German wagons are cool now, with the arrival of the sharp-looking RS6 in the States. But it's important to know that they were even cooler back in the 2000s. We're not saying the old C6 RS6 is better than a freshly delivered 2021 model, though that's true to some degree. No, the wagon segment as a whole was cooler.
Not only did you have a Lamborghini engine in the Audi, but BMW also offered the one and only M5 wagon with the screaming V10 that sounded like an F1 engine swap. Oh, and don't forget about AMG, with their supercharged V8 monsters.
Thus, you can think of the 2000s as the golden age of wagons, the Jurassic period of giant displacements. Of course, German cars from that era aren't easy to own, but we're not going to worry about maintenance or parts cost today, as a drag race is on the agenda.
Carwow once again lined up some German old-timers. We've seen some of these cars before in both drag races and reviews, especially that RS6. But there hasn't been a video with all three of these wagons in quite some time.
But first, the specs. The RS6 features a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V10 making 572 hp (580 PS) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque. Supposedly, she'll hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.6 seconds, though launch control from the 2000s isn't as good as you think.
The other two are in even more trouble. BMW started putting xDrive in the M5 back in 2017. This M5 Touring made from 2007 to 2010 sends all its 500 hp (507 PS) to the rear, yet it's still reasonably fast: 0 to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds. The robotized manual gearbox is hated by many, and having it swapped to a manual is apparently the thing to do.
And finally, we arrive at the E55 AMG, which boasts a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 that only makes 469 hp (476 PS). Again, Mercedes didn't offer AWD in normal AMG cars (non-SUVs) until the following decade.
But numbers aren't everything in a drag race. With its big engine and torrent of turbo power, the RS6 dominates its two rivals. Of course, people still cared about driver engagement and handing back in those days, so the E55 and M5 seemed much cooler.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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