If you're in the market for a high-performance Audi that makes lovely induction and exhaust noises, the Ingolstadt-based automaker has got you covered. From the RS 3 with its five-cylinder turbo all the way to the RS Q8 sport utility vehicle, there's plenty of choice.
With 591 ponies and 590 pound-feet (800 Nm) from a twin-turbocharged V8 engine, Audi's range-topping Q8 is a tantalizing proposition. However, said powerplant is even pokier in the RS 6 Avant Performance. Pictured in red, the hi-po station wagon belts out 621 hp and a 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) on full song. It's much lighter than the RS Q8 as well, and more aerodynamic to boot.
It's no king of the hill, though. Similar to the rest of the Volkswagen Group, the good folks at Audi believe that electric vehicles are the future. Twinned with the Porsche Taycan, the e-tron GT is pretty impressive on paper. In RennSport flavor, the all-electric sedan is more powerful yet less torquey than the SQ8 e-tron line.
With boost mode turned on, you can expect 637 horsepower and 612 pound-feet (830 Nm) from the luxury-oriented bruiser. Normal mode grants you 590 horsepower, which – not that long ago – used to be supercar territory. Remember the 458 Speciale? It makes 597 ponies and 398 pound-feet (540 Nm).
The RS 6 Avant Performance and RS e-tron GT are both all-wheel drive, although they couldn't be more different in a good ol' drag race. Much easier to launch from a dig, the zero-emission luxobarge makes easy work of the go-faster wagon. Even with a perfect launch from the RS 6 Avant Performance, that RS e-tron GT simply cannot be bothered by its rival in the quarter mile.
595 pounds (270 pounds) heavier than its combustion-engined sibling, the RS e-tron GT also surprises from a rolling start. After all, torque peaks rather differently in an electric vehicle. Although they're pretty close in terms of power, the RS e-tron GT – even with its two-speed transmission out back – doesn't hold a candle to the RS 6 Avant Performance in terms of top end.
Top speed is estimated at 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers per hour), whereas the wagon keeps on accelerating until the speedo indicates 190 miles per hour (305 kilometers per hour). There are faster EVs out there (Tesla's three-motor Plaid setup comes to mind), but alas, the RS e-tron GT can't do better.
While on the subject of electrification, did you know the next-generation A6 is going electric? From the lowliest A6 to the RS 6, every version will ride on the PPE vehicle architecture developed by Audi and Porsche. There's a case to be made for a plug-in hybrid RS 6 as well, although not under that nameplate. In the near future, odd numbers will designate combustion-engined Audis – including plug-in hybrids – whereas even numbers will be used by full-electric vehicles.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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