Audi RS6 Avant: 0-100 & 1/4 mile performance tests & detailed 2021 review

CarExpert

Is the 2020 Audi RS 6 Avant the best car in the world? Is it the perfect antidote to the SUV? Paul Maric thinks it is! Join us with this DETAILED expert review of the Audi RS6 Avant, which is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that does 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in just 3.6 seconds and the quarter mile in just 11.7 seconds!  Hardness tester results: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/121Auf6HGvaBqRToYcuAz94alin7Sw55SpOPECBDlnKE  Read the full review: https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-reviews/2020-audi-rs6-avant-review/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=review&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=single-car-review  Skip Ahead: Intro: 00:00 Exterior: 01:23 Interior: 04:54 Infotainment: 06:21 Other Features: 10:04  Practicality: 11:42 Dynamic Driving: 16:08 Performance Testing (0-100 & 1/4 mile): 20:49 Comfort Driving: 24:34 Verdict: 27:26  We review every new car on the market, bust car myths, cover the latest car tech and answer your burning questions.  Whether you need new car advice, purchase validation or simply love learning more about new cars and technology, we are your car experts.  Subscribe to Car Expert: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7DvMhvy3H7ntEgn9n3xQcQ?sub_confirmation=1  You'll find us dropping new video content three times a week. If you'd like to ask a question about one of our videos, simply leave us a comment. If you'd like to give us any feedback on our content, feel free to email us, or alternatively, hit us up on social media.  Finally, we want this channel to grow with your support and feedback. If there's anything you don't like or would like to see us change, we'd love to hear from you!  Follow us on social media to see what we're up to and to ask any questions!  CarExpert: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarExpertAus Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/CarExpertAus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carexpert.com.au  Paul Maric: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulMaric Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/PaulMaric Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PaulMaric  #audi #review #rs6 #avant @AudiAustralia

Transcript

00:00 G'day, I'm Paul.

00:00 So I've been testing new cars for like 15 years or something

00:03 and in my top 10 list of cars ever tested,

00:06 and there's some big names in there like Veyron

00:08 and a whole bunch of Lambos and other stuff,

00:10 is an Audi RS6, the previous generation,

00:12 the performance version.

00:13 It was the ultimate because it's a wagon,

00:16 it is incredibly fast and it makes all the right sounds.

00:19 This is the all new Audi RS6

00:22 and I'm shaking at the thought of driving this

00:24 because I think it looks absolutely stunning,

00:26 especially here in red.

00:27 And I just wanna make sure that it lives up

00:30 to the previous generation

00:31 because all these emission laws

00:33 and all the other crap that's going on at the moment,

00:35 I hope they haven't dulled this down.

00:36 So this is now cheaper, it's $216,000, the starting price,

00:40 but this one has a few options on it.

00:42 And it competes with cars like the E63 and the M5,

00:45 but keep in mind,

00:46 both of those aren't available as a wagon in Australia.

00:49 So this is really the ultimate performance wagon

00:53 and for people who cringe at the thought

00:55 of having to drive an SUV,

00:56 today we're going to do a detailed review of this

00:59 to make sure that it still puts a massive smile on my face,

01:02 I can hear the birds are liking it.

01:03 We're also going to do some performance testing

01:05 to make sure it meets Audi's performance claims.

01:07 Now, if you do wanna skip ahead

01:09 to other parts of this review,

01:10 you can use the time codes up on the screen there,

01:12 or if you're on YouTube,

01:13 just scroll down below and use the chapters.

01:15 And if you haven't done so already,

01:16 make sure you subscribe and also press the bell icon

01:18 so you can find out every single time we drive a red rocket.

01:21 So let's talk exterior and I have some very good news.

01:25 There are eight colors to choose from

01:27 and most of them are free of charge.

01:28 You just pick the one that you want.

01:30 You will pay extra for a crystal paint

01:31 or a matte colored paint.

01:33 Okay, let's talk about the design.

01:35 So this car here isn't the standard specification.

01:38 It has the optional carbon pack,

01:40 so you can see that carbon fiber lip there

01:42 and other carbon fiber bits around the car.

01:44 And it also has this black optics package.

01:46 I love the look of this, especially against the red.

01:49 Everything is just blacked out,

01:50 so it's kind of like a ninja spec of car.

01:53 Now, the interesting thing with the RS6

01:55 is that if you know what it is, you know what it is.

01:58 If you don't know what it is,

01:59 you find out what it is when it blasts past you.

02:02 And this is the type of car,

02:03 especially with the optional dynamic package

02:05 that this one has, that will do 305 kilometers an hour.

