The Audi RS 6 Avant was a participant in our 2022 Robb Report Car of the Year contest. I loved that car, and wrote at the time, “Really, a 911 and an RS 6 are the only two cars one needs. The only thing the Audi doesn’t do is attract attention.” I still believe that these would be the perfect brace of cars to fill a two-car garage, but the difference today is that the RS 6 Avant GT will attract a lot of attention.
This year celebrates the 40th anniversary of Audi Sport, the automaker’s racing and performance division that has brought so many great cars to the track—and the market, such as the iconic RS4. The most recent is the RS 6 Avant GT, the most potent arrow in Audi’s quiver and the final model in the RS 6 Avant lineage, the fourth series of which was launched in 2019. Reasonable observers would recognise it as a station wagon, albeit one with a pronounced purpose and lots of un-wagon-like attributes.
Image courtesy of Audi AG
It’s a car long-awaited by wagon enthusiasts around the world, but if you think chasing one down on the road will be a challenge, try chasing one down in the showroom. Audi plans to build only 660 examples for the model year 2025, and of these, a mere 85 are coming to the United States, while just seven will trickle into Canada. It would seem as if North America were getting the short end of the stick, and that’s the bad news. But as the acquisition of many cars remains hypothetical, one can at least revel in the notion that, with its RS 6 Avant GT, Audi will have arguably built the most impressive series-production wagon in history.
Under the carbon-fibre hood is the most powerful engine of any series-production Audi ever made. A 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V-8, it’s rated at 621 hp and 627 ft lbs of torque, up from 591 hp and 590 ft lbs of torque delivered by the 2019 iteration. Top speed, while academic except on a very empty Autobahn, is 190 mph, and the car is claimed to cover zero to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. Audi engineers have had some fun fettling the underpinnings of the GT, which, with all the ministrations of carbon fibre, carbon-ceramic brakes, and whatnot, loses a mere 33 pounds and weighs in at a still substantial 4,565 pounds.
Image courtesy of Audi AG
The suspension received much attention, and is a manually adjustable coil-over setup that rides 10 mm lower than typical but has been designed to maintain a comfortable ride for daily driving. Continental Sport Contact 7 tires, designed for the GT, perform in wet as well as dry conditions. Shifting through Audi’s standard eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox, you’ll discover that the driveline features an updated Quattro Sport differential (every RS is AWD, after all) that has been recalibrated for more rear-wheel bias, adding precision and fun to the handling equation.
The exterior design, inspired by Audi’s RS 6 GTO concept, is raw and muscular. The fenders recall the original IMSA Audi 90 GTO, one of the wildest and most aggressive-looking racing sedans ever created. A wide, flat grille and gaping air intakes come on strong, while a huge, double rear wing—mounted topside—and a lower diffusor take up the rear. And the carbon-fibre hood—a first for an Audi—reveals its make-up with exposed sections of woven composite.
Image courtesy of Audi AG
The roof is smooth, eschewing roof rails for a clean and aerodynamic look. Outlets at the rear of the carbon-fibre front fenders exhaust air and draw even further attention to the GT’s most obvious fashion accessory: 22-inch rims with six funnel spokes—an homage to Audi’s recognisable motorsport design. These are available in gloss white or black, or matte black, complementing the available graphics packages that are straight out of central casting for the IMSA Audi 90 GTO. For anyone not paying attention, special badging front and rear identifies this as a very special RS 6, indeed. Available colours are Arkona White, Nardo Grey, Chronos Grey Metallic, Madeira Brown Metallic, and Mythos Black Metallic. And the Arkona White, Nardo Grey, and Mythos Black Metallic finishes are available with wild graphics packages that combine the traditional colours of Audi Sport.
Image courtesy of Audi AG
The interior is typical, tasteful Audi, a blessed respite from disco-fantasy light shows popular with other German marques. The front seats are carbon buckets stitched with Audi’s honeycomb pattern, and the centre console bears a plaque with the individual number of the car from the series of 660. Behind the front seats is nearly 60 cubic feet of interior volume (with the rear seats folded flat), proof that performance and practicality are not mutually exclusive concepts.
Image courtesy of Audi AG
Unlike the previous RS 6 Avant, which was built entirely at the Neckarsulm factory, partially assembled GTs are sent to a special line at Böllinger Höfe after body construction, painting, and general assembly. This facility, equipped for small-series production, allows final assembly by hand at three stations and by just seven technicians. The stateside MSRP is yet to be announced, though it will likely be around US$220,000 (HK$1.7 million), which is an irrelevant figure given the assured dealer markups. Delivery begins during the second quarter of this year. If you can get your hands on one—you can have it all. The rest of us can dream.
