Audi is preparing to fight the BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63 with the new next-generation RS6, and it’s going to be significantly more powerful than its predecessor to fend off its German rivals. According to Autocar, the new RS6, which is due to be unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show, will have the same twin- turbo 4.0-liter V8 gasoline unit as the Porsche Panamera Turbo and Lamborghini Urus tuned to deliver around 605 hp. That’s the same power output as limited RS6 Avant Plus and 43 hp more than the previous RS6. The new engine is also said to deliver an extra 37lb-ft of torque, bringing the total to 590 lb-ft.
For comparison, the M5 produces 600 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, while the E63 S delivers 604 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque,. Power for the RS6 will be sent through an eight-speed automatic gearbox and Audi’s quattro four-wheel drive system. Autocar also reports the new RS6 will be lighter thanks to its second-generation MLB platform.
As a result, 0-62 mph should take around 3.6 seconds, making it 0.1 seconds quicker off the line than the RS6 Avant Plus. Aerodynamic enhancements should also boost its top speed to 193 mph according to the publication.
The RS6 will arrive next year after the
next-generation S6, which is also due in 2019. The new S6 will ditch its predecessor’s 4.0-liter V8 for a twin- turbo 2.9-liter V6, which is lighter and more powerful and expected to deliver over 450 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque via an eight-speed automatic gearbox and quattro four-wheel drive.
Question is, will the new Audi RS6 remain forbidden fruit in America? It seems likely given the model's history, but Audi’s Quattro GmbH CEO Stephan Winkelmann has hinted it could happen. We’re keeping our fingers crossed because more performance wagons in America would certainly be welcome right now.
