audi. This was also the first time an RS model ditched the third pedal and manual gearbox and got a torque-converter transmission which enabled the novel RS 6 to sprint to 100 km/h in 4,7 seconds. The end of series “plus” model could hit a top speed of 280 km/h compliments of an uprated 353 kW. 

Another underpinning feature of all RS 6 models is the comfort which ensconces passengers while driving. The Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) suspension setup was used for the first time in the C5 where components wouldn’t compromise handling and agility over comfort. 

Six years after the first RS 6, the second generation followed and it came with two more cylinders and a whole lot more power to match. This time around, the twin-turbocharged V10 put out a whopping 427 kW and 650 N.m which for three years was the largest engine produced by RS ever. The setup opted for dry sump lubrication for reliable oil flow at cornering which also lowered its centre of gravity. Power was delivered to all of the wheels via a six speed automatic transmission which was improved from its first iteration. 

The behemoth motor propelled the stately Audi onto 303 km/h with the RS 6 plus for the first time while the standard derivative was limited to 250 km/h or 280 km/h with an additional option selected. The sedan could hit 100 km/h in 4,5 seconds while the Avant managed 4,6 seconds. To match the power were optional ceramic brakes, the first from the automaker while the DRC suspension performed its task once again 

The exterior included a subdued aesthetic as to what we have come to expect of the nameplate now since it was only equipped with 35 mm wider fenders and 19-inch or optional 20-inch rims. The limited edition RS 6 plus Audi Exclusive of 500 units included a special five-spoke alloy wheel design and some other bespoke details. 

The C7 third generation of the model had a tough act to follow but it managed nonetheless. Audi controversially went back to their roots, ditched the V10 and replaced it with a twin-turbocharged V8 – although this time around it was the smallest of the iconic nameplate. The 4,0-litre unit came with 412 kW and 700 N.m while being coupled to a new 8-speed tiptronic gearbox which enabled it to sprint to 100 km/h within 4 seconds (3,9 seconds to be exact). This is compliments of extreme weight saving which aided with overall fuel economy too, something that cylinder deactivation was used for as well.

For the first time, the third generation of the Audi RS 6 included air suspension as standard to cement itself as a true comfort cruiser. In its sportiest setting, the suspension could lower by 20 mm although the adaptive air suspension was ideal for day-to-day driving comfort and enjoyment. 

As the years progressed, the eight cylinder was fettled and eventually achieved a maximum of 445 kW and 750 N.m in models like the RS 6 performance. With its formidable capabilities, the C7 RS 6 became a market leader in the high-performance station wagon segment – a position still held by the nameplate to the current generation. 

The existing model, introduced in 2019 as the C8 stayed true to its heritage once again by employing a 4,0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 but this time around had the assistance of a 48 volt mild hybrid system which aided efficiency even further at the cost of additional weight. The motor churned out 441 kW and 800 N.m of torque which was channelled into the Quattro system through an 8 speed ZF automatic gearbox. This enabled the latest iteration of the flying Avant to clock triple digits on the speedo in only 3,6 seconds.

Related: CAR Performance Shootout 2022: Audi RS6 Avant

In search of innovation, Audi also incorporated a new all-wheel steering system on the model which improved high speed stability with same direction steering as well as low speed manoeuvring with the wheels turning in opposite directions. 

Moving away from the subdued styling of its predecessors, the new RS 6 now embodied a truly ominous aesthetic which made it easy to differentiate from its standard counterpart which it only shares the roof, front doors and boot lid with. Widened by 80 mm with fenders housing 21-inch or optional 22-inch rims, the C8 generation was as boldly styled as it was capable on the road. 

With electrification looming and the Volkswagen Group’s ambitions to gravitate to full-electrification by the end of the decade, this may be the final RS 6 as we know it. Here is a glimpse of what the future might include with the RS e-tron GT.