Pure hedonism, that is the new Audi RS 6, with a big V8 in the nose and a rude amount of power. The Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid also has that and yet with its plug-in hybrid powertrain it is a much more pragmatic offer. In a direct confrontation, we look for the winner between hedonism and pragmatism.
For a moment nothing seems to happen on board the new Audi RS6 when the accelerator pedal hits the bulkhead. A moment when electronics have to determine how to meet the driver’s demand without the car pulling itself apart. That one pedal movement brings no less than 600 hp and 800 Nm in position. It seems almost tangible how the power is transferred to both axles via the automatic gearbox and the center differential. And then the world starts to move very fast backwards. It does not make much difference to the Quattro four-wheel-drive system that it is raining and the temperature is nowhere near double digits. It brings the power to the asphalt almost as efficiently as if it had been 30 degrees and sunny. Without regard for something as banal as air resistance, the four-liter V8 with its double turbo hits the two-ton RS6 to the national limit in less than four seconds. Less than ten seconds later, the counter is double and if we were to find free space on the autobahn, the counter would only stop rising at 305 km / h thanks to the optional Dynamic Package Plus. In a station wagon.
Shameless excess has always been the trademark of the RS 6 and the new fits seamlessly into that tradition. The way the drivetrain works also characterizes the new Audi as a real RS6. At the very bottom, surprisingly little happens, at least with the knowledge of all that ability in mind. Then at 2,000 rpm both turbos blow in and then the car surfs on a tidal wave of torque in the middle area. At the very top, the storm slows down a bit, although there are often numbers on the counter that have no place on the public road. That shameless ease with which the RS 6 puts out malformed performance and lets the environment know with a deep, raspy rumble, is addictive. The fact that the eight-speed fully automatic in standard mode does not want to downshift, makes little difference due to the wide coupling platform. In full attack mode it all goes a lot faster, the V8 hammers even better and the consumption is even higher. The RS 6 does not save fuel. Although the Audi has a mild hybrid system in name, it is so mild that the Scoville scale barely comes off zero. The fast Audi does not apologize for its excessive lifestyle. An RS stands for hedonistic speed experience and nothing else.