ON THE ROAD: AUDI RS 6

The fastest, most powerful production Audi ever built. Your comments?

The Audi RS 6 proved to be something of a Jerkyl and Hyde for me. The two personalities did not clash at all, they worked well together. By that I mean there were no moments when I mistook the RS 6 for anything other than a spaceship on four wheels.

You’ve lost me.

Here’s an example. During the 0 – 100km/h test we achieved a best time of 4.81 seconds. That was done during temperatures of between 20 and 22 degrees Celcius. What this tells us is that under cooler conditions the car would have certainly dipped below the 4.5 second mark. Therefore a small variation in temperature will achieve big results. RS 6s seem to have this trait. I remember testing the previous generation 331kW car in 2004. It was the Avant (wagon) version which meant more weight. Ultimately I was only able to get 5.4 seconds out of it as opposed to the claimed time of 4.8 seconds. Temperature played a role then but so did the fact that I was testing at 1600m Jozi altitude. Mind you, I was a lot leaner than I am today as well. But the new RS 6’s 0 – 100 time doesn’t tell the whole story. It doesn’t tell the story of a car whose overtaking ability makes it feel like a Formula One car. It doesn’t tell the story of a behemoth that when you plant your foot down responds with a slight jerk and pushes forward like a Jumbo Jet on takeoff in a matter of milliseconds. Watch it though; too much of that will empty the 80-litre tank in less than 300km.

On the other hand you have a luxurious car with very much everything one would expect out of it.

How can it be so fast?

Three of the most important reasons include: that twin turbo V10 engine that makes so much heat that it takes a minute to cool it down. Basically the RS 6’s biggest enemy is heat. Secondly quattro AWD plays a major role in accepting grip and passing it on to the tarmac so you have a car that handles very well for its two tonne weight. There’s still very little interaction through the steering wheel though, such that I felt a bit isolated from the car as I was driving. A fellow tester said “it’s like driving on auto pilot” and I agree somewhat.

What’s it feel like inside?

Comfortable, if slightly hard. You must remember that the RS 6 is really like Bill Gates; if you didn’t know him you’d never tell that he was the richest guy on earth. The interior is different from other A6s by the use of carbon fiber inserts on the centre console and doors, aluminium finishing on parts like the door handles and gear peddles behind the steering wheel, the flat-bottomed RS steering wheel (no steel on the flat part), RS 6 badges all around including on the door sills and the silver foot pedals with rubber inserts for the best grip. But the most standout feature as far as “feeling” goes are the sporty leather and Alcantara seats with the wings. They can be a bit tight on a “wider-bodied” passenger but adjustments can be made to correct this somewhat. Mostly they are for lateral support when turning into sharp corners or for your neck support when blasting off, and they do this admirably. Our test unit was fitted with pretty much everything from the MMI with CD changer to the powerful BOSE sound system. I have to fault Audi though for going with SD card slots as opposed to USB memory sticks. I mean who buys SD cards for music?

It does look butch though

Well if you know what to look for. Generally these kinds of cars are quite subtle because they are aimed at the more mature market which doesn’t necessarily want wings on the boot and air scoops on the bonnet. The front end is more aggro with the mash grille and the rear sports a small boot spoiler, two RS oval tailpipes and an air diffuser. It has massive 9,5J x 20 '7 double spoke' design alloy wheels wrapped inside 275/35 R20 tyres. Those LED daytime running lights are no longer something special but they are still lovely to see on the road. The sports suspension has three different settings for different driving situations. When set on Sport you can really feel the harshness, all the bumps and road imperfections. This setting is for enthusiasts who truly want to exploit the chassis and the engine to its max.

In the end?

In the end you get a sedan that will be able to chase anything this side of a Nissan GT-R, with five people inside plus a few groceries AND keep up. For the first time in a while we also see a performance Audi that is more expensive than its direct rivals. Audis normally come in priced just under their competitors even if they perform better overall.

Is it worth it?

Yes, I think it is.

QUICK STATS

AUDI RS 6

ENGINE: 5.0-litre V10 twin turbo

POWER: 426kW / 579hp at 6250rpm; 650Nm at between 1500rpm - 6250rpm

0 – 100KM/H: 4.81 seconds

GEARBOX: 6-speed Tiptronic

TOP SPEED: 262km/h

FUEL AVERAGE: 16.6 l/100km

CO2 e: 331 g/km

PRICE: R1 069 000

NATURAL RIVALS: BMW M5, Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG, Jaguar XF R

*PRICE RIVALS: BMW 750Li, Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe, Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG

BABE-MAGNETIC FACTOR: High

*A price rival falls within R20 000 or so of the subject’s price on either side of its price spectrum for cars over R350 000, R10 000 for cars of between R250 000 and R350 000 and R5 000 for cars below R250 000.