Discussion
Does anyone remember the RS6 advert? One with the bull riding and the RS6 coming out of the blackness, coming to an abrupt stop in front of the camera?
That was 10 years ago and I was a young and impressionable apprentice CNC machinist without a hope of ever owning one. Fast forward to now, a stint in the RAF and now working offshore and I still can't afford an RS6. Well a new one anyway!
I've been into MR2's for a long time now, and after messing around and owning nearly every version ever made (and not made) I realised with a young family a two seater that gets used one or two weekends a year is a waste of a car that should be driven.
I've always like the Avant A6's and was originally heading towards an S6. But the more I thought about it, if it was going to be a V8 itch that I wanted to scratch. Might as well make it one with two turbos for good measure.
I recently posted up for owners experiences of their RS6 and got quite a mixed response. Owners loved them but it hurt them considerably in the wallet!
I received an email from a chap who was selling his, however it wouldn't be available until after he'd got back from Norway in it. Quite a good sign as it's not something you'd do in a car you couldn't trust!
After various emails and photos sent we agreed a price and I went to collect it a few weeks ago. Mechanically it's in excellent condition and a credit to the previous owner. He was meticulous with the servicing, with all the right receipts for parts and important servicings carried out by specialists.
Has pretty much most the toys you'd ever want in a car, the leather Recaros are lovely to sit in and the 300 mile drive back to the West coast of Scotland was quiet comfortable and fuss free.
Anyway, pictures:
Mechanically great but badly chipped front end and peeling lacquer which will be sorted in 3 weeks time.
Headlights need restoring as the polycarbonate has gone kind of opaque, which I already have a kit for sorting out
With regards to my initial impressions:
It goes like 2 ton of metal really shouldn't!
It drinks fuel at an alarming rate
It sounds amazing even with the standard exhaust setup
It's practical
It's comfortable
Did I say it goes quite well?
I'm not scared of getting the spanners out so hope to do as much as possible as far as maintenance and fixing things are concerned. I'm certainly not expecting it to be a cheap car to keep going. But hope by getting stuck in I'll learn a lot about a new car and get it as good as I possibly can.
I also intend to keep a record of my expenses incurred which will be available for all to see and use this thread as a kind of diary for others to see what they are like as an ownership proposition!
That was 10 years ago and I was a young and impressionable apprentice CNC machinist without a hope of ever owning one. Fast forward to now, a stint in the RAF and now working offshore and I still can't afford an RS6. Well a new one anyway!
I've been into MR2's for a long time now, and after messing around and owning nearly every version ever made (and not made) I realised with a young family a two seater that gets used one or two weekends a year is a waste of a car that should be driven.
I've always like the Avant A6's and was originally heading towards an S6. But the more I thought about it, if it was going to be a V8 itch that I wanted to scratch. Might as well make it one with two turbos for good measure.
I recently posted up for owners experiences of their RS6 and got quite a mixed response. Owners loved them but it hurt them considerably in the wallet!
I received an email from a chap who was selling his, however it wouldn't be available until after he'd got back from Norway in it. Quite a good sign as it's not something you'd do in a car you couldn't trust!
After various emails and photos sent we agreed a price and I went to collect it a few weeks ago. Mechanically it's in excellent condition and a credit to the previous owner. He was meticulous with the servicing, with all the right receipts for parts and important servicings carried out by specialists.
Has pretty much most the toys you'd ever want in a car, the leather Recaros are lovely to sit in and the 300 mile drive back to the West coast of Scotland was quiet comfortable and fuss free.
Anyway, pictures:
Mechanically great but badly chipped front end and peeling lacquer which will be sorted in 3 weeks time.
Headlights need restoring as the polycarbonate has gone kind of opaque, which I already have a kit for sorting out
With regards to my initial impressions:
It goes like 2 ton of metal really shouldn't!
It drinks fuel at an alarming rate
It sounds amazing even with the standard exhaust setup
It's practical
It's comfortable
Did I say it goes quite well?
