Car Advice

2009 Audi RS 6 sedan

By Alborz Fallah |

There are only a handful of cars that all of us at CarAdvice tend to agree on, we all agree the Bugatti Veyron is the be all and end all of cars, we all agree the SAAB 9-5 BioPower is not for us and we all agree, Audi’s monstrous 426 kW, 650 Nm RS 6 is the God of all fast wagons.

2009 Audi RS 6 sedan

But now the Sedan is on its way, and with its giant 5.0-litre twin-turbo V10 engine and quattro permanent all-wheel drive, we are not sure if we should be excited or scared.

When the German powerhouse says the sedan behaves like a supercar with the utility of a large executive vehicle, they are not kidding. As if a 5.0-litre V10 wasn’t enough, they’ve strapped technologies like FSI direct fuel injection, dry-sump lubrication and not one, but two turbochargers.

2009 Audi RS 6 sedan

With up to 1.6 bar of boost pressure (23 PSI), the state of the art engine delivers 650 Nm of torque, which comes in all the way from 1,500 to 6,250 rpm. But since this isn’t a diesel, power is also exceptional at 426 kW (between 6,250 rpm – 6,700 rpm).

2009 Audi RS 6 sedan

The might of the V10 is handled by a new auto six-speed tiptronic, which also allows for manual gear changes either using the shift lever or the paddles on the steering wheel. The car is driven via all four-wheels, however, being trademark Quattro, it’s more rear-weighted.

All those numbers mean the 4.93 metre long RS 6 sedan can go from 0 to 100 km/h in a supercar beating 4.5 seconds. Top speed is electronically-limited to 250 km/h.

2009 Audi RS 6 sedan

Numbers and acceleration apart, it wouldn’t behave like a supercar if it didn’t handle like one. Starting at the front, each wheel receives four (yes, four per wheel) lightweight aluminium control arms.

Going hot into a corner, Audi’s Dynamic Ride Control DRC reduces pitch and roll using purely mechanical means. The system uses hydraulic lines and valves connected diagonally to opposed pairs of shock absorbers. During enthusiastic cornering, the flow of fluid to the damper of the compressing outside front wheel increases, providing firmer support and reducing roll.

The car’s DRC offers a choice of three selectable damper settings – sport, dynamic and comfort. Audi has also tuned the ESP to be a little forgiving, allowing for a “dynamic driving style”. It also offers a Sport mode and can further be deactivated entirely.

2009 Audi RS 6 sedan

Australian specifications list the RS 6 sedan as coming standard with 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 275/35 tyres. Brakes are nothing short of spectacular, with six-piston fixed aluminum calipers at the front clamping down on 390 mm brake disks (same size as the Aston Martin DBS).

The rear brake disks are still enormous at 356 mm in diameter and supported with single-piston floating brake calipers.

2009 Audi RS 6 sedan

Being able to spot the difference between the A6/S6 and the might RS 6 might seem a little difficult for some (perhaps a benefit to the car’s sleeper image), but those in the know can easily spot the single-frame grille, the large air intakes, xenon plus headlights, adaptive light and RS 6-specific LED daytime running lights, the flared fenders and deep side skirts, the rear diffuser, the spoiler integrated into the trunk lid and the two large oval exhaust pipes.

2009 Audi RS 6 sedan

Getting inside any RS model in Audi’s lineup has a Lamborghini feel to it. The company says the RS 6 is the embodiment of power, elegance, exclusivity and perfection. Some of the interior highlights include carbon fibre inlays as a standard feature (with brushed aluminium or highly-polished black lacquer as ‘no cost’ options) for Australian-built cars, and Silk Nappa RS-embossed leather seats in tried-and-tested Audi quality.

2009 Audi RS 6 sedan

The full list of standard equipment will be available closer to the car’s Australian release around the first quarter of 2009, but Audi says the RS 6 will receive the company’s MMI (Multi Media Interface) system with a colour monitor and TV reception (analog and digital), advanced key entry, electric glass sunroof, Audi Navigation, dual-zone deluxe automatic air conditioning plus, an acoustic parking assistant at front and rear, a 3-spoke, multifunction leather sports steering wheel with flat-bottomed rim and a Bose surround sound system.

2009 Audi RS 6 sedan Interior

Additionally there will also be a boost pressure indicator for the two turbochargers in the driver information system.

Audi previously sold the last generation RS 6 in 2004 for about $220,000 for the sedan and $225,000 for the wagon. Pricing for the new RS 6 sedan is still to be confirmed.


 
  • o

    i still prefer thh wagon to this.

  • Reckless1

    I don’t care – I’ll take this in either wagon or sedan form :)

  • Austin

    Impressive, but I’m still more eager to hear about the new RS4.

  • Starky

    As much of a Ford bogan I am, I’m actually now feeling sorry for all of those people who bought a W427. That 4.5 0-100 seems mighty conservative, especially when you consider it has Quatro AWD – should be about 4 flat I would think

  • No Name

    Super duper cool – best interior quality in the planet after the Aurion of course. Tests I read on the wagon version stated it was really heavy (2plus tonnes) presume this will be a touch lighter.
    You can just imagine the kids in the back “Dad are we there yet”….”yes son we’ve been here five minutes”

  • greenroom

    Magnificent machines these RS6′s, shame we can’t enjoy them in Aus. No autobahns, no point, no reason, useless except for enthusiasts, posers or Northern Territorians. But I’d have one in a flash in Germany.

  • MD

    Hmm…

    An RS6 or W427 (*snigger*). I mean, $225K to $155K may seem a big difference, but when you break it down into lease payments per month, the difference is far, far less.

    Can’t wait to see an M5 VS RS6 VS W427 comparison and see the results… the Germans are usually pretty conservative with their performance times, whilst HSV do the opposite.

  • http://www.caradvice.com.au Karl Peskett

    Drool…

    I love the “Hands behind your head!” chairs.

    An Avant for me please.

  • pious

    Shame (as the article says) it looks the same as the A6, which is pretty poxy performance wise. I’m not too much of a show pony, but if I am paying a $120K plus premium over the base model, I’d want to be able to see if from the outside without having to take out a tape measure on the grill. Otherwise it is just a matter of dragging people off, and if I wasnt too old to be doing that, I may as well get an EVO for fun plus a $150K lux car that actually looks the goods.

  • Stevo the Devo

    Lets build an autobahn in Oz – From Perth to Brissy with every capital city in between. 110 is too slow – no wonder drivers fall asleep.

  • Flying High

    hear hear stevo.

  • acilk

    Definitely! Oz needs an Autobahn!

    Pity it’d never happen…

  • John

    Oh how true. But, like the Ring, you have to pay $10 or so to go on it, so only performance cars can ride it. No people carriers, Kia Rios, trucks, vans, or old couples in Toyota Camrys. Blegh!

    Oh, and Pious, do you not know what a sleeper is?

    Thats why people buy fast Audis, you dingbat.

  • Bob

    Aimed at pious:

    thats the whole point of Audi. Its conservative but itll rip your head off if you want it to. Hence why the RS4 is Subtle in its differences.. If you want gills and fins youre looking at the wrong car.

    I love this car. MTM have already chipped and exhaust the wagon to produce 710hp and 0-100 in 3.9

    what a “family” car :p who says the dog in the wagon doesnt want to go fast too?

  • Neo Utopia

    Vorsprung durch Technik, ah ha! Is it just me or does Audi have one of the best slogans around? If this car’s grill could open up it might accidentally ingest pedestrians, good car for transformers I think. Give the thing NOS and it will literally become a sleeping dragon with flames coming out of the large exhausts!