02:08 So you can imagine this on an Autobahn

02:10 just barreling along at 300 clicks

02:12 with, I don't know, family on board.

02:14 It is an absolute machine.

02:16 So you can see here the big cooling requirements

02:18 of this twin turbocharged V8.

02:19 You've got vents everywhere,

02:21 radiators in these grilles over here,

02:23 and they are big holes there

02:24 because you need as much cooling as you can possibly get.

02:27 Now, have a look at these headlights.

02:28 These are full matrix LED headlights,

02:31 but the blue inside there signifies

02:33 that this is also a laser beam.

02:34 Now, the laser beam only works at certain speeds,

02:37 and that provides you coverage down the road.

02:39 Now, if you do want to have a look

02:40 at our headlight comparison, you can click up here.

02:43 We go through all the differences

02:44 between halogen all the way through to laser,

02:46 and you can see the effectiveness

02:48 and also the benefits of this type of lighting system.

02:51 Okay, let's have a look at these wheels.

02:52 22-inch alloy wheel.

02:54 It is absolutely mammoth.

02:56 Low-profile tire.

02:57 Now, the reason this is 22 inches is because of that.

03:00 That is huge.

03:01 That is literally bigger than a dinner plate.

03:03 It is absolutely massive.

03:05 440 mil carbon ceramic brakes.

03:08 These are optional, but you get your 10-piston caliper.

03:11 That caliper is gigantic.

03:13 It takes up pretty much that entire space.

03:15 It's stuff like this that I love about the RS6

03:17 because it is a wagon with brakes

03:20 that are absolutely ginormous.

03:22 I like the design here,

03:23 so you can get a number of different options

03:25 for the design of these wheels,

03:26 and 22 inches means this is probably going to be a rough ride.

03:29 So I'll be keen to see whether they've managed

03:31 to strike a balance between comfort

03:33 and also sportiness and agility.

03:35 Okay, what about the rest of the package?

03:36 So all of that black highlight continues here

03:38 on that wing mirror.

03:39 You've got black around the doors,

03:41 matte black on the roof rails,

03:42 and then a panoramic roof.

03:44 This is standard.

03:45 Privacy glass.

03:46 You get soft close on the doors.

03:48 So there it is there.

03:48 It sucks it in nicely.

03:50 And then more of that carbon fiber down the side.

03:52 This is part of that optional package.

03:54 Check out this side haunch.

03:55 So as you come towards the back of the car,

03:57 it has got some absolute hips there.

04:00 It actually sticks right out.

04:01 Come around to the back, just yes,

04:03 that's all I'm going to say.

04:04 This looks sensational.

04:06 I do love these LED lights,

04:07 plus the startup sequence that runs when you unlock the car.

04:10 More of those black highlights, black Audi badge.

04:12 You get that roof spoiler there

04:14 with black inserts down the sides.

04:16 Black RS6 badge and more of that carbon down the bottom.

04:20 Dual oval exhaust pipes.

04:21 So of course S in Audi's S models is four exhaust pipes,

04:25 and then RS is always two exhaust pipes.

04:28 But if you look closely in there,

04:29 there's actually two outlets with a bimodal flap as well.

04:33 So that's where you get that sonorous note

04:35 when that cracks open.

04:36 I don't know, I just love the look of this.

04:38 And let me know in the comments section below,

04:40 do you think Audi has nailed the design here

04:42 compared to the previous generation?

04:44 I was just a big fan of the aggressiveness

04:46 of that previous RS6 Avant,

04:47 and I think this has followed that tradition

04:49 with those big haunches and quite an aggressive design

04:52 that you'll be able to spot from a mile away.

04:54 Just like the outside,

04:55 I think Audi has absolutely nailed this interior design.

04:59 It looks really high-end and premium.

05:01 Alcantara on the steering wheel, on the gear shifter here,

05:04 on the transmission tunnel sidewalls, on the roof.

05:07 It just gives the car real depth

05:09 and gives it that performance element.

05:10 I don't know how well that will wear over time

05:13 because generally that starts to go glossy

05:15 as your hands and oils sort of rub all over it.

05:17 But I think it looks good right now, which is great.

05:19 Carbon inlays here on the dashboard and on the doors.

05:22 This weave is, I've never seen anything like this before.

05:24 This weave is, I think, unique to Audi,

05:26 and it just gives you, I don't know,

05:28 just something to touch.

05:29 It's not this piano black stuff,

05:30 which is unfortunately everywhere else,

05:33 really just not a fan of this.

05:34 It marks so easily, it scratches,

05:36 and then it leaves fingerprints everywhere.

05:38 I just prefer the option of no piano black if possible.

