The Audi RS6 Has Been A Force To Be Reckoned With For 20 Years

For 20 years, the RS6 has been a staple of Audi Sport’s portfolio and been heralded as one of the finest cars of its kind. To celebrate the car’s important anniversary, Audi has gathered all four generations of RS6 together and gone on a trip down memory lane.

The Audi RS6 story started in 2002 with the release of the C5-generation model. The car was powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.2-liter V8 that was fine-tuned by Cosworth and was pumping out 444 hp and 413 lb-ft (560 Nm) of torque, making it the most powerful Audi at the time and matching the 444 hp of Audi’s DTM race car.

Coupled as standard to this engine was a torque-converter automatic transmission that helped both the RS 6 Avant and Sedan models hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.7 seconds. It also came outfitted with Audi’s Dynamic Ride Control suspension system. Audi later introduced the RS6 Plus that was good for 473 hp.

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Six years later, the C6-generation RS6 debuted. This was arguably the wildest RS6 of them all as it sported a twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter V10 with 572 hp and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque, meaning it had even more grunt than the Audi R8 GT. The sole available transmission was a six-speed automatic and the Avant needed just 4.6 seconds to hit 62 mph while the Sedan completed the sprint in 4.5 seconds. The eventual Plus variant also pushed the car’s top speed up to 188 mph (303 km/h).

Then was the time of the C7-generation RS6. It was released in 2013 and ditched the large-displacement V10 in favor of a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. Power was decreased slightly to 552 hp but the extensive use of aluminum allowed Audi to shed 120 kg (265 lbs) of weight over the C6 model. The presence of 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of twisting force and a new eight-speed Tiptronic transmission allowed the car to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 3.9 seconds, all while storming through to a 190 mph (305 km/h) top speed.

The C7 model also saw the introduction of air suspension that helped make the super estate better for day-to-day driving duties. Audi also ditched the RS6 Sedan variant, replacing it with the RS 7 Sportback.

In 2019, the fourth-generation, C8 RS6 was released. It too sports a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 but has a 48-volt mild-hybrid system and produces 592 hp and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. The sprint to 62 mph is dealt with in 3.6 seconds and the RS6 Avant is available for the first time in the United States.