I'm not scared of getting the spanners out so hope to do as much as possible as far as maintenance and fixing things are concerned. I'm certainly not expecting it to be a cheap car to keep going. But hope by getting stuck in I'll learn a lot about a new car and get it as good as I possibly can.
I also intend to keep a record of my expenses incurred which will be available for all to see and use this thread as a kind of diary for others to see what they are like as an ownership proposition!
Diesel Meister said:
Sweet upgrade Lee. I love me some V8 estate, plus these do sound and go rather well 
One day maybe...
In the meantime, keep the 2
Hi DM! I'd really like to keep the MR2, however I think a lot of the enjoyment was putting together a car that in my eyes ticked all the boxes and was as good if not better than the ones that left the factory new. One day maybe...
In the meantime, keep the 2
It would be a shame to lock it away for 10 years, wouldn't do the car any good and is best that someone else gets to enjoy it. They just better be prepared to see a grown man have a tear in his eye as it drives off!!
Hackney said:
This is definitely on my "must own" list.
Could be one of the easier ones to convince the wife about.....yes dear, it's an estate. And it's got 4 wheel drive, so much safer and more usable in winter.
Try having that debate about an Ariel Atom!
That was my angle of attack when convincing the mrs that a big practical estate is what we needed. Needless to say details of the engine were not really divulged Could be one of the easier ones to convince the wife about.....yes dear, it's an estate. And it's got 4 wheel drive, so much safer and more usable in winter.
Try having that debate about an Ariel Atom!
Luckily she loves the comfort and the little one loves the acceleration. Got a little PHer in the making there I reckon!
wackojacko said:
Looks excellent OP, a good friend of mine PHer "RS6" once summed the C5 RS6 up perfectly....
"the only thing it can't pass is a petrol station"..... o so true.
Terrific cars, however I would find myself buying an E39 M5 for a third or so less.
Very true about the petrol station!"the only thing it can't pass is a petrol station"..... o so true.
Terrific cars, however I would find myself buying an E39 M5 for a third or so less.
Yes the first fill up is a bit of a shock at £116 when I previously struggled to get half that amount into my MR2. But it is an occasional car and reckon I'll notch up around 3K miles a year so the fuel cost is fairly insignificant.
It really is worth it for the pace and noise. Rough man maths I'm averaging around 18mpg after a fairly leisurely drive back from picking it up.
I did consider the M5 in my wishlist, but there is no estate version. Otherwise the choice would have been much more difficult. But the pace from the blown 8 and the automatic gearbox makes it an incredibly capable machine for getting from a-b, as fast as possible in great comfort!
It's going into the bodyshop on the 14th and cannot wait to pick it up on my way back from been offshore. Shall then take some much better pictures with the SLR instead of the camera on my phone!
Edited by Ug_lee on Thursday 4th October 10:33
pscl227 said:
Hope it copes OK with sitting for 5 weeks at a time!
Got a nice garage to keep it in?
It's in the old building behind the car in most of the shots. Not perfect but it's undercover and dry. It will eventually be converted into a full on garage with workshop when time and money allows.Got a nice garage to keep it in?
Also the car has a battery maintainer permanently wired onto the battery. So it can remain locked and alarmed indefinitly if need be.
11110111 said:
Those wheels, Oh my.
Hell of an echo in here today Just the standard wheels powder coated anthracite? Never been a fan of dark wheels but I think it suits very well and adds a bit of menace to the car!
Edited by Ug_lee on Thursday 4th October 11:28
Nope I think this one will be a keeper
I too aren't massively excited by Audis in general, but the older RS's were pumped up just enough to set them apart from the more mundane models. The time they were released, there was nothing to really match its breadth of abilities.
It certainly generates a fair bit of attention and comment which is unusual, for most it's just another dull Audi estate.
I too aren't massively excited by Audis in general, but the older RS's were pumped up just enough to set them apart from the more mundane models. The time they were released, there was nothing to really match its breadth of abilities.
It certainly generates a fair bit of attention and comment which is unusual, for most it's just another dull Audi estate.
wackojacko said:
Looks excellent OP, a good friend of mine PHer "RS6" once summed the C5 RS6 up perfectly....
