The Audi RS 6 Avant has gained a cult following over the past couple of decades, thanks to its power, noise, desirability and space. The premium interior and reputation for being at home in pretty much any environment has helped, too. But Audi clearly felt as though the RS 6 had more to give, and for a few committed enthusiasts, it has built a limited-edition GT version that shows off the true potential of the German ultra-estate.
As far as we’re aware, no RS 6 Avant GTs are coming to Ireland, but we took a spin in one of just 60 UK-registered examples to find out just how it would stack up. Naturally, we’re familiar with the standard RS 6, but this first drive of the GT model promises to show us exactly what that car is really hiding up its sleeves.
What does the new Audi RS 6 Avant GT look like?
Part of the RS 6 Avant’s appeal has always been its ability to be all things to all people. For those who want a luxury estate that just so happens to be ballistically quick, the RS 6 can play the subtle sleeping giant, but for those who like steroids and oddly shaped baseball caps, it can also be a menacing looking performance car.
The GT model, however, takes a slightly different approach. Big, dished alloy wheels are a given, while there are gills behind the front wheels and much more aggressive bumpers. The car sits 10mm lower than standard, too, and the bonnet and front wings are made from carbon fibre, some of which is left exposed. There’s more carbon fibre on the door mirror caps, too, while there’s a big diffuser at the rear and a double wing at the trailing edge of the roof.
Then there’s the paint job. You don’t have to choose the white of our test car, complete with white wheels and black-and-red decals, but it’s the obvious choice. A tribute to the Audi 90 Quattro GTO from the IMSA race series of the late 1980s, it’s an eye-catching and bold colour scheme that draws plenty of attention - both wanted and unwanted.
A look inside the Audi RS 6 Avant GT
Though the RS 6 Avant GT’s exterior design is noticeably different to that of the base material, the interior design has not changed drastically. The dashboard is still much the same, with its two touchscreens and a digital instrument display, and the trim has been altered slightly with the arrival of more microsuede upholstery, but that’s about it.
Perhaps more obvious is the new steering wheel, with its red-and-copper stitching, and the bucket seats in the front. With honeycomb red stitching and more copper stitches on the outer seams, the seats pair well with the red seat belts and the red RS badges on the seats and floor mats. And the car’s serial number sits proudly on the centre console, reminding everyone that this is one of just 660 GTs ever made.
Aside from that, though, the GT feels much like any other RS 6 Avant. There’s plenty of space in the back seats for adults to sit comfortably, and though the upholstery has changed, the rear bench is just as commodious and comfortable. There’s a similarly sized boot, too, although the GT does lose a small amount of overall luggage space if you look closely at the paperwork. Try filling it with luggage, though, and you’ll have a tough time spotting the 17-litre drop in capacity.
Naturally, quality is every bit as impeccable as in the standard RS 6, too. The Audi’s cabin is almost peerless in its solidity, with every panel feeling solid and perfectly fitted alongside its neighbour. The switchgear generally feels premium, too, and all the moving parts feel brilliantly engineered.
The Audi RS 6 Avant GT’s on-board technology
The GT version of the RS 6 may have some lightweight features, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely pared back. The cabin is still adorned with three screens, with a digital instrument display in front of the driver, a climate control screen just above the centre console and a main touchscreen in the middle of the dash.
For all the GT tweaks, those screens have remained stubbornly similar to those of the stock RS 6 Avant, and they’re all the better for that. Sure, the lower climate control display has a weird kind of feedback that makes it slightly less intuitive than it might otherwise be, and a touchscreen for climate control systems is hardly ideal when you want to look at the road ahead. But those are the only real criticisms we can level at the GT’s tech, which is otherwise exemplary. The screens are sharp, the instrument display is highly configurable and the touchscreen is logically laid out. There really isn’t much to grumble about.
The head-up display is great, too, because it’s projected onto the windscreen itself and allows you to see the essential information without taking your eyes away from the road. And when you’re hustling this car in the way Audi intended, that’s a very useful feature indeed.
How fast is the Audi RS 6 Avant GT?
On paper, the RS 6 Avant GT shouldn’t feel all that different from a standard RS 6 Avant. After all, it has the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine, which still drives all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. It has a locking centre differential, too, offering a 40:60 power split between the front and rear axles most of the time, before allowing up to 70 per cent of the power to head to the front wheels if necessary, and up to 85 per cent to head to the back.
However, the GT has a specially tuned back differential for extra rear bias in the Dynamic driving mode, while new high-performance Continental tyres have been fitted as well. That helps the RS 6 Avant GT put down its 630hp more effectively, which in turn allows a car that weighs more than two tonnes to get from 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds. And if you keep your foot in it, it’ll continue accelerating until it hits the electronic buffers at 305km/h.
