Audi RS6 Sedan: Hoon Saloon

Motoring Channel Staff - 13/August/2008

Ingolstadt, Germany — It's been a long-time coming, but the wait is finally over: Audi has unleashed the RS6 sedan.

The Audi RS6 Avant was launched almost a year ago at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, and now one of Germany's fastest saloons has arrived.

The new model will rival the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and BMW M5 and more powerful than both its German competitors, and the Audi RS6 differs from its rivals in that it delivers all-wheel drive.

Powered by a 5.0-litre V10 augmented by a pair of intercooled turbochargers, the RS6 belts out the same 426kW (580hp) as the wagon model, but is a bit faster because of its slightly lower weight.

While the RS6 Avant sprints from standstill to 100km/h in 4.6 seconds, the sedan does it in 4.5 seconds and has governed top speed of 280km/h (174mph).

Though this 4.5 second benchmark sprint is very fast and compares with some exotic cars, there have been questions asked of the vehicles weight.

A sports sedan with a large 10-cylinder twin turbo engine that transfers more than 400kW to an AWD system should be capable of faster zero to 100km/h times, but its weight of close to 2000kg is similar to that of an SUV and blunts performance.

While peak power of 426kW hits the quattro AWD system between 6250 and 6700rpm, the 10-cylinder engine also develops a huge amount of torque: 650Nm from 1500rpm.

The power is put to the ground via a traditional 6-speed automatic transmission. No manual is offered yet, which could hurt sales.

Audi's most powerful car ever developed gets a handful of visual updates, including 19-inch alloy wheels, an aerodynamic front apron, Brembo brakes, flared wheel arches, deep side skirts, large oval exhaust pipes, plus a small rear diffuser and discreet boot lid spoiler.

Like the new 2009 model Audi A6, the new RS6 sedan features the new look head lights with LED running lights, and of course the dynamic LED brake light design.

As well as its boosted V10 engine, the 4.93 metre long Audi RS6 has been endowed with advanced chassis features, including uprated suspension that comes with Dynamic Ride Control, or DRC. This system helps to reduce body roll and pitch during hard cornering and has three presets: comfort, dynamic, sport.

With Brembo 6-piston fixed calipers at the front and single piston floating calipers at the rear working 390mm and 365mm discs respectively, the RS6 has a lot of braking power. 

The 19-inch alloy wheels are shod with 255/40 tyres, but 20-inch wheels can be optioned which also allow the fitment of larger, race-track-ready ceramic brakes. These measure 420mm at the front and 356mm at the rear and shave 12.2kg off the car's weight compared to the steel discs.

As one of Audi's most expensive models, the RS6 sedan also comes with a range of creature comforts, including a premium Bose stereo, sports seats finished in silk nappa leather and stitched leather finish across the dash pad.

There's also dual zone climate control, front and rear parking assistants, and a motor sports-inspired flat bottomed 'RS' leather steering wheel.

At this stage Audi has only confirmed the German pricing for the new model, €105,550. It is slated for an October 2008 release in Europe, and will exported internationally throughout 2009.

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