Audi RS6 2015 News

Propelling them into this sophisticated stoush is a refreshed V8 that is monstrous in its outputs yet relatively mild in its thirst and emissions.As they vie for supremacy over the dearer AMG and M division rivals, the pair also cosset occupants in the customary manner, tempt them with luxo-info-safety-performance add-ons and, further in Audi fashion, encourage them to option the beasts up to be different from and dearer than the neighbour in the country club car park.In Sportback and Avant alike, the engine bay gloats over the presence of the 412kW bent eight. For greater thermal efficiency, the twin turbos and outlets are within the vee while the intake plumbing is external.Cylinder-on-demand tech deactivates four of these in traffic and at other idle moments, not that there were many such times at the Phillip Island reveal this week.Fully kitted, each car could nudge $300,000Audi claims for each a 0-100km/h sprint in an astonishing 3.9 seconds yet mid-9L/100km fuel use and, thanks to Euro6 compliance, moderate contributions to greenhouse gases.Add all the fruit on the options list — the $12,000 Bang & Olufsen audio seems a steal — and you’ve got the price of a decent Lexus.Fully kitted, each car could nudge $300,000 but unadorned versions are still tasty in the $230K-$240K band.The RSs of course bristle with digital assistance and there’s sufficient infotainment gear to run your corporation from the front seat.The pair perform an exhaust-note opera as they hustle aroundThe phone contacts capacity doubles to 4000 so you can tell all your friends (and all your employees) how well you’re travelling.The peak RS pair represent, in Audi’s view, the last word in style (Sportback) and practicality (Avant). Include the S variants and R8 and the performance vehicles account for about one in six Audi sales, legging up the brand to outsell the German rivals year to date.Driven solely on the Island’s smooth blacktop, the pair perform an exhaust-note opera as they hustle around, the swoopy coupe slightly less at ease when cornering than the wagon, whose slightly wider track and haunches give it the stance of a staffordshire.As colleague Craig Duff found on the first drive of the RSs in Europe, the Avant might be the better prospect given its sticker reads $12,500 less than the sibling. TVAudi RS6 Avant, RS7 SportbackPrice from: $229,500, $242,000Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin turbo, 412kW/700NmTransmission: 8-speed auto; AWDThirst: 9.6L, 9.5L/100km, 223g, 221g/km CO2Top speed: 250km/h

The New York motor show in April will see the announcement of which vehicle has won the 2014 World COTY, and there looks to be a tough -- and very varied -- field of finalists.Last year's winner was the Volkswagen Golf, which also took awards in pretty well every country on the globe. But this year it could be anything from the little electric BMW i3 to the offroading Jeep Cherokee and even the Citroen C4 peoplemover, judging by the shortlist.A panel of 69 motoring experts from around the world -- including Carsguide's Paul Gover and National Motoring Editor Joshua Dowling -- will choose the winner from: Audi A3, BMW 4 Series, BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford Fusion/Mondeo, Infiniti Q50, Jeep Cherokee, Lexus IS, Mazda3, Peugeot 308 and Skoda Octavia.The 10 finalists for the 2014 World Luxury Car are the Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X5, Cadillac ELR, Cadillac Escalade, Maserati Ghibli, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Macan, Range Rover Sport and Rolls-Royce Wraith.Due to a tie, there are 11 finalists for the 2014 World Performance Car: Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi RS 6 Avant, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Ferrari 458 Speciale, Ford Fiesta ST, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, Mercedes-Benz A/CLA45 AMG, Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 911 Turbo and Volkswagen Golf GTI.A separate panel of five 'green' experts will choose the 2014 World Green Car from Audi A3 Sportback e-tron (+ Audi e-gas), BMW i3, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Volkswagen XL1.Similarly, a panel of five design experts will decide on the 2014 World Car Design of the Year, from among: BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Mazda3, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volkswagen XL1.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Many ‘behind the scenes’ videos are tedious productions with a conga line of people nattering on about the car – and not enough of the car itself.Audi shows us how to do it right with backgrounder footage for their recent dual video giving us a look at the tyre-warming preparation for the main action. No surprise then, that the backgrounder is just as exciting as the main event, in which the RS6 Avant duels champion free-runner Damien Walters.The man is armed with paint balloons, the machine is armed with a stonking 412kW/700Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, a 0-100km/h time of 3.9 seconds, a top speed of up to 305km/h. And a paint grenade. Watch the Audi RS6 Avant warming the tyres video here. Watch the Audi RS6 Avant Duel video here. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

Audi isn’t shy of getting their cars dirty for trailers. We’ve already seen the Audi RS4 in a paintball duel, and now the RS6 Avant has been rolled onto the battlefield.