05:41 But outside of that,

05:42 it just looks like a really special interior.

05:45 And then to top it all off,

05:46 if you do get the bang and offs and sound system,

05:48 it comes with these omni-directional tweeters

05:50 that rise out of the dashboard.

05:52 I mean, I think the option is worth it alone

05:53 just for those things because they look absolutely cool.

05:56 Now, how soft are all these surfaces

05:58 in your expensive sports car?

06:00 Well, we have this durometer.

06:01 It's a hardness tester.

06:02 We've tested these surfaces,

06:03 and if you do wanna see how the RS6 compares to other cars,

06:06 go to the description where you'll see a link

06:08 to our table of other hardness tester results.

06:10 Finally, what about build quality?

06:12 Yeah, this all feels really good.

06:14 It's built like, you know, a tank.

06:16 I know I keep saying that,

06:17 but yeah, it feels really nice and solid here,

06:19 and it feels like it'll stand the test of time.

06:21 Okay, let's talk infotainment.

06:23 I'm gonna split this up into four main sections.

06:25 We have the 10.1-inch main infotainment screen,

06:28 the 8.6-inch climate control, auxiliary cluster,

06:31 virtual cockpit ahead of the driver,

06:33 and also the head-up display.

06:34 Let's kick off with the top display.

06:36 This is a 10.1-inch unit with haptic feedback.

06:39 So that means as you just press lightly,

06:42 you can see all the context menus light up.

06:44 But if you wanna select one,

06:46 you push a little harder and it clicks back on your finger.

06:49 It's really cool,

06:50 and you can hear a clicking noise as well.

06:52 If we jump into radio,

06:53 you have AM, FM, DAB plus digital radio.

06:56 And if you pop a SIM card in here,

06:57 you can also stream online music as well.

07:00 So you can have all sorts of things playing through here.

07:02 Media gives you internal storage

07:04 plus streaming over your phone.

07:05 Telephone can be connected just over Bluetooth,

07:08 which gives you interactivity

07:09 with the voice recognition system,

07:10 or you can connect wireless

07:13 with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

07:15 And it is a fantastic integration.

07:17 Look how fast that is.

07:19 It's the best one we've seen yet.

07:20 It is really nice and quick,

07:21 and then it just gets you through all those menus,

07:23 and you don't need to have a cable,

07:24 and you can still wirelessly charge it.

07:26 So that's a really clever integration.

07:28 Car settings.

07:29 So because this is an RS car,

07:30 you can change your RS modes and what they do in this menu.

07:34 So if you go here to the RS monitor,

07:36 this is what we'll be using later on

07:37 when we go for a drive.

07:38 It tells you exactly what's happening around the car,

07:41 and then you can also configure

07:42 the different drive modes as well,

07:43 and exactly what they do.

07:45 We then jump back over here.

07:46 You have the inbuilt navigation.

07:48 So if you don't wanna use smartphone mirroring technology,

07:50 you can just use the inbuilt nav.

07:52 You can see here that it overlays a satellite image.

07:54 It's really fast as well,

07:55 and it can use the cloud for points of interest.

07:57 Then you can go to the help screen

07:59 where you'll find the inbuilt manual

08:00 and a wizard and different usage tips.

08:02 You can then also jump over here

08:04 to have a look at the weather, your messages,

08:06 and also configure separate profiles for the car.

08:08 If you do wanna see a detailed review of MMI,

08:11 you can simply click up here

08:12 where I take you through all of the menus

08:14 and how it all works.

08:15 But let's jump down here to our climate control screen.

08:17 This is where you'll find an 8.6-inch screen

08:19 for primarily climate controls.

08:21 Again, it's a haptic feedback screen.

08:23 So to switch it on, one push of that,

08:25 you get the click on your finger.

08:26 Full zone climate control.

08:28 And then here you can also set up things

08:30 like the fragrance that comes into the car

08:32 and the ionizer for the air inside the cabin.

08:34 And then if you jump down here,

08:35 you can actually put shortcuts into this menu,

08:38 and then you have other access to commands

08:40 up the top as well.

08:41 Okay, moving on to virtual cockpit.

08:43 That's the name of this screen in front of the driver.

08:46 Really high-resolution display and very fast as well.

08:48 You can see here as you flick through the menus,

08:50 you have your trip computer details there with consumption.

08:54 You can then also get it to display different things

08:56 in there such as your lap timer, acceleration displays,

08:59 or you can get a reduced display

09:00 where it just compacts everything.

09:02 Now, the good thing here as well

09:03 is you can switch between the main display,

09:05 which is tachometer on the left, speedometer on the right.

