Page 34 - SHARP September 2022

AUTO
AUDI’S SLEPT-ON CLASSIC
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF AUDACIOUS RS 6 STATION WAGONS FROM AUDI SPORT
By Matt Bubbers
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STATION WAGON? IT WENT THE WAY OF THE MINIVAN; IT’S ALL BUT EXTINCT, EXCEPT
over at Audi. It’s as if the power-mad German engineers at the company’s in-house Audi Sport division have been operating in an alternate timeline, quietly perfecting the humble Avant (which means “station wagon” in Audi-speak). For 20 years, the RS 6 Avant has flown under the radar, evolving over four generations to become the ultimate family-friendly hot rod.
THE CLASSIC (2002)
This one holds up. If you can find some CDs for the six-disc changer, the original RS 6 Avant is still so sublime, we’d happily drive it every day. It’s small (by modern standards) but not cramped, and the twin-turbo V8 — co-developed with U.K. Formula 1 racing specialists Cosworth
— sounds like thunder on the horizon. This is the most understated and maybe best-looking RS 6 Avant of them all.
THE BRUTE (2013)
It had fewer cylinders (eight) and less horsepower (552) than the previous RS 6 Avant, so the third-gen model had something to prove. It’s almost violent, with an exhaust that loves to pop and crackle on the overrun and a god-tier wallop of power that hits only after momentary turbo-lag lulls a driver
into a false sense of security. This thing is a monster.
THE PROFESSOR (2019)
The newest RS 6 Avant, and the first one sold in Canada, is overflowing with clever technology: ceramic brakes, all-
wheel steering, adaptive air suspension, a mild-hybrid system, a 591 horsepower twin-turbo V8, and a slick cabin filled with haptic touchscreens. It comes at a price — $126,500 — but the tech gives this wagon a greater breadth of ability than its predecessors. This RS 6 looks mean, but it’ll behave however you want it to, changing from muscle-bound hot rod to civilized family-mover at the push of a button. No wonder sales in Canada have exceeded even Audi’s expectations.
THE SLEEPER (2008)
Audi Sport’s engineers knew this would be their first and last chance to make a wagon with a twin-turbo V10 engine, and they took it. With 571 horsepower (much more than most Ferraris or Lambos back then), a driver might expect the second-gen RS 6 to be a handful, but it’s not. It’s a gentle giant: calm, smooth, and effortlessly powerful. It’s a shame Audi never sold this one in Canada.
34 GUIDE •SEPTEMBER 2022
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