Audi RS6 (C7) | Spotted

The RS6 that made Audis great again was once an £80k car - now they're available from £35,000...

With the new Audi RS6 now finding homes across the United Kingdom, and with 2013 feeling like a very distant memory, you might not recall that expectations weren't all that high for the outgoing generation of RS6. No, really.

Because the biggest, baddest, fastest of fast Audis was always great at spectacular speed (whether the two turbos were attached to a V8 or a V10) and all-weather usability, but not so brilliant for those aboard the intercontinental ballistic missiles. That doesn't just mean for the driver who might have craved a little more feedback from the controls or subtlety to the handling; it also applied to anyone who had to endure the fairly punishing ride, too. Since 2005 and the B7 RS4 it had been proven that Audi could do finesse with ferocious performance - so it was a shame that those expertise didn't make the transfer to the larger Avant.

But then, in 2013, they did. It was assumed that the 2013 RS6 would again possess monstrous straight-line speed (even with 20hp less than its predecessor) and a smart interior, but it was so much more than that. And loved even more dearly as a result.

Re-reading the original PH review gives some idea of just how unexpected the RS6's overall quality was. "I can't think of a more impressive model-to-model transformation in recent years than the C6 shape RS6 to the new C7"; "there is no longer any need to make allowances for the way the RS6 drives"; "I can find nothing in common here with any other RS model, and that is the highest praise I can bestow upon the RS6." It really was surprisingly excellent.

So much so, in fact, that Audi didn't really do a great deal to the C7 during its years on sale - a Performance was introduced adding 45hp, but it's unlikely that many struggled silently with the standard 560hp. This was, after all, a car capable of 0-100mph in less than nine seconds.

All that said, the last Audi RS6 has followed on from. its predecessors in one crucial area: depreciation. It hasn't been the savage kind of hit that some super saloons and estates can take, but a few years and a few dozen thousand miles have brought the RS6 into very tempting territory. Because it's now less than half price.

Take this one as an example. In 2013 it would have cost at least £76,985. Many if not most would have been in excess of £80k given the options available (and taken). Now, seven years later and with 60,000 miles under its 21-inch wheels, the RS6 is for sale at £34,995. There isn't a new A6 Avant that can be bought for that money.

It's a subtle and desirable spec, upgraded with some carbon trim and a better Bose stereo. It would be worth knowing whether the car has the standard air suspension or the optional Dynamic Ride Control - most testers seemed to prefer the latter, though the former excelled at the kind of ride comfort the RS6 had previously done without - but everything else points to this being an ideal example of one of Quattro GmbH's recent hits.

At this point it's worth noting, as per usual, that while this RS6 may now cost entry-level Audi Avant money, it will most certainly still have 560hp uber-estate running costs. Tyres are huge (and expensive), you won't get much more than 20mpg and, if the DRC suspension is fitted, its dampers have been known to leak. Check the PH Buying Guide if you're tempted...

Arguably the most notable thing about the RS6 right now is that it presents a unique proposition in the market. In 2020 an E63 matches the Audi in having four-wheel drive, which wasn't the case in 2013. So fun though an AMG like this would be for £30k, it's hard to deny the usability benefits of Quattro with a wagon like this. And while BMW would have offered you 560hp and four-wheel drive for the family in 2013, it would have come X5 M-shaped. Which isn't as nice a shape as an RS6. Or as good, period.

So if the running costs aren't cause for concern (including, undoubtedly, some further depreciation) and the last generation of Audi interior is tolerable, then the old RS6 makes a compelling case for itself. Especially as the latest model costs £100,000. And, it might be argued, doesn't do 'inconspicuous' nearly so well. It isn't often that genuinely great Audis come along, which makes their impact even more pronounced when they do - at less than half its new price, looks like now's the time for the RS6 to be appreciated all over again.

SPECIFICATION | AUDI RS6 AVANT (C7)

Engine: 3,993cc V8 twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, four wheel-drive
Power (hp): 560@5,700-6,700rpm
Torque (lb ft): 516@1,750-5,500rpm
MPG: 28.8 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 229g/km
Recorded mileage: 60,000
Year registered: 2013
Price new: £76,985 (without options)
Yours for: £34,995