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2013 Audi RS6 Avant [w/video]

Matt Davis — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Wagon, Europe, Audi, First Drives

Latest, Greatest Autobahn Bomber Will Not Be Denied - Except To Us

Back in 2008, I was fortunate enough to test the second-generation Audi RS6 Avant in southern France on the supremely well-sorted circuit at Le Castellet, a.k.a. Paul Ricard. I was thrown out there with the 572-horsepower bi-turbo 5.0-liter V10-equipped behemoth behind one of Audi's DTM pros and was convinced in short order that the flaming hippo in my hands was going to get the better of me on one or another of the track's tight esses. I made it out alive and invigorated, of course, but knew that that RS6 Avant was the heaviest that these thunderwagons should ever be allowed to get. At around 4,650 pounds with driver aboard, it was just way more lateral momentum at speed than any pilot needs on a track - or for that matter, on a favorite hot curving road.

Now it's time for the 2013 Audi RS6 Avant to lay us out with a flying scissor kick from the corner ropes. This version of the highway and byway marauder from quattro GmbH is a decidedly greater piece of work than was the car I drove in 2008. This time, there will only be the Avant body configuration - no RS6 sedan - and, as with the previous generation, North America won't be at the receiving end when deliveries start at the end of July this year.

I can only whine loudly about what a pity that is; the new RS6 Avant with its 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 is the absolute best Audi RS model I have tested in over a decade. It weighs in 220 pounds less than its predecessor, loses 20 horsepower, gains 37 pound-feet of torque, and torches the previous car's acceleration time to 60 miles per hour by seven-tenths of a second, or in other words, it needs only 3.8 seconds. That's seriously hair-brained action in a family-car wrapper. There are a few reasons as to why it's that much quicker, but one key is the greater 17.4 psi of boost pressure from each turbocharger versus the 10.2 psi per unit on the last generation's spec sheet. Then there are the tighter ratios of the eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox against the six-speed Tiptronic of 2008.

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2013 Audi RS6 Avant [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Audi RS6 Avant hauls ass and then some

Steven J. Ewing — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:45:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Audi, Luxury

Holy moly. Despite the fact that Audi first released details on its 2013 RS6 Avant back in December, we're still just as smitten with it now as we were a couple months ago. And why wouldn't we be? This stunning piece of forbidden fruit combines two of our favorite things: fast Audis and useful wagons.

The meat and potatoes behind the RS6 Avant is its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, tuned to crank out 560 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the all-wheel-drive wagon can scoot to 60 miles per hour in just 3.9 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 155 mph. Opting for the Dynamic package ups that v-max to 174 mph, and selecting the Dynamic Plus pack increases that even further to 190 mph.

This RS6 Avant certainly looks the part of an extreme ass-hauler, fitted with the usual RS-spec gaping air intakes, 21-inch wheels, sport exhaust and carbon fiber ceramic brakes. Combine all that goodness with dynamic ride control, an adaptive air suspension and torque-vectoring Quattro all-wheel drive, and we have no doubt that this thing will scare off every other station wagon in the parking lot. (Well, except maybe that Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. Woof.)

Check out our high-res photos of the RS6 Avant direct from the Volkswagen Group Night festivities here in Geneva, and scroll down for the official press blast.

Continue reading 2013 Audi RS6 Avant hauls ass and then some

2013 Audi RS6 Avant hauls ass and then some originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Your 2013 Audi RS6 has arrived

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:44:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Wagon, Audi, Luxury

The 2013 Audi RS6 Avant, fittingly red with rage in its press photos, is here. It's engine bay holds the 4.0-liter TFSI V8 with two twin-scroll turbochargers and cranks out 560 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque - that latter figure available from just 1,750 rpm. This gets people and their cargo from 0-to-62 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds. Top speed on the standard wagon is 155 mph, while wagons fitted with the Dynamic package are able to get to 174 mph and those with the Dynamic Plus package go all the way to 190 mph.

It's about 220 pounds lighter than the previous generation RS6 Avant and fitted with stop/start and cylinder deactivation, so combined fuel economy is 24 miles per gallon - that's 40 percent better than before. Shifting happens via an eight-speed tiptronic with improved shift times and a long eighth-gear ratio to boost highway mileage.

The adaptive air suspension keeps things comfy, while on the other side the chaperone of performance is Quattro with torque vectoring, dual-mode exhaust with switchable flaps and six-pot calipers on the front rotors. Things can be taken further with the optional sport differential, sport suspension with Dynamic Ride Control, dynamic steering, carbon fiber ceramic brakes, a sport exhaust and 21-inch wheels.

The RS6 shall be known by gnarly aero mods outside, set off by matte aluminum and high-gloss black trim, the large rear diffuser and two oval tailpipes. Inside will be lots of black, set off by red and white accents, heaps of carbon fiber and aluminum-look trim, diamond quilting on the seats and new treats like the Formula-One-style shift lights. And oh by the way, it holds nearly 60 cubic feet of your stuff behind the rear seats.

All the details are in the press release below, all the photos in the high-res gallery above.

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Your 2013 Audi RS6 has arrived originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi testing new RS6 Avant at the Nürburgring... so what's under the hood?

Noah Joseph — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Performance, Wagon, Europe, Audi

When a company like Audi debuts a new model line, enthusiasts know it brings with it the promise of a high-performance muscle-beast to follow. And so is the case with the A6 leading to the RS6.

The first RS6 packed a twin-turbo V8 good for 444 horsepower, and the second-generation model had a 571-horse V10. As is the general trend with German muscle, the new model pictured in these spy shots - snapped at the Nürburgring with telltale RS4-style intakes and widened fender flares - will likely downsize back to a twin-turbo eight. The smart money's on Quattro GmbH taking the 4.0 TFSI from the S8 and the Bentley Continental GT, but tweaking it to its own specifications. Output is likely to hover around that of its predecessor, trading two cylinders for as many turbo spools.

As with past models, the new RS6 is likely to come first in Avant wagon form before the sedan comes along soon thereafter. Whether any RS6 models makes it Stateside, however, remains to be seen, but we can certainly hope.

Audi testing new RS6 Avant at the Nürburgring... so what's under the hood? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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