The most powerful Audi ever

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13 September 2007

With two turbochargers, ten cylinders and a 0-62mph time of 4.6 seconds, there's plenty to like about the new Audi RS 6.

But when all that performance is poured into an estate car bodyshell, it enters a whole new game. Stuart Milne has been calling the RS 6 Avant the greatest all-round performance car ever.

Audi's RS–badged cars have always been superb straight line missiles, but lacking in the feel which makes the BMW M3 such a brilliant car.

But that changed with the RS 4 – a car I've already waxed lyrical on these pages – and the only car I've ever made myself feel sick driving.

It's biblically powerful, with more grip than I've ever experienced in a car. Its fun too, with direct and responsive steering communicating every lump and bump through the steering wheel.

So it's difficult to imaging the potency of the new RS 6; a car with significantly more power.

It's powered by Audi's most powerful engine yet – a 572bhp behemoth which counts two turbochargers, ten cylinders in Vee formation and a clever way of burning fuel in the cylinders as the headline features in a fearsome engine.

The RS 6 also packs the latest generation Quattro four wheel drive system and some electronic witchcraft called Dynamic Ride Control among its grip-related gubbins.

So, although no-one outside of Audi has driven the RS 6 yet, we can be fairly confident it's going to be a blast.

So why do I love the Avant version in particular?

After all it's likely to be heavier than the saloon, possibly making it slightly slower and more unwieldy.

Surely it'll be better to choose the saloon?

No.

As far as I'm concerned the only reason you'd buy this car is to have the big-booted Avant.

If you're a performance junkie with a family or loads of luggage to move on a regular basis what would you drive?

A common or garden estate with a diesel engine, a lardy SUV with more wallow than a barrel load of hippos or a taut, rapid executive express with more power than a category five hurricane?

You've already answered it, so I don't need to.

It's the choice of drivers who want to make a discreet statement; who knows they've got more grip and grunt than most, but are comfortable enough in their own skin not to boast.

In Brit gangster flick Layer Cake an RS 6 Avant was the car of choice for the cool and debonair hero played by Daniel Craig and his calm but occasionally psychotic bodyguard.

And that sums the car up perfectly – sensible when you want it to be and a bare-knuckle streetfighter when you don't.

So what'll an RS6 set you back? The new one isn't out yet, but expect to shell out the thick end of £80,000 once you've added a few options. Used? You'll be looking down the barrel of £20k, but what a lot of car that'll buy.

L.A.T.W.O.T. Video of the Week

The internet is stuffed with videos of RS 6s travelling fast, but not many going it on a frozen lake – artic circle mentalism at its finest.