2009 Audi RS6

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Audi is aiming at horsepower supremacy with the 2009 Audi RS6 Avant. With a monster 580-horsepower, twin-turbocharged, 5.2-liter V10 engine under its hood, this high-performance four-door wagon is more powerful than either the BMW M5 or Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG.

The aggressively styled RS6 Avant will make its public debut at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show, and it's the latest in an illustrious line of rapid four-wheel-drive Audi models to receive the treatment as an RS (Renn Sport — which translates as Race Sport). It all started with the Porsche-developed RS2 in 1993, but no RS has proven so powerful or quite as fast as this one.

The Subtle Hints of a Monster
Building on the S6's muscular appearance, Audi's increasingly active Quattro GmbH division has provided the new RS6 Avant with a host of detailed exterior changes to imbue it with a further touch of visual aggression.

The additions begin with a heavily profiled front bumper that incorporates larger cooling ducts. The new car's prominent grille also receives a brushed-aluminum frame and high-gloss black insert to set it apart from its naturally aspirated sibling. The standard bi-xenon headlamps house halogen foglamps as well as a set of LED daytime running lamps.

The flanks are characterized by heavily flared wheel arches with a flat-panel design that recalls Audi's legendary Quattro, with chunkier rocker sills underneath the doors and brushed-aluminum exterior mirrors.

At the rear you'll find a pair of chromed oval tailpipes. (The S6 has round tailpipes in comparison.) The reworked rear bumper boasts a fully functioning diffuser element that smoothes the airflow underneath the rear of the car.

The new Audi is clothed in a shell built predominantly from steel, although the hood and front fenders are stamped from aluminum in a bid to reduce weight at the front end and provide a more balanced front-to-rear weight distribution.

Two Turbos, 580 Horses
For all the RS6's visual drama, though, it's what lurks underneath the hood that is sure to set tongues wagging at this Audi's debut in Frankfurt. The previous model's Cosworth-tweaked twin-turbocharged 4.2-liter V8 is history; this new RS is powered by a twin-turbocharged version of Audi's 5.2-liter V10 engine featuring the latest direct-injection system.

Peak power is put at 580 hp at 6,250 rpm with a mountainous 479 pound-feet of torque at just 1,500 rpm. These numbers eclipse the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V10 of the BMW M5 by 80 hp and 96 lb-ft, while they surpass the 6.2-liter V8 of the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG by 73 hp and 10 lb-ft.

Despite boasting 130 hp and 64 lb-ft of torque more than the previous-generation RS6, the new car's substantial curb weight of 4,464 pounds means its power-to-weight ratio is actually slightly worse than its predecessor's. Still, it's enough to propel the performance of the new-generation RS6 well into supercar territory.

Audi claims 100 kph (62 mph) comes up in just 4.6 seconds in the new RS6. This is more than a second quicker than the current-generation Audi S6 sedan, which has a naturally aspirated version of the 5.2-liter V10 that produces 435 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque. It also eclipses the last SMG-equipped M5 we tested, but it's slower than the last E63 we tested, which tore to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds.

Ingolstadt also reveals that the new car gets to 200 kph (124 mph) in just 14.9 seconds. Top speed is once again limited to 155 mph, although there is little doubt the new RS6 would bullet well and truly beyond this without electronic intervention.

Quattro Puts the Power Down
As tradition dictates, the RS6's power is channeled to each corner of the chassis via a six-speed automatic gearbox and Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Revisions to the Torsen center differential now send 40 percent of the power to the front wheels and 60 percent to the rear, improving traction off the starting line and delivering cornering dynamics more like those of a rear-wheel-drive car.

As an indication of just how seriously Audi is taking the RS6's handling performance, its new engine boasts dry-sump lubrication to maintain optimal oil scavenging even at cornering that reaches grip levels of 1.2g.

The RS6's beefed-up suspension (wider tracks front and rear plus unique springs, dampers and even bushings) has been extensively tested at the Nürburgring. It's allied to a heavily revised version of Audi's Dynamic Ride Control system, which relies on hydraulics to suppress body movement while providing three different levels of suspension damping control. Other features include a more sophisticated electronic stability program that has a higher threshold of engagement than the S6 and can now be deactivated completely.

In standard trim, the RS6 rolls on 19-inch wheels with 255/40R19 tires. You'll be able to order the new car on optional 20-inch rims with more aggressive 275/35R20 rubber, a combination that also allows the fitment of 16.5-inch front and 14-inch rear carbon-ceramic brakes.

Serious Seats for a Serious Wagon
The RS6 is no stripped-down road racer, as the interior of the RS6 offers a luxurious driving environment like that of the S6 with a sumptuous combination of leather, aluminum accents and carbon-fiber trim.

The front seats have been replaced by hulking hard-shell items that promise loads of support. A stop/start button sited between the front seats is used to fire the new car's twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V10 (an engine also slated for a future version of the Audi R8 sports car). The steering wheel has been resized and has a motorsports-style squared-off rim at the bottom to emphasize the new car's sporting pretensions.

Overall interior spaciousness is the same as that of the S6, meaning generous room for four adults. The sedan offers 19.3 cubic feet of luggage space, while the wagon has 20 cubic feet of cargo capacity behind the second seat and 58.6 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down.

It's Still a Year Away, If At All
There's no official word on the future of the 2009 Audi RS6 in North America. Audi only sent the sedan version of the RS6 over last time around, and it says there 'sare no plans to bring the RS6 Avant over this time either. An RS6 sedan will definitely follow, however, and there's little doubt it will find its way to the U.S. The new Ingolstadt stormer will be priced around $90,000, which is right in line with the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG.

"The engine alone is worth every cent of it," an Audi insider tells us.

We'll let you know if it's true once Audi offers up a test-drive. The 2009 Audi RS6 sedan is expected to go on sale in North America in the fall of 2008. — Andreas Stahl, Contributor