Audi RS6 Avant 4.0 TFSI Quattro Tiptronic Review: Return of the king

What we like:

Incredible power and acceleration from its V8 twin turbo. Extremely comfortable at high cruising speeds. Perfect road trip companion.

What we dislike:

Muted V8 soundtrack that could do with an aftermarket exhaust system.

Push the RS6 hard into the bend and the Audi Sports Differential goes to work. And it is quite a profound sensation when it kicks in as you feel the nose pulling itself closer toward the apex. But while the Audi can be thrown around, it much prefers straight-line blitzes on the highway to exuberant track attacks.

Likes most cars equipped with the 8-speed ZF gearbox, the RS6 is a pleasant puppy when toodling around town. Even when driven in anger, the gear changes happen quickly and you’re never left wanting. The gearbox is even more impressive when you think about the kind of forces it has to deal with when mated to an engine that churns out 700Nm of torque!

No one really buys a V8 twin turbo equipped Audi and expects decent fuel economy but Audi does try its best to keep its fuel consumption figures low. And like the S6 4.0 TFSI, the RS6 is also equipped with the Cylinder on Demand system that shuts off half of its cylinders when you’re just cruising on the highway.

But we shan’t forget what the RS6 really is. It’s still a hot rod underneath that shiny distinguished Avant bodyshell that just wants to demolish the autobahn every chance it gets. And it does so brilliantly. One can quite literally cover continents in this car without ever feeling strained and it’ll be an enjoyable drive all the way.

So does it make sense on our tiny island to equip yourself with this Audi royalty? Not at all. But affairs of the heart are rarely dealt with a clear mind. For this king, we’ll gladly leave our brain cells behind…

Credits: Story and Photos by Benjamin G. Kline