"the only thing it can't pass is a petrol station"..... o so true.
Terrific cars, however I would find myself buying an E39 M5 for a third or so less.
I reached exactly that conclusion, didn't really NEED an estate and the gearbox scared me slightly. Good luck OP, my M5 isn't exactly cheap to run either so I'll be watching this with interest. Still got the original suspension on this one?"the only thing it can't pass is a petrol station"..... o so true.
Terrific cars, however I would find myself buying an E39 M5 for a third or so less.
^^^^^thanks for the comments!
Luckily the car is now on H&R coilovers. When I heard the mention of coilovers I was quite worried about the ride as my experience of MR2's with them, is that they ride terribly!
Luckily so far so good, quite firm, but certainly not spine shattering. The roads where I am are fairly well surfaced fast A-roads and it suits this car down to the ground.
The gearbox was also a concern, this one has had a new one in less than 3 years ago so hopefully plenty of life left in it. Really like the tiptronic feature with the paddles behind the steering.
Looking through all the receipts I have come to the conclusion that although the parts aren't cheap, labour rates of upwards of £80 an hour soon drive fairly quick repairs or servicing into massive bills. I'm offshore now, but I think I saw a bill for around £1K just to sort out the tyre pressure monitors!
tjlazer said:
I reached exactly that conclusion, didn't really NEED an estate and the gearbox scared me slightly. Good luck OP, my M5 isn't exactly cheap to run either so I'll be watching this with interest. Still got the original suspension on this one?
Yes it certainly requires a bit of bravery and a reasonable slush fund to keep an older Uber barge going!Luckily the car is now on H&R coilovers. When I heard the mention of coilovers I was quite worried about the ride as my experience of MR2's with them, is that they ride terribly!
Luckily so far so good, quite firm, but certainly not spine shattering. The roads where I am are fairly well surfaced fast A-roads and it suits this car down to the ground.
The gearbox was also a concern, this one has had a new one in less than 3 years ago so hopefully plenty of life left in it. Really like the tiptronic feature with the paddles behind the steering.
Looking through all the receipts I have come to the conclusion that although the parts aren't cheap, labour rates of upwards of £80 an hour soon drive fairly quick repairs or servicing into massive bills. I'm offshore now, but I think I saw a bill for around £1K just to sort out the tyre pressure monitors!
Good man, another in the fold. Mine a saloon as the dogs go in the Corsa... and the mossis 
Servicing can be daunting but as you say the labour rates at Audi are silly. Mine had a new alternator shortly before I got it and the bill was £1700! Granted they replaced a small loom at the front at well but jesus! I also added up the bills for the originial suspension and they came to over 9k over the years till some bright spark fitted a Bilstein (spelling) coilover kit.
Not driven mine much as its being tidied up over the winter ready for next year, upgraded intercoolers ordered, new hoses throughout, new upgraded brakes, full exhaust etc.
BTW - I had an E39 M5 for a few months a couple of years ago. Great car and really without fault but the RS6 is simply faster in the real world and so easy to drive.
Gearboxes.... well there has to be one weakness, IL service mine regular and let it warm up before nailing it and also not be silly away from every stop.... if it goes it goes and we fit a new box for 4-5k thats life.
Servicing can be daunting but as you say the labour rates at Audi are silly. Mine had a new alternator shortly before I got it and the bill was £1700! Granted they replaced a small loom at the front at well but jesus! I also added up the bills for the originial suspension and they came to over 9k over the years till some bright spark fitted a Bilstein (spelling) coilover kit.
Not driven mine much as its being tidied up over the winter ready for next year, upgraded intercoolers ordered, new hoses throughout, new upgraded brakes, full exhaust etc.
BTW - I had an E39 M5 for a few months a couple of years ago. Great car and really without fault but the RS6 is simply faster in the real world and so easy to drive.
Gearboxes.... well there has to be one weakness, IL service mine regular and let it warm up before nailing it and also not be silly away from every stop.... if it goes it goes and we fit a new box for 4-5k thats life.
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