Audi RS6 Avant opens up

Audi’s bahnstorming RS6 Avant is now on sale in Australia. Starting at $270,946 it’s fair to say buyers of this car won’t be feeling the squeeze at the petrol pump. Which is just as well, because extracting 426kW from the 5.0 litre V10 twin turbo takes a fair amount of fuel. That said, some may consider a combined urban/highway fuel consumption claim of 14.0l/100km a small price to pay for such stupendous performance. Fair enough too.

Although, there’s probably not too many that wouldn’t wince at the Luxury Car Tax giving $50K a very serious nudge, this, on top of 20-odd-thousand in GST. Wowsers!

There’s not much else to say other than enjoy the pics and stats below. Oh, the RS6 sedan will arrive in Australia in the first quarter of 2009. If you’d like to check out video footage of the RS6 Avant in action, then check out Fifth Gear‘s take, filed by Tiff Needell.

Audi Launches New RS 6 Avant in Australia

• Audi launches versatile ‘super’ sportscar for everyday driving
• Avant body-style stays true to the very first RS model
• Twin-turbo V10 engine packs a 426 kW punch

Audi’s electrifying 426 kW, 650 Nm RS 6 Avant has arrived in Australia, with first deliveries to customers starting in November.

With its 5.0-litre twin-turbo V10 engine and quattro permanent all-wheel drive, the Audi RS 6 Avant is a car without peer thanks to a winning combination of supercar performance, thrilling dynamics and all of the everyday utility of a large executive vehicle. It is priced at $270,946 rrp.

Like all Audi RS models developed and manufactured by quattro GmbH, the new RS 6 Avant stands for the ultimate in sportiness, for power and elegant styling, for exclusivity and for impeccable quality. It is the ultimate wolf in sheep’s clothing.

It has become traditional for Audi to unite the dynamics of the RS concept with the highly flexible and practical Avant body shape. The very first Audi RS 2, dating back to the year 1993, was built exclusively as an Avant model, and customers still appreciate this elegantly functional body style.

The new Audi RS 6 Avant offers the unrivalled combination of 426 kW and up to 1,660 litres of luggage space. It is a genuinely practical car for everyday driving, easily swallowing a family, the family pet and copious amounts of luggage or sporting equipment for weekends at home and away.

The engine is a high-tech work of art. The 4,991 cc V10 bundles together Audi’s race-winning technologies like FSI direct fuel injection, dry-sump lubrication and two turbochargers.

With up to 1.6 bar of boost pressure, these technologies provide smooth, powerful thrust and an incomparable power band. Peak torque of 650 Nm is available all the way from 1,500 to 6,250 rpm. Peak power of 426 kW is generated between 6,250 rpm and the maximum figure of 6,700 rpm.

The powerful V10 catapults the RS 6 Avant to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds on its way to an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h. Throttle response is spontaneous and very smooth while accelerating, and the powerful roar of the engine is an audible masterpiece.

Power flows through the new-generation six-speed tiptronic transmission, which features a reduced reaction time of just one tenth of a second, and the short shift time has been halved compared to units used in other models. The driver can also manually change gears either using the shift lever or the paddles on the steering wheel. The tiptronic transmission transfers the power to an extremely sporty, rear-weighted quattro drive train.

Audi’s Dynamic Ride Control DRC reduces pitch and roll using purely mechanical means. Hydraulic lines and valves connect diagonally to opposing pairs of shock absorbers. When cornering, the flow of fluid to the damper of the compressing outside front wheel increases, providing firmer support and reducing roll. When combined with the standard-fit ‘sports suspension plus’, DRC offers a choice of three selectable damper settings – sport, dynamic and comfort – activated via the MMI.

The electronic stabilisation system ESP offers maximum driving fun with uncompromised safety. Its relatively high activation threshold encourages a dynamic driving style. It offers a Sport mode and can also be deactivated entirely.

The new Audi RS 6 Avant features massive 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 275/35 tyres. Up front, six-piston fixed aluminum calipers – painted black and decorated with RS badges – clamp down on 390 mm brake disks. The rear brake disks measure 356 mm in diameter. The rear axle features single-piston floating brake calipers. The floating steel disks feature large cooling ducts and axial perforations for enhanced performance and less weight.

The body of the 4.93 metre RS 6 Avant also sports a number of distinctive features that immediately identify it as the king of the castle.

These include the single-frame grille, the large air intakes, the headlights featuring xenon plus, adaptive light and RS 6-specific LED daytime running lights, the flared fenders and deep side skirts, the rear diffuser, the spoiler integrated into the trunk lid and the two large oval exhaust pipes.

Standard equipment for Australian-specification cars includes MMI with a colour monitor and TV reception (analog and digital), advanced key entry, electric glass sunroof, satellite navigation, dual-zone deluxe automatic air conditioning plus, an acoustic parking assistant at front and rear, a 3-spoke, multifunction leather sports steering wheel with flat-bottomed rim and a Bose surround sound system. A boost pressure indicator for the two turbochargers in the driver information system rounds out the instrumentation.

A sedan version is expected to join the Avant in the first quarter of 2009.

PDF downloads

• Audi RS6 Avant pricing and options (165kb)
• Audi RS6 Avant technical data (24kb)