What I like about cars like this is the link with normal cars
If you drive a Ferrari or Maserati, it is just a 'big' car. Everyone is impressed.
But this requires more tast. If I drive new Golf R, I like to visit a person with als Golf IV.
Same with a BMW M3, i visit someone with an old 3-series. They already like the brand and adore the topmodel.
So imagen, you know someone with an old Audi A3. And tell them, I have somehting for you. And you turn up in this...
The reaction mostly is something like this:.......
Just to realise that THIS car is standing in front of them. I like those reactions.
The anonymous part of this car has dissapeared. No longer good for robberies and such.
The time you didn't notice this car is behind us. I looks massive!
20 inch wheels are standard. This one has 21 inch!
Of course the bodywork has widened and this is new: that quattro sign in the front.
We have the mirror option, so people in front of you now what is coming.
So lets start with the conclusion: this car is awesome, briljant. And why?
Most of all because it is so much more dynamic then its predecessor.
That was a very noseheavy car. Only wanted to go straight.
Of course it was still awesome, because of all that power, no complaining now in hindsight.
But all that weight did matter. It never turned in to a very dynamic car.
So when I drove the RS4 Avant a half year ago, I liked it so much more than the old RS6.
And I was worried about this one. Could it be as much fun as that RS4?
Luckily, that turned out allright. it weighs 100 kg less than before. but still over 1.900 kg.
And it is so much more fun to drive. The weight never really bothers me. yes, in tight hairpins, the nose still pushes forward.
But in fast corners, in really in the wet, it can do so much more than I expected on forhand.
Even on the highway I thought, hmm well, I don't know. But then in the hills. wow. Amazing at what speeds you can push this.
No kilo's pushing all the time, when braking, etc. Unless you go crazy it is all okay.
That massive torque just sents you flying. Of course 4WD with as crown differential
And another diff in the rear causes torque vectoring, which neutralises understeer. Just hit the throttle and it pushes the nose inwards.
And then you are having fun with a car of this size. It can be done!
While having that fun, I was never frustrated about all that weight. I didn't annoy me.
Something that díd happen when I drove the BMW M6. I didn't have that much fun.
The weight bothered me more in that car than today. That doesn't mean the RS6 is a better car, it has to do with expectation.
So it showes how Audi made and presented this car. I offers what it should offer on all fronts.
And that didn't happen with the previous RS6.
The engine now is a V8. From a 5.0 V10 to a 4.0 V8,, we keep those 2 turbo's but loose 2 cilinders and 20 PS: from 580 to 560 PS.
But we do get more torque: from 650 to 700 Nm. So it is quicker than before: 3,9 sec to 100 km/h!!
With those number you can loose a lot of older Ferrari's at the traffic light.
BUt of course you do not notice that 20 PS more or less when driving. It just is FAST! Unbelievable.
That extra torque is usefull in a car like this, you mostly drive in mid range revs.
And it actually sounds more wild the the V10 did in the RS6 A little mean and rough.
This test-car has the sport exhaust (black instead of chrome) and just wow...
For the whole package goes the same as with the RS4 Avant: it is exactly as an Audi RS should be like.
It is not as dynamic as a Jaguar XF-R, but has the thoughness of an RS and I like the way it looks.
Any complaints, well yes, the steering for example. Still strangely heavy at some point. I don't understand.
Steering doesn't have to be very heavy to be sporty. But they are improving, so lets hope they keep it up.
Apart from that? it ROCKS.
+ more driving fun , more character - still a heavy car, a little bumpy for a travel car.