Monday 17th November

First glimpse of upcoming Audi RS6 saloon

The latest M5 hasn't quite hit the spot - perfect time for the four-door RS6's return, then... 

---

It’s been a jolly long time since there was four-door Audi RS6 in the world, the conventional saloon bodystyle having not been offered since the V10-engined, C6 generation. Even then it was a rare beast, the all-conquering Avant vibe of the RS6 firmly established by then. And with the arrival of the A7 five-door (with an RS7 flagship) for the next generation, there was simply no case for a traditional V8 saloon. But now, with the A7 consigned to the history books and development of a new RS6 wagon underway, there’s scope for a sedan to return - here’s your first look. 

Even with the disguise, this couldn’t be anything but a hot Audi. The burly front arches give this A6 the shoulders of a prop, inside which sit some of the biggest brakes and calipers we’ve ever seen on a production car. The wheels might look to have been borrowed from an A3, but this is very clearly something pretty serious. The new front end screams uberholt prestige, and the rear bumper looks to be rivalling the M5 for sheer pumped up silliness. 

Speaking of the BMW, it’s expected that the RS6 will employ a similar plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain; there is one in the group already, employed to spectacular effect, in the shape of the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. However the regular A6 is underpinned by the Audi Premium Platform Combustion architecture, which hasn’t yet employed V8 power, so let’s see. Presumably Audi will have witnessed what’s happened with AMG’s downsizing attempts and retained the 4.0-litre. Certainly those oval tailpipes, that could have come straight from a C5 original, would imply something pretty potent under the bonnet. The previous RS6 finished up with 630hp, and if this is carrying some hybridisation it will need more power to offset that. The BMW is at 727hp already… 

Indeed, time is of the essence for the new RS6. There hasn’t been much of late to be properly excited by from Audi Sport, with the demise of the R8 and no immediate replacements for the core RS Avants. The RS3 is very good, as is the RSQ8, but the brand needs more to show off right now. Look at Mercedes-AMG and BMW M for proof. This RS6, in both its forms, surely can’t come soon enough - bring it on. 

---

• Scaling peak fast wagon | PH Footnote
  
• 2024 Audi RS4 Edition 25 Years | PH Review

[K7hyd]

Can’t help but think the Avant will still be the one to go for. More practical and better resolved aesthetically and aerodynamically… I had a v10 many years ago and then more recently purchased the latest gen in 2020. Fav cars ever, Best all rounders

[GetCarter]

Also owned an RS6 Avant in the past. IMHO they are always better looking, and of so much more use.*

• Notice: I didn't use the word 'sensible'.

[GeniusOfLove]

I'd be mildly surprised if they even bring this to the UK as a saloon, when did you last see any A6 saloon (or indeed A8) less than 5 years old on the roads at all?

[fantheman80]

The camo 'attempts' do make me laugh. We are going to hide the body work but stick on the most Audi of wheels so you know we are doing something but its a tease for now

Any RS is to be celebrated in this day and age, but id still have the estate

[nismo48]

Be good to see the unwrapped version.

[WPA]

RS6 only really makes sense as an estate

[Night Owl]

The word is "Überholprestige"

[uktrailmonster]

fantheman80 said:

The camo 'attempts' do make me laugh. We are going to hide the body work but stick on the most Audi of wheels so you know we are doing something but its a tease for now

Any RS is to be celebrated in this day and age, but id still have the estate

Camo on a new Audi is always funny. They all look exactly the same to me. Or is this one going to look completely different on reveal?

[theicemario]

Love that. Always preferred the looks of the saloon and this will be no exception.

[simonriley11]

In the 1980's and 1990's I worked for an automotive design house in the midlands and amongst other things we used to make GRP disguise panels for prototype cars being road tested (there was none of this fancy wrap stuff in those days). One car looked so awful in the flesh (no names, no pack drill) that the general consensus was that it looked better with the disguise panels on than off! This might start an interesting thread.

[phil_cardiff]

All it has to do for me is be better looking than the M5 and I'll spend my lottery win on Audi. Estate version obviously.

[GetCarter]

phil_cardiff said:

All it has to do for me is be better looking than the M5 and I'll spend my lottery win on Audi. Estate version obviously.

No rational person would buy a saloon rather than an Avant

[fantheman80]

phil_cardiff said:

All it has to do for me is be better looking than the M5

The bar is so low on that one I just tripped over it

[SpadeBrigade]

I went in to an Audi dealer the other day to order a part for my D4 A8 and I was pretty shocked at what the brand has turned in to. The interiors on every car in the showroom were absolutely awful. Cheap plastics, swathes of gloss black plastic trim. Honestly everything looked awful. The only car which looked interesting was an RS3 and that was 75 grand and still had a pretty low rent interior.

Anyway. I guess an RS6 saloon would be nice

[FoolsErrand]

SpadeBrigade said:

...The interiors on every car in the showroom were absolutely awful.

This is true of all that bracket of German manufacturers, but especially Audi and Mercedes. Outstandingly chintzy and gaudy.

[spikyone]

fantheman80 said:

The camo 'attempts' do make me laugh. We are going to hide the body work but stick on the most Audi of wheels so you know we are doing something but its a tease for now

Any RS is to be celebrated in this day and age, but id still have the estate

Pretty pointless using camo anyway when every car in their range looks the same. Is anyone really expecting to be blown away by something different when they show it without the camo?

[Muzzer79]

I've always preferred saloons to estates....

But fast Audis seem to be the exception for some reason.

If I was buying an RS4 or RS6, it'd have to be an Avant.

[trevalvole]

Muzzer79 said:

I've always preferred saloons to estates....

But fast Audis seem to be the exception for some reason.

If I was buying an RS4 or RS6, it'd have to be an Avant.

May be it is because the first of the line, the RS2, was only available as an estate?

[smilo996]

"and development of a new RS6 wagon underway", yes please! always more fun because they are counter intituitive as a hugley fast estate.

[VR6 Eug]

It will be 2.5 tons +, slower than the previous model and handle worse than the previous model.