09:08 By hitting view, it then brings up additional context menus.

09:11 And because this is an RS car, check that out,

09:13 you get little lines there to signify

09:15 that you've got something sporty going on.

09:17 You have a radio menu where you can jump between stations,

09:19 a phone menu.

09:20 Then if we jump over to the navigation menu,

09:22 it's pretty cool that you get a graphical display

09:24 in the center, but if you push view, it supersizes that.

09:27 I mean, it is just a fantastic layout.

09:29 It looks really cool.

09:30 But that's not where it's done for virtual cockpit.

09:32 If you go back here to the main screen,

09:33 you can actually enable the RS performance display.

09:36 So that gives you the tachometer there,

09:38 and then it just changes the way

09:40 that is all displayed for the driver.

09:41 So yeah, very impressive setup.

09:43 And I think this is one of the best integrations

09:46 of a screen ahead of the driver that we've seen yet.

09:48 Finally, you've got the heads up display.

09:50 It's nice and compact.

09:51 So you just get the speed,

09:53 you get the radar cruise control information

09:54 and any navigation details.

09:56 But if you do put it into an RS mode,

09:58 you get a tachometer up the front there as well,

09:59 and engine temperatures.

10:00 That looks seriously cool.

10:02 Why they've put that all together is really nice.

10:04 So what other features do you get standard?

10:06 You've got quad zone climate control,

10:07 heated and cooled seats.

10:09 You also get configurable LED lighting.

10:11 I love this feature because there's stacks

10:13 of these little LED lighting strips around the car.

10:15 And even the back of the Quattro logo is lit up.

10:19 You can only really see it at nighttime,

10:20 but it is very vibrant at night,

10:22 and it gives a bit of ambience to the cabin.

10:24 Then in addition to all of that,

10:26 you've got a whole stack of really good safety features.

10:28 You have an auto dimming rear vision mirror,

10:30 low and high speed autonomous emergency braking

10:32 with pedestrian detection, lane keeping assistant,

10:35 and then also an exit assistant.

10:36 So if you go to open the door

10:38 while there's another car coming, or there's a cyclist,

10:40 you'll get this strip of LED lighting flash

10:43 really brightly at you along with the blind spot monitor

10:45 to make sure you're not gonna accidentally door a cyclist

10:48 or a pedestrian as they walk past.

10:50 It's also a 360 degree camera,

10:52 and I quite like the layout of this.

10:54 So you've got your standard display there.

10:55 It's not super high resolution,

10:57 but it gives you a good vision

10:58 of what's going on around the car.

10:59 But then you can hit 3D,

11:01 and you've got your virtual RS6 there,

11:03 and you can zoom out, zoom in on that,

11:06 or you can go to preset destinations,

11:08 and it'll flip around.

11:10 This tech is seriously cool.

11:11 Then if you're sick of that,

11:12 you can actually just come out here

11:14 and then pick your own angles

11:15 and figure out which sides of the car you want visible.

11:18 So there is an ultimate amount of choice there to pick from.

11:22 So you're never gonna be able to run over anything

11:24 you're not meant to.

11:24 Finally, the key, what does it look like?

11:26 Here it is here.

11:27 You have the Audi symbol down the bottom.

11:29 You have lock, boot, unlock,

11:31 a bit of brushed aluminium on the side,

11:33 and then on the back, the RS symbol.

11:36 It's a proximity sensing key,

11:37 so you just keep that in your pocket,

11:38 grab the door handle to unlock the car,

11:40 and then hit the push button to start.

11:42 Okay, let's move on to practicality,

11:43 and we'll start with storage.

11:44 So your phone can live in the cup holders,

11:47 but it kind of doesn't really fit well there.

11:49 There's also a 12-volt outlet nestled in there.

11:51 In the center console, though,

11:52 you have wireless phone charging,

11:53 and then just a little trinket tray next to it,

11:56 and that's where you'll find your two USB outlets,

11:57 plus the SD and SIM card.

11:59 In terms of bottle storage,

12:02 bottle easily fits into there

12:03 with those teeth holding it in.

12:05 And then inside the door,

12:06 you've also got bottle storage with room on the side

12:09 for little bits and pieces.

12:10 There's also this storage just near the driver's foot.

12:13 With the center console lid,

12:14 you can move it backwards and forwards.

12:16 Glovebox, look, it's reasonably sized.

12:19 It's not the world's biggest glovebox,

12:20 but it's big enough to get stuff in there.

12:22 I wanna show you these door handles.

12:24 These are pretty cool.

12:24 So instead of a regular mechanical door handle,

12:27 these have an electronic strike.

