AUDI RS 6 PERFORMANCE
from R2 332 700
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.
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 the performance increase its name suggests.
Our favourite feature is the considered deletion of up to eight kilograms of sound insulation from the rear of the car in order to enhance the volume of exhaust note that enters the cabin.
Larger turbochargers take care of an increase in boost pressure from 2,4 to 2,6 bar, enabling the RS 6 Performance (and the RS 7 Sportback Performance) to now deliver 463 kW and 850 N.m of torque – a gain of 22 kW and 50 N.m – to all four wheels with an eight-speed Tiptronic transmission and new self-locking centre differential.
With 70% of torque available to the front wheels and up to 85% of twist to the rear axle should driving conditions dictate, on our test strip, Audi’s most powerful wagon ever sprinted from standstill to 100 km/h in 3,7 seconds, before it passed the one-kilometre mark after 21,28 seconds at a speed of 252,05 km/h.
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
