Audi RS6 News

The Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) motor show in Frankfurt is always a cacophony of news as the biggest brands in the world gather together in one place to show off their latest cars and technology.

Audi has revealed the fourth-generation RS6 Avant ahead of its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show next month.

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

It’s no secret that Australians buy a higher proportion of high-performance models like BMW’s M, Mercedes-Benz’s AMG and Chrysler and Jeep’s SRT models than most markets, and Audi is taking full advantage of this with its Audi Sport range of models. With an unprecedented seven RS models now available, the R8 supercar and S-badged versions of almost all of its models, the German brand saw a 172.2 per cent increase in local Audi Sport model sales during the 2013 financial year. This resulted in a total of 1121 units, and a shift from 3 to 7 percent of Audi’s record total local volume of 16,009 units.During this same period, BMW’s M models dropped 1 percent, and Mercedes’ AMG rose 34.3 per cent, and the total Audi Sport volume sits between BMW M’s 623 units and Mercedes AMG’s 1650 units.With the subsequent additions of the RS6 Avant, RS5 Cabriolet, S3 Sportback, RSQ3, RS7 Sportback and the upcoming S3 Sedan and S1 hatch, Audi could be a serious threat to AMG’s top-fiddle status.“We have a renewed focus on Audi Sport, and the central theme of this comes from the 30 years of quattro GmbH last year”  Audi’s Australian boss Andrew Doyle says.In addition to the new quattro GmbH-developed Audi Sport models and the brand’s ongoing motorsport activities, Australia has become the second market after the UK to adopt the ‘Audi Sport Sales Concept’, which will see dedicated Audi Sport-themed areas established in several Australian dealerships. These ‘shops within a showroom’ will feature décor based around the Audi Sport red rhombus motif, and showcase a range of merchandise, wheels and accessories.To ensure buyers of RS models appreciate the full breadth of their vehicle’s performance, each will now be invited to participate – free of charge - in the Audi Driver Experience program with driver trainer and ex-Top Gear Australia host Steve Pizzati.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

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.

Audi has revealed the first images and video of its new Quattro Concept unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show, and its realistic detailing could seed a production vehicle. If that happens, expect it to be in a fairly limited edition, and to be priced towards the top of the Audi stable.The new hybrid drivetrain consists of a 412kW/700Nm four-litre twin-turbo V8 from the RS6 and RS7, plus an electric motor -- powered by a 14.1-kWh lithium-ion battery -- that tips in 110kW and 400Nm.Watch video here. 

With the next-generation RS6 wagon picking up a new 4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine packing around 410 kiloWatts......with 20-inch alloys and aggressive suppression, to ensure you're never late to Bunnings on a Saturday morning.