The new Audi RS 6 Avant performance and the Audi RS 7 Sportback performance are overflowing with accessories that refine the vehicles’ look and provide a more expressive driving experience. They are more potent and faster than any RS 6 and RS 7 to date. Both models are available for 135,000 euros.
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Top power and torque
The ferocious 4.0-liter V8 biturbo TFSI engine now produces 463 kW (630 HP) of engine power and 850 Nm of maximum torque.
Performance at Audi equates to greater power. For instance, the 4.0-liter V8 biturbo TFSI engine in the RS 6 Avant performance and RS 7 Sportback performance has bigger turbochargers and a rise in boost pressure from 2.4 to 2.6 bar, enabling a gain of 30 HP in engine output and 50 Nm greater torque compared to the standard models.
As a result, the maximum torque will rise from 800 to 850 Nm, and the overall power will increase from 441 kW (600 HP) to 463 kW (630 HP). The 0 to 100 km/h sprint time for the performance models is 3.4 seconds, which is 0.2 seconds quicker than the standard RS 6 and RS 7 models.
However, there are times when less is more. By reducing the insulation between the engine, the interior, and the rear of the car, Audi has ensured that the RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback will thrill customers with thrilling, next-level audio experiences. The reduction also makes the car eight kilograms lighter.
The unloaded weight of the performance RS 6 Avant is 2,090 kg, compared to the performance RS 7 Sportback’s 2,065 kg.
Audi RS 6 Avant and Audi RS 7 Sportback performance, every detail counts
The permanent all-wheel drive Quattro receives power from the 4.0 TFSI engine through a standard eight-speed Tiptronic with quicker shift times. When slippage occurs, more driving torque is automatically given to the axle with greater grip; up to 70% may flow to the front axle and up to 85% to the rear axle.
The purely mechanical center differential transfers engine power to the rear axle at a ratio of 40:60. The self-locking center differential is smaller and lighter, which enhances driving dynamics and provides considerably more accurate turning, resulting in less understeering at the handling limits.
Additionally, the self-steering reaction is now more precise, which gives passengers a more dynamic driving experience overall.
Delivering all that power to the road
The new RS 6 Avant performance and RS 7 Sportback performance are equipped with 273/35 tires and come standard with 21-inch ten-spoke star-shaped aluminum cast wheels. Along with the regular 22-inch aluminum cast wheels, 22-inch lightweight wheels are also offered for an even sportier look.
These wheels come in burnished glossy metallic black, matte gray, matte black, or matte neodymium gold. The airy 5-Y spoke design, which was influenced by racing, assists in brake cooling, and the lightweight rims are made using a high-tech forging-milling technique.
The 22-inch aluminum wheel on the present RS 6 Avant or RS 7 Sportback weighs around five kilos more than the new lightweight wheel; this 20-kilogram weight reduction in unsprung masses enhances the throttle response.
The new lightweight wheel’s new high-performance Continental “Sport Contact 7” 285/30 tires are crucial to weight reduction. The tires continuously provide higher traction on both dry and wet surfaces, and they also lessen understeering while turning quickly, resulting in more accurate handling across the whole speed range.
Additionally, while braking from 100 to 0 km/h, the brake path is up to two meters shorter with the new wheels.
The nature of the car may be controlled by the driver thanks to the Audi drive choice dynamic handling system. Efficiency, comfort, auto, dynamic, and two proprietary RS1 and RS2 modes are among the six possible profiles.
However, the performance versions‘ driving modes provide a significantly more distinctive experience. For instance, the coasting mode is only now activated automatically in the efficiency profile, which means it coasts at speeds up to 160 km/h without using any fuel or creating any drag torque.
Additionally, tighter load shifts in S mode when the “dynamic” drive select mode or driving mode S is engaged are made possible by fine-tuning the engine control unit software, which heightens the emotionality even more. The gearbox control unit’s revised software allows for quicker shifting and a discernibly wider range of driving modes.
Standard RS Dynamic package
The RS Dynamic Package comes as standard in both the RS 7 and RS 6 Avant performance versions. This features the increased top speed of 280 km/h (180 mph), dynamic all-wheel steering, the quattro sport differential on the rear axle, and the RS-specific software upgrade that assists the driver with active steering adjustments on the front and back axles.
In addition to the RS Dynamics Package, the RS Dynamics Package plus is a choice that increases the peak speed to 305 km/h and adds an RS ceramic braking system. The calipers may be ordered in gray, red, or blue, and the discs measure 440 mm in the front and 370 mm in the back (rear). To reduce the unsprung masses, the RS ceramic braking system weighs around 34 kg less overall than its steel version.
Wide range of options for the inside
The well-known RS design packages in gray and red have been extended to incorporate the color blue for the inside. Contrasting stitching in Mercato blue can be seen on the Alcantra black steering wheel rim, as well as the floor mats, the side of the center console, and the selector lever cuff.
The seat belts have a full-surface color of ocean blue and optional blue highlights on the carbon twill inlays used as ornamental inlays. Dinamica microfiber, which contains around 45% recycled PET fibers, is used for the selector lever knob and the side of the center console, while the sports seats have premium Valcona leather upholstery with honeycomb stitching and contrasting stitching in Mercato blue.
The inscription “RS performance” is projected into the ground adjacent to the vehicle by an entry LED in the front doors, which is another distinctive element.
A flashing shift indication in manual transmission mode, which changes the rpm display from green to yellow to red, blinking in a way akin to that used in racing, is one of the new features available on the displays of the standard 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit plus.
Additionally, Launch Control, which signals the perfect time to accelerate off the line with new traffic light symbols, fully utilizes the acceleration capability of the RS 6 Avant performance and the RS 7 Sportback performance.
A tradition of performance
Audi’s long-standing sport strategy of plus and performance models is continued with the RS 6 Avant performance and RS 7 Sportback performance in the C8 generation. Before the C5 generation’s RS 6 Avant plus model was retired in 2004, quattro GmbH (now Audi Sport GmbH) developed a unique, limited run of 999 vehicles with a little increase in power.
The model had the distinction of being the first Audi to officially travel faster than 250 km/h, with an increase in engine output of 30 HP to 480 HP. The quickest sport wagon is the RS 6 plus, which Audi Sport has throttled to 280 km/h. Its highest speed without the engine control unit was more than 300 km/h.
The C6 generation’s plus variation debuted in 2008 and was only produced in 500 units. It did not have any more power than its predecessor; the V10 still had 580 HP. However, Audi restricted the peak speed of the special Avant and Sedan to 303 km/h; at the time, the R8 was the only quicker car.
In the C7 generation, “plus” was replaced with “performance”; the Audi RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback performance models went on sale in 2016 with significantly modified engines that produced 605 HP, 45 HP more than the standard model. In “dynamic” driving mode, the overboost function momentarily rose to 750 Nm, and depending on the equipment, the speed was capped at 250, 280, or 305 km/h.