12:29 So all you do is give it a light pull,

12:31 and the door pops open.

12:32 Same story with the handle on the outside,

12:34 but in an emergency,

12:35 you can pull it hard to manually open it.

12:38 But I like this innovation.

12:39 It just reduces the amount of effort I know

12:41 that you need to put into unlocking the door and opening it.

12:43 Let's talk about the seats.

12:44 I love the design.

12:45 You've got the RS logo there.

12:47 You've got this stitching and the soft padding to it.

12:49 They hug you in really nicely.

12:51 They're great to sit in.

12:52 Love the design of them.

12:53 And then down the bottom,

12:54 you've also got this extendable under-knee rest thing.

12:58 The seats are then electronically adjustable

13:00 with memory built in.

13:01 Steering wheel sits beautifully in the hand,

13:03 and I love these paddle shifters.

13:04 They're metallic and cold to the touch.

13:07 And all of these controls are really easy to reach.

13:08 The only downside is if you need to adjust temperature

13:11 and stuff on the move,

13:12 you're taking your eyes off the road here to go down here.

13:16 And I don't know,

13:16 it's just sometimes a little bit tricky

13:18 and distracting to do while you're driving.

13:21 Now, what about back seat?

13:22 This is the reason you don't need an SUV.

13:24 I have plenty of room here.

13:25 Even with a sports seat,

13:27 I've got acres of knee room and toe room isn't great.

13:32 It's kind of eating away into it a bit there,

13:33 but headroom is good despite the fact

13:35 you've got this panoramic glass roof.

13:37 This is a great addition

13:38 because it will keep the kids entertained for ages

13:41 if you're driving through a rainforest or something.

13:43 It'll just keep them busy and off their iPads

13:45 and that sort of stuff.

13:46 So, matte pockets in the back of the seats.

13:48 Love the way these seats are designed.

13:50 Just like the front seats,

13:51 you get RS embossing and this ribbed feeling.

13:54 Over here, you have a center armrest

13:57 with a closed off area with carpet

14:00 for storing bits and pieces.

14:03 You have a bottle holder,

14:05 see if it fits, no dramas at all.

14:07 And then you can also fit your bottles in the door

14:09 with a little bit of room along the side.

14:12 Close that out of the way.

14:13 What else have we got here?

14:14 Oh, the seatbelts.

14:15 So, you have ISOFIX on the two outboard seats,

14:17 but the seatbelts,

14:18 they have this LED lighting around this bottom section.

14:22 So, that means when you go to put the seatbelt in

14:23 at nighttime, it will be easier to find.

14:25 So, that is another really clever feature

14:27 they've integrated into it.

14:28 You've got a set of air vents here

14:30 and also in the B pillar,

14:31 plus your third and fourth zone of climate controls.

14:34 Switch that on just by hitting auto

14:35 and it has haptic feedback as well.

14:37 Two more USB ports and a 12 volt outlet.

14:40 So, let's talk cargo space.

14:41 I'm gonna explain why this is not a compromise to an SUV.

14:45 Have a look at this.

14:46 Just over 560 litres of cargo space

14:48 with that automatically retracting cargo blind.

14:51 It is a big boot with a low boot lip.

14:54 So, it means getting things in and out

14:56 is pretty straightforward.

14:57 Under here, you've got like a little storage tray.

14:59 You can't really fit much there,

15:00 but beneath that, you have a sub-level

15:02 that stores a subwoofer.

15:05 You have a tyre repair kit and a compressor as well.

15:08 And I guess you could store little bits and pieces in there

15:10 if you wanted to.

15:12 Clip that one back in.

15:14 Now, over here, you have this system, a racking system.

15:19 So, you can move this around wherever you want it

15:20 and then you've got these hooks that deploy.

15:23 That simply means that you can make use of this netting

15:25 and divide the boot up into sections if you need to.

15:28 Over here, you've got a little bit of storage

15:29 to pop things in.

15:30 12-volt outlet on this side.

15:32 Now, the interesting thing is behind here,

15:34 this car has the optional Bang & Olufsen sound system,

15:36 which is why you have the subwoofer under there.

15:37 This is where they neatly tuck in the amplifiers.

15:40 So, I love that they find these little crevices

15:42 where they can just hide these things

15:44 that you won't ever see again.

15:46 Let's see how much space you actually have

15:49 with some luggage in there.

15:51 That's pretty impressive.

15:52 So, you can see there that you can easily get everything in.

15:54 Now, if you do want the space to expand even more,

15:56 you pull these levers and that drops the second row.

15:59 And with the second row dropped,

16:01 you have just under 1,700 litres of cargo space.

