With more muscle than a Ferrari F430, the new Audi RS6 has the power to corrupt and conquer, writes The Wheel Deal.

This. Car. Is. Awesome. Seriously, we’ve driven some belters here at The Times but Audi’s new RS6 is one of the most epic machines I’ve ever taken to the tarmac in. Powered by a twin-turbocharged V10 engine that sounds like a nuclear turbine in the early stage of meltdown, there’s not much on earth that can match this five-door saloon’s aptitude in point-to-point sprinting. Tighten your grip on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, bury the aluminium throttle pedal and before you’ve had time to marvel at the seamless reaction time of the six-speed Tiptronic gearbox, you’ll be choking on your tongue around the 200km/h mark some 14 seconds later.
A weird combination of elation and lunacy, this jet-like feeling of acceleration is so addictive that you soon forget about the Audi’s insatiable thirst for fuel – I struggled to achieve anything under 20l/100km – and look for every opportunity to milk every last one of its 426 kilowatts. Of course there are some who will question the need for such performance – read nanny states and liberals – but all this muscle is incredibly useful for blasting past the endless caravans of trucks and taxis that clog up our roads.

What’s also great about the RS6 is its overall handling and composure. You’d expect it to come across all vague and wooden like the rocket-ship Audis of yesteryear, but this two-tonne executive feels exceptionally nimble for its size and is more than capable of blitzing its way across a challenging rural road or two. Fitted with well-weighted steering and a communicative chassis, the RS6 feels almost RS4-like along the twisty bits and, thanks to those four griptastic 20-inch tyres and a Quattro All-Wheel drive system with a 40:60 front-to-rear torque split, is capable of carrying a huge amount of speed through them too. You can, once you’ve put the ESP into sports mode and summoned the courage, even get the back to snap out around especially tight corners. Fortunately all this furious forward momentum can be scrubbed off very quickly because the RS6 has cross-drilled brake discs the size of pizzas. Ours wore the standard set-up, which was progressive and fade-free, but big spenders who want to experience the ultimate in retardation can blow their bank balance on the optional R115 400 ceramic package.

Inside the most powerful Audi ever produced, things are typically Teutonic with lots of sombre apocalypse-proof plastics, classy leather/alcantara upholstery and racy carbon fibre inserts. And while the overall design and execution of the interior does feel slightly dated, it’s still a pleasant place to spend your time in – especially when you pump up the spectacular Bose sound system. Surprisingly enough this eargasmic piece of equipment comes standard on the RS6 but every other significant nice-to-have – the sports suspension with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC), the sunroof and those gorgeous 20-inch alloy wheels – is an optional and costly extra, so go easy on that spec sheet if you’re considering purchasing this beast. Sitting in the super comfortable, super supportive driver’s seat it’s very hard to find any major flaws with Ingolstadt’s wild child. Yes the ride may be a little harsh, even with the DRC set to comfort mode, and the steering could do with a tad more feel at times but considering its god-like performance, comfort and everyday usability there’s not much that can match the all-round appeal and price of the Audi RS6.

Audi RS6 Fast Facts:

Engine: 4991cc TFSI V10
Power: 426kW between 6250 – 6700rpm
Torque: 650Nm between 1500 – 6250rpm
0-100km/h: 4.5 seconds (claimed)
Top Speed: 250km/h (governed)
Fuel Consumption: 13.9l/100km (claimed combined)
Price: From R1 069 000

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