Click above for hi-res gallery of the Audi RS6

As far as Teutonic super-sedans go...scrap that: as far as anything goes – and go it does – the Audi RS6 is one of the most desirable cars on the market. Previously only available as a wagon, Audi gave us a sneak peek of the new RS6 sedan in Moscow ahead of its official unveiling next week in Paris. For those of you who cannot wait that long, Ingolstadt has come to the rescue with new images of the twin-turbo V10 speed demon, which we've added to our gallery below. Click away.

[Source: Audi]

Good news and bad news go hand-in-hand, but in this case, it's not entirely unexpected.

According to Audi RS6 project manager Jens Koch, the twin-turbocharged V10 sedan won't be coming to the U.S. in its current iteration. Originally, Audi thought that the four-door body style would be more appealing to Stateside consumers rather than the Avant, but apparently there's too much energy and expense involved in making the V10 powerplant pass the more stringent sniffer standards here in the U.S.

On the upside, the third-generation RS6 is being developed for the global market, so the next iteration should arrive on our shores in 2012. Koch hinted that the RS6's weight problem and 5.0-liter V10 wouldn't carryover to the 2012 model, and that the next RS6 will be more "revolutionary" and "far more RennSport than anything previously developed."

Meanwhile, Audi will take the wraps off the RS5 this January in Detroit, with the next RS4 debuting shortly thereafter.

Audi plans to further its goal of taking on BMW's M division and Mercedes' AMG lineup with more Quattro-branded vehicles positioned above run-of-the-mill Audis, along with more clearly defined R-, S- and RS-derivatives. "S" badged variants will also be sportier than current S models, while the "R" lineup will be "significantly souped-up" and "RS" will be reserved for lightweight, track-friendly models.


[Source: InsideLine]

Click above to view a hi-res gallery of the B&B Audi RS6

A 580hp station wagon (or sedan, for that matter) seems like sheer lunacy in its own right, but it appears that the twin-turbo V10 in the Audi RS6 is capable of a great deal more. Following the release of the 702hp MTM-tuned RS6 M, fellow German tuning house B&B Automobiltechnik has an even more potent tuning package, boosting power up to a whopping 715.

So what did the power-hungry gearheads at B&B do to get a 120 horsepower boost out of the Gallardo-derived FSI? They didn't replace the turbos or fit a new supercharger, nor did they bore out the cylinder block for bigger displacement. They simply fitted a new intake, catalyst, exhaust and cooling system, and tinkered with the ECU. B&B are also offering an adjustable suspension and new springs that drop the ride height by 25mm. The result? A claimed 0-60 run in a scant 3.6 seconds. That's well into supercar territory, as many a Porsche and Ferrari driver are bound to discover when baited into an impromptu red-light drag race. Nice work if you can get it.

[Source: B&B via World Car Fans]

You have to sit back and applaud a car like the Audi RS6 Avant. As we've noted with amazement countless times, it's a station wagon capable of outgunning supercars. In Europe that sort of thing flies, and while it still won't be making the transatlantic voyage (even though we're sure that, with a set of wings attached, it could get here on its own), even back in the old world not everyone is keen on the estate body-style. Which is why Audi is preparing a conventional four-door sedan version of the RS6, which our photographers spied all but completely undisguised out on the street a little over a month ago. Reports now indicate that the twin-turbo V10 super-sedan will be unveiled at the upcoming Paris Motor Show this coming October. We can expect the sedan version to carry the same mechanicals as its wagon counterpart, however certain visual updates are expected to be shown on the top-of-the-line RS6 sedan before they trickle down to the entire A6 range.

[Source: Auto Unleashed]

Click to view the MTM RS6 M in our hi-res gallery

With a 580-hp twin-turbo V10 derived from the Lamborghini Gallardo's mill, the Audi RS6 is hardly a candidate for improvements. It's a station wagon that outguns supercars, for crying out loud. But we had to figure that it would only be a matter of time until someone tried, and German tuning house MTM has stepped up to bat.

To give you an idea of what MTM's engineers are capable, with just a tweak of the ECU they've managed to boost output to 656 hp, dropping the 0-60 time down from an already outstanding 4.6 seconds to a scant 3.9. Throw in a stainless steel exhaust and a new air filter and presto! You've got 702 horses underhood. MTM is also offering some reserved carbon fiber aero bits, a new set of brakes, revised dampers and 21-inch wheels. We don't know what kind of world this is where you can get your hands on a 700 horsepower wagon, but we like it. Check out the high-resolution images in the gallery below.