16:05 This is perfect.

16:06 It means you never have to get an SUV again.

16:08 (car engine roaring)

16:11 Right-o, so we've hit the road in the RS6

16:14 and I'm gonna start off immediately

16:15 with all of the performance specs,

16:17 plus how it feels to drive through some of these corners.

16:19 So, under the bonnet is a four-litre

16:21 twin turbocharged V8 engine.

16:24 Makes 441 kilowatts of power, 800 newton metres of torque.

16:28 Now, those of you who know RS models

16:30 will know that this is four kilowatts down on the last one,

16:33 but importantly, it's up 100 newton metres of torque

16:37 and it uses an eight-speed automatic transmission,

16:40 no dual clutch.

16:41 It is just a traditional torque converter

16:43 and I think it is all the better for it.

16:45 Now, we are in dynamic mode.

16:46 That immediately makes this car go a little more raucous.

16:49 It can send up to 85% of torque to the rear

16:52 in dynamic mode and then up to 70%

16:55 to the front where required.

16:56 It's got a centre differential to make all that happen.

16:59 And this car also has suspension with RS mode.

17:02 So, that means it's nice and polite

17:04 and comfortable in comfort mode,

17:06 but when you've got it in dynamic, it firms up nicely,

17:08 but not unbearably firm.

17:10 But in addition to that,

17:11 this car has the optional dynamic ride control system.

17:14 Now, help me out here

17:15 because I don't 100% understand how this works,

17:19 but it uses hydraulic lines that are diagonally opposed

17:21 with a control valve in the centre,

17:23 which means when we're turning into a left-hander like this

17:26 and we're getting compression on that front right wheel,

17:29 it's then giving you an opposing force

17:30 on the rear left wheel.

17:32 And that allows the car to drop

17:33 by an extra four millimetres as well,

17:35 which is why this looks very aggressive

17:37 in comparison to a standard A6 or even the S6.

17:41 All right, here we go.

17:42 We've got some corners coming up.

17:43 (car engine roaring)

17:45 Holy shit.

17:46 This is quick and it sounds tough AF in here.

17:51 (car engine roaring)

17:54 Wow, I am seriously lost for words.

18:04 It sounds so damn good.

18:06 And it's letting us do whatever we want

18:07 with the gearbox here.

18:08 It's not being a nanny with everything.

18:09 Let's see if it'll hold gears.

18:12 Drop back to second here.

18:13 Okay, it's shifting up on its own.

18:19 Holy crap, this is phenomenally fast.

18:22 Okay, so what I'm feeling here

18:26 is razor sharp throttle response.

18:28 The second I nail it, it's pushing me back in the seat.

18:32 That 800 newton metres of torque is like a tidal wave.

18:34 It is just constantly pushing you.

18:39 But what's most remarkable here is the suspension.

18:43 It is sitting dead flat through corners.

18:46 As we line up another one here,

18:47 this is a nice sweeping bend.

18:49 It just doesn't move around.

18:51 It's sitting flat, but being really respectful.

18:54 It's not sharp.

18:55 It doesn't throw you around the corner

18:56 if you hit a mid-corner bump.

18:58 This is like a 2,200 kilogram car

19:01 and it is sailing through this.

19:04 And in terms of traction, it is all there.

19:06 No matter how hard you push it through a corner,

19:09 that all-wheel drive system is just holding on

19:11 for dear life.

19:12 285 mil wide tyres and these monster carbon ceramic brakes.

19:17 You can literally assault this pedal

19:19 and it will pull up no dramas.

19:21 These brakes are so big that if you went to a racetrack

19:24 and just really just hammered it all day long,

19:27 you would not be getting any brake fade.

19:28 So these are the brakes you need

19:29 if you ever wanna do any track days.

19:31 Okay, let's talk about the steering.

19:34 This car has a four-wheel steering system.

19:37 So that means at low speeds,

19:38 the wheels counteract the direction of the front wheels

19:41 so you can reduce your turning circle by about a metre.

19:43 But at high speeds, the rear wheels turn in

19:45 with the front wheels,

19:47 which means you get a much more dynamic

19:48 and agile feel through the corner.

19:50 Steering feel itself is good,

19:53 but just ever so slightly numb.

19:56 Like it's not quite as direct as a BMW M car.

19:59 It's just a little numb about centre.

20:01 I would have loved just a slight bit more feel

20:03 and a little less assistance, even in this dynamic mode.

20:06 And I've got to run you through the induction noise.

20:10 This is seriously cool.

20:11 It sounds a bit like a, I don't know,

20:13 like an XR6 Turbo, the old Ford Falcons.

