What is it?
A superhero. The saviour of the downtrodden. The model every Estate (or stationwagon) had been praying for. This is the Audi RS6, the Iron Man of Estates. Just like one Mr Stark has made the whole Avengers series more desirable and watchable, the new RS6 will attempt to give the flop, which is the Estate body style in India, a shot at success.
But, it is a lot more than just a hero car. For me, if I ever had to sell my son to buy an Audi, this would be it (the younger one mind; he is a modern day Dennis the Menace). For one, the RS6 looks like a million bucks, actually 10 million bucks because at around Rs 1.5 crore on the road in Mumbai, that’s what it costs. The striking red hue, the gorgeous 21-inch wheels, and the heart-melting silhouette, make the RS6 as good a pin-up as any.
It has other striking features too: the matrix headlamps, the LED tail lamps, the flared wheelarches and a good amount of carbonfibre sprinkling. The wing mirrors, the front air dam as well as the rear diffuser are all carbonfibre.
The RS6 is a supercar in practical, usable and desirable clothing. It’s near perfect.
How is it inside?
Now this is where one begins to truly appreciate the whole concept of a fast estate, which is the Audi RS6. Sure, it has an all black and sporty interior and some carbonfibre overlay on the dash, centre console and the doors (which I must admit makes the cabin look ultra-cool), but otherwise it is just an A6.
The build quality, the choice of materials and the operability all round is outstanding. And then you have these large, supportive and comfy seats you can spend days in. There’s enough space to carry three adults in the rear, and because it is an estate, you can put in a dog in there too. Now, how many supercars can brag about that!
It’s feature packed too. Besides the trick all-LED headlamps, the RS6 also gets a head-up display, fully loaded MMI system, electric seats with memory, a panoramic sunroof, height adjustable suspension, and a Bose surround sound among others. There is a gamut of safety acronyms too like ESP, ABS, ASR and EDL (google for full forms), and of course, many airbags. Now, in most markets the former set of features are optional extras, but here in India, it is all a standard fare, a way to justify that mammoth price tag, surely.
How does it drive?
Like it were two completely different cars. The Audi RS6 has four drive modes – Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual. In Comfort, it is like any other A6 – quiet with a measured throttle response and a light but accurate steering and surprisingly good ride (even though it runs on 21-inch wheels with a tyre profile akin to a rubber band). Comfort is for the family.
Select Dynamic, however, and it's best then to leave the family behind. The suspension firms up, the exhaust note gets louder, the steering feels heavier and then when you get on the throttle, everything goes ballistic. The RS6 hurls you to 100kmph in just 3.9 seconds and refuses to calm down even when it hits twice this speed; this with the family would have meant puking kids and a dead dog.
The Dynamic mode also adds a happy edge to the Audi RS6’s handling. In Comfort, the RS6 feels heavy and a bit roly-poly. It also lets its front end do most of the talking (read understeer). In Dynamic mode, the RS6 feels like a lighter, tauter, better-balanced machine. The turn-in is sharper and more neutral; there’s less body roll and one can feel the rear-end working harder at corner exits cutting understeer. It gives the RS6 the sporty edge one expects from a car with a 4.0-litre, V8 under its hood.
Yes, the Audi RS6 has a nuclear power station for an engine. It makes 552bhp and 700Nm of torque. It has twin turbos and direct injection. And it is one of the smartest engines there is with cylinder deactivation and other such tech. But, you must have guessed that given how quickly it accelerates even though it weighs almost two tonnes.
The 8-speed torque convertor automatic is a gem too. It comes with steering mounted paddle shifters and the response and shift times (in Dynamic at least), are lightening quick. It also has an S or Sports mode. And it is in this mode (combined with Dynamic) that the true ferocity of the RS6 comes to the fore. Unless you have super sensitive feet, the throttle response will feel snatchy. And then in the overruns, the RS6 goes on cracking away as if it were the brand ambassador for the festival of Diwali. Initially, it is challenging and intoxicating, but eventually, when the boy racer in you tires out, D or Drive mode, is what works best.
Should I buy one?
What can I say; if you love things that are fast, fun and fantastic, and don’t need to sell your son to get one, go ahead buy it! I for one will applaud every time I see you tearing past.
Where does it fit in?
The RS6 is to Audi what the M5 is to BMW and the E63 AMG is to Mercedes. But, while the latter two are sedans that are differentiated visually by meatier body add-ons – which are easy to fake on regular versions of these sedans, the RS6 is distinct. It is an estate (or Avant in Audi speak) and that too the only one on sale in the country currently. So in terms of exclusiveness (or even usability and practicality for that matter), it really has no equal.
