An all-new 2020 Audi RS6 Avant is getting ready to hit the streets, but until then, it’s getting tested at the Nurburgring.
Disturbing the German countryside’s peace with its sonorous V8 and squealing tires, the C8 generation of the RS6 Avant was pushed down the straights and between the apexes mile after mile, lap after lap, with Audi using one of the most demanding and punishing tracks out there to hone its upcoming uber-estate.
Unlike the C6 and C7 RS6, the latest iteration might make it to North America. The official decision is still pending, but according to a statement made by Audi Sport R&D chief Oliver Hoffman not long ago, the U.S. market is showing interest in high-performance wagons.
Also Watch: Mercedes-AMG E63 S vs Audi RS6 Performance In Super Estate Comparison
The next-gen RS6 Avant will use a new, twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that, according to reports, should put out around 650 horsepower. If this proves accurate, it would represent a big improvement over the outgoing RS6’s 552 hp, and even the Performance version’s 597 hp. The latter can accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds and up to 280 km/h (174 mph), with the optional Dynamic Package, so we expect its replacement to be even faster.
Its chief rival, the Mercedes-AMG E63 S Estate, has 604 hp from a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and sprints from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.5 seconds, while with the optional AMG Driver’s Package, top speed increases from the electronically limited 250 km/h (155 mph) to 300 km/h (186 mph). Since BMW refrains from building an M5 Touring, when the new RS6 Avant launches, it should give the Merc something to think about…