20:16 Once you step on the throttle,

20:17 (car engine roaring)

20:20 there's a little bit of lag there

20:21 while it starts building up boost

20:23 and you can hear it sucking in

20:25 as much air as it can possibly get

20:28 so that it can push you forward at just an incredible pace.

20:32 Okay, let's talk outright speed.

20:35 305 kilometre an hour top speed

20:38 with all of your performance options selected

20:41 and zero to 100 in 3.6 seconds.

20:45 Can we match that claim?

20:46 Well, this is what happened

20:47 when we went to the drag strip to find out.

20:49 Okay, now we're gonna do a few different tests here.

20:51 The first one is going to be comfort mode,

20:54 launch control off and stop start running.

20:56 So when I roll to a stop here,

20:58 the car's gonna switch off

20:59 and all I'm gonna do is just pound on the throttle.

21:01 This is simulating you turning up at the lights

21:03 and someone in an M5 pulling up next to you.

21:06 So let's give this a shot.

21:07 This is zero to 100.

21:08 All right, here we go.

21:10 (car engine roaring)

21:14 (car engine roaring)

21:17 Starts off slow, but it eventually gets moving.

21:21 So where do we get to?

21:23 4.6 seconds.

21:24 So this proves my theory.

21:26 You don't need a dual clutch.

21:27 Even with stop start, this thing is stupidly quick.

21:31 Okay, so we're gonna do this again now.

21:32 Stop start is off.

21:33 We're still in comfort

21:35 and I'm just going to pound the throttle

21:38 and we'll just see what happens.

21:39 So we've come to a stop there.

21:41 Comfort mode, stop start off.

21:43 Here we go.

21:43 (car engine roaring)

21:47 (laughing)

21:53 Oh my God, it literally just pushes you back in the seat

21:56 when the boost comes on.

21:57 It is crazy.

21:58 Okay, 4.6 seconds.

22:00 Again, same thing.

22:01 So with stop start off and stop start on,

22:04 this is pulling the exact same time.

22:06 It shows you that 48 volt system

22:08 is able to fire the car much quicker

22:10 than a traditional stop start system

22:12 that runs on a 12 volt.

22:13 So that technology has its merits

22:15 and it looks like it doesn't affect performance.

22:17 Okay, at the moment we've all been waiting

22:19 for full attack mode.

22:20 We're gonna use launch control.

22:21 So let me run you through how this works.

22:23 We put it into dynamic or using the steering wheel buttons.

22:28 RS2 is full attack mode

22:30 and it automatically puts the stability control

22:33 into ESP sport mode,

22:34 which is going to give us that maximum thrust.

22:37 There's also this cool RS monitor here.

22:38 So this tells us when all of the car's components are warm.

22:41 So currently that's all warm.

22:42 So we should be getting the best possible time out of this.

22:45 Foot hard on the brake, foot hard on the throttle,

22:48 and then it should launch.

22:49 That's all set up.

22:50 That's all set up.

22:51 Here we go.

22:52 So.

22:53 (car engine roaring)

22:56 (beep)

23:03 (laughing)

23:08 Seriously lost for words.

23:10 That was just squirming off the line there.

23:12 It was like fish tailing down the line

23:15 in like a four wheel drive burnout.

23:17 That is seriously impressive.

23:19 Okay, what did we do there?

23:20 Okay, so 3.7 seconds.

23:22 The official time is 3.6.

23:26 Okay, moment of truth.

23:27 It is quarter mile time.

23:29 Let's line up and give this a shot

23:31 and see what kind of time we can extract

23:34 from the beastie RS6.

23:36 I'll just reset that.

23:38 Okay, here we go.

23:39 So load it up.

23:40 (car engine roaring)

23:45 Control active.

23:47 (car engine roaring)

23:48 Another four wheel drive burnout there.

23:50 All right, we are moving.

23:52 All right, it is quick.

23:54 150, 60, 70, 80, 90, 200.

23:59 All right, we're getting on the brakes.

24:04 Okay, let's see what kind of time we netted here.

24:07 So over the quarter mile,

24:09 we just ran an 11.9 at 193 kilometers an hour.

24:14 That is impressive.

24:16 11.9 seconds for a stock car straight out of the box.

24:19 And then what about our zero to 100 time?

24:23 Let's see what that looked like.

24:25 3.6 seconds.

24:27 There we go.

24:27 We finally nailed that elusive 3.6 second run.

24:32 That is damn impressive.

24:36 Alrighty, let's put this into comfort

24:38 and talk about day-to-day driving.

24:41 So in comfort mode, this car is surprisingly comfortable.

