Slung out ahead of the front axle lies a direct-injection V10, its 5.0-litre capacity smaller than the related 5.2-litre engine used in the S6 and S8. But it makes up for the lost capacity with two turbochargers – one for each bank of cylinders.
Compared with the S6, the RS6’s engine is an entirely different animal, capable of delivering maximum torque from 1500-6250rpm. Power is transmitted through a mandatory six-speed automatic gearbox, a regular torque converter system, but here with an activated lock-up to improve throttle response and give faster shifts. And of course there is Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive, a fully mechanical system with a torsen centre differential distributing power between the axles as required.
Attempting to bring the RS6’s weight back into the realms of acceptability, Audi has used aluminium in place of steel for the RS6’s front wings and bonnet, but it still weighs 2.2 tonnes and we feel Audi could have done more.
As with the S6, the suspension is four-link at the front and fully independent at the rear. The original RS6 pioneered a system Audi refers to as Dynamic Ride Control, in which diagonally opposed dampers are linked through a central valve to improve ride comfort. The new RS6 features a further development with three user-controlled modes: Comfort, Dynamic and Sport.
At first glance it would be easy to mistake the RS6 for any ordinary A6 Avant. Other than the now ubiquitous Audi daylight running lights, the RS6’s face has very little to differentiate it. Look closer, though, and the RS6 reveals its bespoke parts, namely blistered front and rear arches and the standard 20-inch alloy wheels.