With the arrival of the A4 and its variants, updated A3 hatch, hot S3, the A3 cabrio and the R8 super coupe, the 2008 pace was fast and furious. The onslaught made Audi the fastest-growing premium brand in the country, with a 30 per cent jump in 2008 sales. The eagerly awaited Q5 off-roader and RS6 sedan are just around the corner — and will be on show in Melbourne. The Quattro all-wheel-drive RS6 shares the same Lamborghini-sourced V10 engine as the wagon. It’s a twin-turbo 5.0-litre direct-injection motor that delivers the same power — 426kW at 6250 revs and 650Nm from just 1500 revs. Granted, the RS6 will get the lion’s share of interest but it is the Q5 off-roader that will please families and off-road enthusiasts alike. The Q5 looks like a shrink-wrapped Q7 and in design terms it borrows some of the same handsome cues. Using the Quattro all-wheel-drive system, the Q5 distributes the power between the front and rear axle in a 40/60 split, for a rear-focused driving experience. When needed, the all-wheel-drive system can deliver up to 65 per cent of the power to the front axle and a maximum of 85 per cent to the rear axle. Buyers have a choice of three engines in the Audi range — a 2.0-litre four and 3.0-litre V6 TDI, as well as a 2.0-litre TSFI petrol turbo.   The 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show...  

It has just lifted the wraps off its new RS6 sedan, upping the ante from the old car's V8 to a V10 borrowed from the Italian supercar maker Lamborghini, which Audi has owned for 10 years. Shoehorning a V10 into the A6 engine bay proves that peace is yet to be declared in the German power wars. The electrifying RS6 sedan and wagon takes the 5.0-litre Lamborghini V10 and plumbs in two turbochargers to lift power to 426kW and torque to 650Nm. Fuel price spikes and the sedan's projected $250,000 pricetag haven't turned the queues away either. Audi Australia expects to sell about 50 sedans and wagons combined a year. Spokesperson, Nadine Giusti, says 25 people have already expressed interest. The sedan arrives here early next year but the wagon arrives before Christmas. The 5.0-litre twin-turbo V10 engine features direct injection and dry-sump lubrication. It is mated to Audi's quattro all-wheel drive via a six-speed tiptronic automatic tuned for quicker shift response. The car's peak torque of 650Nm is available from 1500 to 6250 revs. Peak power of 426kW is generated between 6250 revs and 6700 revs. The sedan accelerates to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h. To cope with the car's extra oomph the suspension has been upgraded. The front axle gets light-weight aluminium control arms on each wheel and Audi's dynamic ride control is standard for Australia. The speed-dependent servotronic power steering has been retuned and the ratio is more direct. When combined with the sports suspension plus the dynamic ride control has three settings, sport, dynamic and comfort. For Australia, the RS 6 will have 20-inch alloys shod with 275/35 tyres. Up front, six-piston fixed aluminium calipers painted black and decorated with RS badges clamp down on 390mm front discs and 356mm rear discs. The rear axle features single-piston floating brake calipers. The floating steel discs feature large cooling ducts and axial perforations for enhanced performance and less weight. Visually the RS6 gets styling cues to distinquish it from lesser Audis. These include the single-frame grille, the large air intakes, xenon-plus headlights, adaptive light and RS 6-specific LED daytime running lights, flared mudguards and deep side skirts, a rear diffuser. The rear spoiler is integrated into the bootlid and two large oval exhausts complete the picture. Inside, the cabin gets carbon fibre inlays and Silk Nappa RS-embossed leather sports seats. A refreshed A6 sedan and wagon will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October and the cars will hit local showrooms early next year. The midlife update involves modest cosmetic changes to the front and rear, new alloys and some interior trim changes. At the front the current car's broad bar across the grille that backs the numberplate has been removed, replaced by a one-piece plunging grille. The air intake and foglights surrounds have also been given more pronounced ribs for an aggressive look. The headlights and tail-lights are largely untouched, although the rear lights lose the white reverse bar of the current car. The shape of the lower lip on the boot has also been squared off. The car's handsome profile remains the same. The next-generation A6 is not due until 2011.