AUDI'S SUPER-HOT WAGON: THE RS6 QUATTRO PLUS AVANT
Audi has been producing standard looking cars with a lot of
power for some time, but the latest RS6 Quattro Plus Avant is a
wagon with supercar performance. It is powered by a
twin-turbocharged 4.2 liter V-8 engine with no less than 480 bhp
at 6,000 rpm. The previous model developed 450 bhp.
The standard A6 has front-wheel drive, but obviously to transmit
that much power onto the road they've given the car four-wheel
drive, which is particularly important with the engine out in
front of the front axle. Yes, that's the unusual layout of the
Audi A4 and A6 models.
SUPERCAR PRICE, SUPERCAR PERFORMANCE
They aren't producing many of the RS6 Pluses, and the price is
up in the supercar league at around $120,000 (�66,675). But yo
still a highly practical wagon you can use to collect builder's
material, or pile high with luggage for your summer holiday. And
in between you have a car that can compete with many a
slick-looking superccar. For example,the Ferrari F430, a
fabulous two-seater has only 10 bhp more than the RS6, and
because the RS6 engine is turbocharged it will have much more
power in the 2,000-5,000 rpm rantge than the Ferrari - in other
words it will have more usable power.
This 40-valve engine - that's five valves per cylinder - would
be just the job in a neat mid-engine coupe, and indeed Audi has
one of its own on the stocks, but it's not very neat. In the RS6
it turns what looks like an ordinary wagon into a fire-eating
frenzied dervish.
Audi used to split the power of its quattro system with an equal
amount of torque going to the front and rear
axles. But with
this model, and the latest RS4 it has adopted a center
differential that sends 40 per cent of the torque - or power -
to the front wheels and 60 per cent to the rear wheels. This is
a better arrangement because it prevents excessive understeer -
that's when the front end of the car slides outwards - which can
happen with a car that is so nose-heavy.
PLENTY OF SPACE FOR THE FAMILY
This RS6 is one mighty powerful car, capable of 175 mph - that
top speed is limited by a governor - with a 0-60 time of 4.6
seconds. Very fast, although the Mitsubishi Evo VIII FQ330 can
do 0-60 in just 4.4 seconds. Methinks the RS6 is a bit heavy...
But to be fair, the Porsche Carrera can't do better than 4.6
seconds, albeit with 300 bhp.
In practice, 0.2 seconds is neither here nor there, so the
difference between this RS Plus and the old one won't be noticed
by anyone without a stop watch - and a might fine one at that. A
mere human can't measure 0.2 seconds, and can't do much in that
much time either. Still, these are all very fast cars, and once
you get below 5 seconds for the 0-60 time you're hot. That's
good enough for me. Without a stop watch.
About the author:
John
Hartley is the editor of Fast-Autos, an
online magazine devoted to fast cars and supercars. He has
written for many top auto magazines, and has written 10 books
about cars and the auto industry, including 'Suspension and
Steering Q&A' and 'The Electronics Revolution in the Motor
Industry'.
Written by: John Hartley
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