24:44 I have no idea how they've managed to make a car

24:47 with 22 inch alloy wheels ride this well.

24:50 Look, it is on the firmer side of comfortable,

24:52 but I'm perfectly fine with that

24:54 because this car is just creating points on the board

24:57 for reasons to not own an SUV.

24:59 So if it comes at the sacrifice

25:01 of a slight bit of discomfort, I'm fine with that.

25:05 In terms of fuel economy,

25:07 official figure is 11.7 liters per 100 kilometers,

25:12 but don't expect to really ever achieve that

25:15 because if I flick over here to our fuel economy,

25:18 we're currently at 10.6, which is great,

25:20 but that has been all highway driving.

25:22 If we jump to the long-term memory, 13.5.

25:25 So look, it's not obscene,

25:27 but if you do like giving it a poke

25:28 and having to listen to the exhaust,

25:30 just remember that it's a V8

25:32 and it is going to cost you a little bit in fuel.

25:35 One of the reasons that it's able to be efficient

25:37 for such a fire-breathing V8 engine

25:40 is the 48-volt mild hybrid system on board.

25:42 So unlike the S6, which uses a compressor

25:45 to pre-charge the turbochargers,

25:47 this on the other hand uses a system

25:48 that's able to switch the car off entirely

25:50 at speeds of up to 160 kilometers an hour.

25:53 It can even pulse your right foot

25:55 when you're approaching an intersection

25:57 to tell you to lift off

25:58 and then it will shut the car down completely.

26:00 That 48-volt system, if you don't know what that is,

26:02 you can click up here to watch our GLE review

26:05 where I explain that in a bit more detail.

26:06 But that 48-volt system allows all of the auxiliary systems

26:09 around the car to continue running

26:11 while the engine and powertrain is entirely switched off.

26:14 That saves you fuel in the long run.

26:16 In addition to that, this also has a little lithium battery

26:19 and when it is off, it's able to charge

26:21 up to 12 kilowatts of energy through that battery

26:23 for later use.

26:24 And then also keep in mind

26:25 that you have cylinder deactivation here.

26:27 So at times, it's able to kill four of the eight cylinders

26:31 to use a little less fuel.

26:32 So it'll do that when you're on the highway

26:33 and have light throttle loads.

26:35 Let's talk visibility.

26:36 So it's a wagon,

26:37 which means you're not sitting high up over the road.

26:39 But with that in mind,

26:40 you still have decent visibility out the front.

26:42 Big wing mirrors with the blind spot monitoring

26:44 built into them.

26:45 Visibility out the rear is okay, but not amazing.

26:47 You've got quite a narrow window envelope.

26:49 But look, this car is easy to drive and park.

26:51 It doesn't feel intimidating.

26:53 So if your other half isn't into fast, leery sports cars

26:56 and you need to get this one over the line,

26:58 get them to test drive it first.

26:59 They will see that it's just like any other car

27:01 and probably easier to drive than an SUV.

27:04 Let's talk road noise.

27:04 So obviously you've got a big old set of treads on the car.

27:07 So if you are on course chip roads,

27:09 you will get a little bit of that coming into the cabin.

27:11 It's not actually that bad when you're doing highway speeds.

27:14 It's nowhere near as bad as the 845,

27:16 also the M8 competition.

27:18 Igor on the back seat there says it is quite droney.

27:20 So I think maybe in the second row, it is pretty bad.

27:23 But from where I'm sitting, it sounds fine, reasonable.

27:26 Okay, the Audi RS6, I am absolutely in awe.

27:30 This car is fantastic.

27:32 It is just as good as I remember the last one.

27:33 The four wheel steering set up,

27:35 I reckon it could just do without that for Australia.

27:37 I know that it's an option overseas.

27:39 I reckon we could just delete that

27:40 and just have a regular car with regular steering.

27:42 I think it's just a more natural experience.

27:44 And I found with cars like the 8 Series,

27:46 it kind of just ruins the driving experience.

27:48 But outside of that, this is missile fast.

27:50 The technology inside is great.

27:52 There's plenty of room.

27:53 It just removes the need to ever have an SUV

27:56 and it puts a big smile on my face.

27:57 So would I buy one?

27:58 Yes, just be careful with the option pricing.

28:00 I know there's a lot on this car.

28:02 You can probably do without a lot of it,

28:03 but outside of that, yeah, I'm smiling.

28:06 Now, if you did enjoy this video,

28:07 make sure you hit the like button,

28:08 follow it up with a share,

28:10 and also press the bell icon.

28:11 That'll tell you every single time we publish a new review.

28:14 But until next time, take it easy.

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