Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Audi RS6 sedan.

It looks like we won't have to wait for the Paris Motor Show to get our first glimpse of the 2009 Audi RS6 sedan and it's lesser A6 siblings. Audi has released all the details on its new four-door M5-eater, packing a direct-injected, twin-turbo'd V10 putting out 580 hp and 479 lb.-ft. of torque. The same mill that powers the Avant version allows the sedan to sprint to 60 in 4.5-seconds on its way to an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph. The duo of turbos huffs 1.6 bars of boost into the dry sump-equipped 5.0-liter V10, with peak torque arriving at 1,500 RPM and maximum horsepower available at 6,250 RPM.

A six-speed tiptronic transmission allows drivers to choose between automatic or manual mode, reducing shift times by one-tenth of second, and sending power to Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Dynamic Ride Control reduces pitch and roll, providing three damper settings – sport, dynamic and comfort – all of which can be activated through the revised MMI system.

The RS6 is fitted with 19-inch wheels at all four corners, wrapped in 255/40R19 rubber, and framing 390mm front discs clamped by fixed, six-piston calipers in front and 365 mm rotors, gripped by single-piston calipers in the rear. Buyers can upgrade the wheels to 20x9.5-inch rollers, which allow the fitment of Audi's ceramic brake system (420mm discs in front and 356 mm discs out back).

The standard A6 sedan and Avant benefits from the new MMI system, along with a new single-frame grille, bumpers, air vents and fog lamps. An S-line package includes 18-inch wheels and a sports suspension that drops the ride height by 30mm. Six gasoline engines and four oilburners will be available, including the 170 hp, 2.0-liter gasoline TFSI four-pot, a 290 hp, 2.8-liter FSI V6, a 350 hp, 4.2-liter FSI V8 and the new, supercharged 3.0-liter V6. Audi's diesel offerings range from 2.0- to a 3.0-liter TDIs.

Sales of both models will begin in mid-October and all the details are available in the two press releases after the jump.

After a report yesterday that the next S4 would be benefiting from a supercharger, Volkswagen AG's powertrain head, Wolfgan Hatz, presented the automaker's new 3.0-liter TFSI engine at the Vienna Motor Symposium. According to Auto Motor und Sport, the new engine will be fitted with a blower and putting out around 350 hp when fitted to the next generation S4. The supercharged six is expected to return better fuel mileage than its V8 counterpart and will also be fitted to the refreshed A6, due out towards the end of this year, although output will be reduced to 290 hp and 310 lb.-ft. of torque. Additionally, both models will benefit from a Magna-sourced sports differential that will migrate to the Q5 and S5 down the line. No timeframe was provided about the release of the S4, but we'd expect to see the A6 replacement in Paris, with the S4 debuting at the LA Auto Show in November.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via MotiveMag]