Tony Stark has got a new “hero” supercar in the form of Audi’s latest supercar-estate, the 2019 Audi RS6. The 2019 Audi RS6 is all about the wow-isms, it looks wow, it will go like wow, and the combination of the two will leave everybody in a state of “wow”. But underneath that superhero bodywork and engineering lies an Audi A6 Avant (estate/station wagon). But in full-body RS6 armour it simply looks “wow”. You know those great looking concept cars that never go into production? the RS6 looks like one and is now in production, order books open… just take my money now!
Having driven Audi’s range of high-performance RS models I can attest to how stupidly rapid they are. Great handling ride etc. However… and I do regret saying this… they do not have the engagement levels of BMW’s class of M performance cars. Though I am happy to rule out the BMW M1 which is a feckless, fraud of a car. Don’t buy a BMW M1!
Anyway, Tony Stark will have no problem adding the 2019 RS6 to his fleet of cars. The RS6 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter mild-hybrid V8 which produces 561bhp and 590 pound-feet of torque. That’s close to 800Nm in old money. Naturally, the 0-62mph time is delivered in just 3.6 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 155mph, unrestricted it can do close to 190mph. All that power is channeled through an 8-speed transmission and ultimately it is relayed to those 22-inch alloy wheels.
But the Audi RS6 story isn’t finished there, the optional Dynamic Package will increase the top speed to 174mph. Audi has yet another means of wealth extraction with the Dynamic Plus package which increases the top speed to 190mph. These optional packages also add a mechanical center diff that allows the driver to decide how much power to send to the front or the rear. A rear-wheel biased Audi A6 vis-a-vie RS6? Yes indeed.
The 2019 RS6 Is The Tony Stark of Super Estates
Air-suspension is standard however Audi’s wealth extraction strategy also includes the optional RS Sport Suspension Plus which also adds Dynamic Ride Control. The latter uses stiffer spring rates and adjustable dampers to improve ride and reduce roll. The RS6 has no fewer than 6 different drive modes which adjust the rpm, suspension stiffness and steering input to suit various driving preferences, presumably from sedate to ultra mad modes.
The interior is of course pure Audi, formidable build quality, premium materials, and “understated” design flair. And you can also expect more Audi wealth extraction with any number of interior package upgrades. However, if you are a Tony Stark type person then spending £90k for the base level spec Audi RS6 is no problem. And if you can afford the asking price you can probably afford the optional extras, all in you are probably looking at an RS6 that could top £150,000 fully optioned.
That said when the RS6 first deliveries arrive in mid-2020 you probably won’t see many on the road. What the RS6 represents is aspiration, when you see one you’ll want to buy an A6, the RS6 is the definitive Hero car.
