Tuesday 25th February 2020

Audi RS6 vs. AMG E63 S | Time for Tea?

The track battle we've all been waiting for: Audi battling AMG on home turf - place your bets!

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Of course it’s irrelevant, of course no owner will ever do it and of course you could go faster for less - but who doesn’t want to watch RS6 against E63 at Hockenheim? Exactly. Whether you want to admit it or not, watching two tonnes and 600hp take on an F1 track is interesting. And a bit silly. Which is probably why it’s interesting.

We won’t spoil the result here, only to say that it’s extremely close, so head straight to the video if you must know which of Audi and AMG is quicker on a serious circuit. What’s notable about both, obvious though it maybe, is the sheer speed - the speedos of each say more than 155mph on the main straight - the noise - Audi in particular very vocal on the drive-bys - and the strain being put on both to achieve sub-two-minute laps. Look at the Merc’s brakes after the end of its fast laps, and listen to the Audi’s tyres during the onboard; it’s hard to imagine them surviving this sort of treatment for long.

Still, going as fast as an M2 CS around Hockenheim in a two-tonne estate was going to take its toll somewhere. And the fact that both are this fast is cause for celebration, because there’s absolutely no need for them to be. Finally, this is just the start: there’ll be an RS6 Performance in time, as well as an E63 facelift. Fast estate fans have never had it so good…

 

 

[Inky81]

Always been a fan of an RS6, but that understeer would ruin it for me on a track (as if you'd ever track one). The E63s on the other hand looks like a hoot, much faster down the straights and a lot more fun in the twisties.

[llcoolmac]

Have Audi ever made a car that is fun to drive on track? Every single video I have ever seen of an Audi RS or S model just involves hideous amounts of tyre squeal. Plenty of other 4wd cars can manage to be fun on track. Audi don't seem to be capable of it.

[Alucidnation]

That RS6 corners like it's on rails.

Astonishing.

[Prinny]

Mounting the on-board camera to the side of the helmet makes for very discombobulating videos. It does give you a great idea of how hard they’re trying though.

I think the Audi looks better (the blacked out badge/grille really helps), but I’d buy the Merc every time.

[Notanotherturbo]

It's not a track battle I've been waiting for I'm afraid.

[FA57REN]

Alucidnation said:

That RS6 corners like it's on rails.
.

It certainly squeals like a train on a curved track.

[V12PJN]

It would be interesting to know whether the Audi had the DRC suspension fitted.
If it did I would have hoped for it to have been better than it looked although still not bad for a 2 ton car.
Hopefully it was the Air Suspension set up

[jago-fq3vy]

Audi should learn to up their game, whilst it’s an astonishingly capable car on the road, there is no fun factor on a track and whilst I know it spends a very small percentage of its time there, as an owner, it’s nice to have the option. My previous RS6 understeered the whole way round Silverstone, it was utterly pointless, cost me a fortune in brakes and petrol and achieved nothing, At least with the Merc it looks like you have an option to change line and have a bit of fun (this probably applies to the road too). Whilst the Audi looks a better car I’d be buying the Merc. No point in having a fit wife if she doesn’t put out...

[urquattroGus]

The AMG looked a lot more fun and controllable to me in the video, the RS6 looked a bit squirrely under braking and more tending to understeer.....

That's despite the reports in the press that the new RS6 is more agile and understeers less.

[popeyewhite]

Alucidnation said:

That RS6 corners like it's on rails.

Astonishing.

Astonishing poor, maybe. It was slower than the AMG and the Merc spent half the circuit sideways.

[Blue62]

llcoolmac said:

Have Audi ever made a car that is fun to drive on track? Every single video I have ever seen of an Audi RS or S model just involves hideous amounts of tyre squeal. Plenty of other 4wd cars can manage to be fun on track. Audi don't seem to be capable of it.

B7 RS4, cracking car that finally outshone the M3. But I have to agree that this video is not great viewing, quite why anyone would want to take either car on a track is beyond me, but on that evidence the Merc is the clear winner.

[Leon R]

Do people actually buy a 2 tonne plus estate car for track work? Seems about as logical as buying an R8 and making additional trips everytime you need to transport more than yourself and one other.

[Venisonpie]

Lol, that Audi is understeering everywhere - it's struggling to do anything other than go in a straight line. The Merc looked more composed, more fun, more understated. Shame about the SD1 dash.

[llcoolmac]

Leon R said:

Do people actually buy a 2 tonne plus estate car for track work? Seems about as logical as buying an R8 and making additional trips everytime you need to transport more than yourself and one other.

It's not just the RS6 though. The TTRS, RS3, RS5, RS7 are all exactly the same.

The B7 RS4 was a bit of an anomaly alright but people still don't seem to hold them in the same reverence as the C63 and M3 of the same era.

[British Beef]

Audi with all its pumped up bodywork, huge wheels & brakes and carbon fibre tac is slower than the Merc E class that looks no different to the regular AMG E220.

I like that understatement in the Mercedes!!

[Terminator X]

RS6 sounds great which is a surprise given GPF's are buggering up all modern machinery. Not really that far behind the E63 tbf. Both of them tonked by the M5C though on Carwow

TX.

[Dollyman1850]

The Audi looked far more composed on the lap but there seemed to be a lot of lock wound on it for a very long time.... The Merc was more nervous but I reckon the lap would be faster with a driver who had his hand in.... Audi have made the car very safe!! .... Then again I am an old fart who likes a Manual box and RWD so what do I know.

[popeyewhite]

Terminator X said:

. Both of them tonked by the M5C though on Carwow

TX.

Isn't that a BMW though? Didn't know they made an M5Competition estate.

[NGK210]

Not surprised the E63 looks/is more nimble, and posts a quicker lap - it’s on Michelins, whereas the RS6 is on Handcocks.
Have a look at the Smoking Tire’s RS6 vid, shot on deserted canyon roads. The RS6’s front-end grip and turn-in is quite impressive (for a heeoooge estate):
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3mjQTNSSyYw

[sasha320]

popeyewhite said:

Isn't that a BMW though? Didn't know they made an M5Competition estate.

This is a good point. However I’m wondering just how much compromise there is in load carrying capacity (shape or volume) of the saloon given the curved ‘wingback’ nature of the latest crop of estate design.

The lion’s share of the practical load carrying capacity of my C7 estate is the depth and height available up to the window line. The space in the box above is useful but doesn’t account for yhat much.

I’m not sure if there’s only a ski hatch in the M5, non-folding seats makes a difference as well.