Audi ’s RS6 Avant super wagon has been out for nearly a year but a sedan will soon join the Avant’s ranks at October’s Paris Motor Show. Audi’s entire A6 line will undergo an update for the 2009 model year, keeping the 5-Series rival fresh until the an all-new A6 arrives in 2011.
The RS6 uses a twin-turbocharged direct injection version of the S6’s 5.2 liter V10. In RS6 guise, the engine produces 580 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, capable of launching the car to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. The sprint from zero to 124 mph takes 14.9 seconds for the wagon version — a figure the sedan should be able to match or exceed.
The RS6 will be available with optional ceramic disc brakes, as well as 20 inch wheels. 19 inch rollers will be standard. Quattro permanent four-wheel-drive and a six-speed tiptronic gearbox are standard. The RS6 package will also include Audi ’s Dynamic Ride Control, which allows the driver to toggle through sport, dynamic and comfort modes.
It should come as no surprise the new RS6 sedan will feature the same updated design elements as the facelifted 2009 A6. The taillights have been redesigned with R8-inspired lenses, and a striking LED treatment that effectively cut through the haze of blowing snow. Other highlights include a slightly redesigned front bumper, new rectangular fog lamps and larger air-intakes left and right of the grille.