Here, then, we have a car that’s fast enough to rival supercars, yet still has space in which to bring your family pets along for the ride. And what a ride it is. That V8 is as vocal as ever, with a satisfying snarl at lower revolutions that builds to the jagged chatter of a high-calibre machine gun at higher speeds. It’s a phenomenal engine.
It’s a thirsty engine, too, with Audi quoting fuel burn of just over 12 litres of unleaded every 100km. We think you’ll be lucky to manage that in the real world, especially if you particularly enjoy the sound of that engine under load. And, let’s be honest, anyone with an RS 6 does. Otherwise, they’d have bought a plug-in hybrid.
Driving the Audi RS 6 Avant GT
With the new coilover suspension replacing the standard RS 6 Avant’s airbags, you might expect the GT model to ride like a washing machine with bricks for wheels, but it doesn’t. While Audi might have prioritised handling for this special edition, the most remarkable thing about it is the comfort that has been gained by switching to a theoretically ‘low-tech’ suspension set-up.
Yes, you can adjust the damping yourself, using a spanner, and we suspect our car came in a relatively soft state of tune, but the comfort was still remarkable. It isn’t like the GT is suddenly the most cossetting thing in Christendom, but it has a deftness and subtlety that makes it significantly more compliant than the standard RS 6 on the infamously awful asphalt of British roads. And as they tend to be worse than Irish roads, the GT should feel decidedly settled on this side of the water.
But while that added comfort is welcome, particularly with seats that give you backache after a while, the aim of the game was to make this a much more capable road car. It isn’t that the standard RS 6 is bad, but it never feels as though it relishes cornering in the way a BMW M5 Touring might, and it certainly doesn’t have the precise steering of a Porsche Panamera. All told, the standard RS 6 Avant is a bit point-and-squirt, with a wave of power that’s best experienced in a straight line, whereas the GT feels a bit more athletic.
Where the standard RS 6 feels numb and loose, particularly in its more comfortable settings, the GT feels tauter, more engaging and more communicative. The steering isn’t perfect, but it’s much more direct and alert than that of the stock RS 6, and the car feels more poised. It doesn’t lean as much in corners and the car seems to change direction more willingly.
Frankly, we find it astonishing that Audi’s engineers have managed a balance and bandwidth with the GT that somehow didn’t seem to be possible with air suspension. Put the stock RS 6 in Comfort mode and it won’t ride as well as the GT, and it still won’t handle as well if you put it in Dynamic.
But it isn’t just the handling or the comfort that makes the GT great. The brakes are brilliant, too, feeling powerful and responsive, as well as offering a little bit more feel than you’d get from a standard RS 6’s. That, combined with the stability and steering feel, gives you much more confidence to explore the limits of the car’s capability. Not that you can really do that within the bounds of legality on public roads. Audi doesn’t market this as a track car, but you get the distinct impression you’d need to head to a circuit to make the most of it.
How much does the Audi RS 6 Avant GT cost in Ireland?
Lots. Lots and lots and lots. Or at least it would cost lots if you could buy one, which you can’t. Audi has only made 660 examples of this car, and they’re all sold.
And over in the UK, the 60 RS 6 Avant GTs commanded a premium of roughly 50 per cent over a standard RS 6, which costs around €190,000 on these shores. That means the special edition would have been ludicrously expensive over here, likely costing the best part of €300,000, which is less than you’ll pay for a new Porsche 911 GTS.
Despite the outrageous price tag, though, the RS 6 Avant GT does come fully laden with toys, including those 22-inch deep-dished alloy wheels, a massive touchscreen and bucket seats, as well as red seat belts and two-tone stitching. There’s a sporty steering wheel wrapped in microsuede, too, and there’s a little plaque on the centre console to tell you where in the pecking order your car was built. And, of course, you get all the usual climate control and reversing camera features, plus a digital instrument display and steering wheel controls.
The reasons you’d buy an Audi RS 6 Avant GT
It may look a bit uncouth, but the silly livery is hiding a car that’s absolutely sensational in a way the standard RS 6 is not. Whereas the conventional car is a bit of a point-and-squirt muscle car, the GT gives it an added layer of nuance, comfort and handling that elevates the RS 6 to the next level. This is the car the Audi RS 6 should always have been - it’s just a shame it had to dress in a shell suit to get there.
Ask us anything about the Audi RS 6 Avant GT
Should you wish to know more about the Audi RS 6 Avant GT, the standard RS 6 or any other car on sale in Ireland, then why not avail yourself of our Ask Us Anything page? There, you can post whatever motoring-related question is on your mind, and our team of experts will get back to you with a response, completely free of charge.
