Exciting automobiles come in many shapes and sizes. A slow car driven fast can be stupidly fun as well, but nothing compares to a muscled-up station wagon such as the RS 6 Avant of the four-ringed automaker.
Internally named C5, the first generation utilized a twin-turbocharged V8 powerplant and a five-speed automatic in conjunction with Torsen-based quattro permanent all-wheel drive. Audi switched to a free-breathing V10 and a six-speed cog swapper for the C6, then returned to forced induction and eight cylinders for the C7 that ran from 2013 all the way through 2018.
The previous-generation RS 6 Avant Performance was the cream of the crop thanks to slightly different ECU mapping that increased the output to 605 PS (597 horsepower) and 750 Nm (553 pound-feet) of torque from 2,500 to 5,500 revolutions per minute. The C7 weighs 2,025 kilograms or 4,464 pounds, which makes it lighter than the C8 that Audi is offering nowadays.
Now boosted by a belt-driven alternator/starter contraption that makes the RS 6 Avant a mild hybrid, the C8 generates 600 PS (592 horsepower) and 800 Nm (590 pound-feet) of torque between 2,100 and 4,500 revolutions per minute. You can already see a notable difference in how the current-gen model delivers the suck-squeeze-bang-blow, yet Audi had to add 40 more kilograms (88 more pounds) to the curb weight of the five-seat land missile.
The cars in the following clip are both modified to 700 PS (690 horsepower) and 880 Nm (649 pound-feet), which begs a very straightforward question. Does the go-faster tech in the C8 make a noticeable difference over the C7?
Daniel Abt and his buddy, Aberle Tobias, are much obliged to answer with a series of drag races: two from a standstill over the quarter-mile and a roll.
On the first run, it’s hard to deny the advantage of the C8 at launch and over the finish line. The second quarter-mile brawl is much closer, with only 0.26 seconds between these fellows. And finally, the roll is where the C8 really stands out because of the quicker kickdown and lower peak torque curve.
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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