[Source: MTM via World Car Fans]

Click above for high-res gallery of Audi RS6 spy shots

The Audi RS6 is about to receive some sheetmetal tweaks that both bring the super sedan's exterior styling more in line with the corporate design language and give it a decidedly more devilish look than the standard A6 or sportier S6. Out back the RS6 drops the current A6 taillights for a pair that appear lifted directly off the A5. It's a good switch, as the A5's rear end is decidedly more simple and clean the current A6. We would expect to see the same udpate made across the A6 line very soon. Up front the car gets new air intakes that flank the gaping grille, which include one big intake on either side that are capped by a smaller inlet right at the leading edge of the front fenders. The headlights also sport a row of LEDs along their bottom as well as an eyelid of some sort above, which gives the RS6's face a mean glare. Of course, behind those glaring eyes lie a 5.0L twin-turbo V10 producing well above 500 horsepower that can back up the serious stare.

[Source: KGP Photography]

From the some-automakers-have-more-money-than-sense department comes a new commercial for the Audi RS6. The minute-long teaser spot features some kind of synchronized gymnastics routine that we guess is supposed to signify a bunch of people working together like a finely tuned machine. We think there are some gymnasts imitating the pistons in the blisteringly fast RS6 V10, and there was a human crankshaft and some headlights too, but it's hard to tell with it being people in tights and all. The last three seconds is the first indication that this is a car commercial, as the front end of the sledge hammer RS6 is finally shown.

We know it's a teaser ad, but next time we'd like to see a little more sheet metal and a lot less flesh. Besides, didn't Ford just do the people as cars thing a couple months ago? Hit the jump to view the minute-long commercial, then let us know what you think in the comments.

[Source: YouTube]

If you were disappointed by the news that Audi would not put the R8 V12 TDI Le Mans into production, we've got some exciting news to lift your spirits. According to emerging reports, Audi has confirmed previous rumors that a V10 will find its way into the R8's midship engine bay in the second quarter of next year. And not just any V10, either: the 580-hp twin-turbo V10 from the RS6 Avant. (And here we thought Audi developed that engine just for a station wagon.)

The news is attributed to an interview in Autocar magazine with Wolfgang Hatz. What, you don't know who Wolfgang Hatz is? Tssk-tssk. (Okay, we didn't either.) He's the head of powertrain development for the entire Volkswagen Group, and he says the engine has already been signed off on. Initial cooling problems that caused previous prototypes to burst into flames have been solved chiefly through the addition of a roof-mounted vent like the one seen on the previous R8 V12 TDI concept. Reports suggest the supercar will get the nameplate RS8, although there's the potential for Audi's halo car to be confused with an RS version of the A8 sedan. While we're forced to take everything with a grain of salt today, this is one lead we hope isn't an April Fool's Day hoax.

[Source: Autocar via German Car Scene]

At one time Japanese regulations prohibited engines in that country producing more than 274hp, and oddly enough a wide array of different engines were all rated at that same level. Given the actual performance of the cars, it was clear that many manufacturers were sandbagging. Audi appears set to do the same with its uber-powerful RS6. The twin-turbo V10 is expected to carry an official rating of 571 hp, but the actual output could be as high as 610hp. Does anyone actually need this much power in a sedan or wagon? Of course not, but sign us up anyway.

[Source: Motor Authority]

There's lots of news on the Audi RS6 lately. It's understandable considering how wicked this new top-of-the-line A6 is expected to be. Spy photos, spy video and even spy rumors. One of the things we've focused on is that this new über-Audi will be powered by a boosted version of Audi's not-Gallardo-derived V10. Frequently we say a turbocharged version of that mill will be powering the RS6, providing somewhere north of 500 hp, possibly even 600. Well, now we are wondering if that blower might actually sit atop the intake rather than somewhere along the exhaust path. It's quite possible this supersedan will be powered by a supercharged V10 instead of a turbo.

This latest batch of spy photos from KGP shows an undisguised prototype with some mismatched color panels, but offers clear views of the upgraded fascias and side sills. The S6 LED light strips on the bumper have been removed, but there are larger air intakes up front now. There's also a serious looking new diffuser and a single exhaust pipe in place of the S6's dual pipes out back. It's a fairly aggressive look, but not as radical as we might have expected for a vehicle with as much power as some expect the RS6 to have. We'll see the final version this fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

[Source: Winding Road]