Whenever a car model reaches the end of its product life cycle, car manufacturers turn up the heat one last time and present the world with an automotive ‘souvenir’. The Audi RS 6 Avant GT is just such a memento – and what a memento it is!
With numerous carbon parts, such as the wings and bonnet, as well as a body wrap reminiscent of the legendary Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO, the Audi RS 6 Avant GT is parked in the hearts of many Audi fans; right next to the Urquattro and the Audi R10 TDI.
Of course, Audi fans have huge hearts, as Audi continues to enchant enthusiasts with its concept cars. But a concept car usually remains just that, a concept that mostly only enchants visitors in museums or at trade shows.
The Audi RS 6 Avant GT is completely different. It will be produced in a limited run of 660 units, of which 191 Audi RS 6 Avant GTs will be available for the German market. Prices start at around €219.000, but at least the Avant won’t be a one-off.
The special thing is that after bodywork and painting, the GT is finished in the Audi Manufaktur near the Neckarsulm plant. This is also where the small-series production of the Audi e-tron GT quattro and Audi RS e-tron GT takes place. Between the Audi RS 6 Avant GT and the Audi RS 6 performance as well as the well-known Audi RS 6 from the C8 series the biggest difference are bodywork, bucket seats, and suspension.
The “GT” is also the first RS 6 that can be purchased ex-factory with genuine bucket seats. The station wagon is also the first RS 6 with a carbon fiber hood and a roof without a rail. A double-flow roof spoiler extends the RS 6 GT roof.
The visually revised front also now has a much more aggressive design. The wide fenders with their air outlets also have a new design. Even the tailgate is different with its visually lowered loading edge.
Those who don’t want to be on the road in the classic Audi Sport decor on the Arcona White paint finish can combine a Nardo Gray or Mythos Black paint finish with a black-gray foil.
Then the 22-inch wheels are not white, but either matt black or gloss black.
Under the carbon fiber hood, the 4.0-liter TFSI V8, like in the RS 6 performance, delivers 630 hp (463 kW), regardless of which decor you ultimately choose. The entire RS 6 GT weighs 90 kilograms or 100 kilograms less compared to the “performance” and the normal RS 6 Avant. Despite the high-quality, luxurious interior.
Weight was also saved on the Avant with the chassis. Because instead of the “RS adaptive air suspension” or an RS sports suspension plus with Dynamic Ride Control, a completely different chassis system was on board. It’s no secret that one or the other special model from Audi rolls off the assembly line ex-factory with a three-way adjustable coilover suspension.
Why? The Audi RS 4 and Audi RS 5 have an optional RS sports suspension pro, which also relies on three-way adjustable dampers and has convinced numerous editors in tests in everyday life, on race tracks, and in urban traffic.
The days when a high-quality coilover suspension with adjustable dampers in a road setup was supposed to provide poor ride comfort are long gone. This also applies to the Audi RS 6 Avant GT, which rolls a little firmer.
Here too, Audi developed an adjustable suspension based on our V4 technology in cooperation with us. It lowers the center of gravity compared to the standard RS 6 by ten millimeters. The dampers are manually adjustable in the high-speed and low-speed compression stages as well as the low-speed rebound stage. Another difference from the series is that the anti-roll bars are stiffer: 30 percent on the front axle and 80 percent on the rear axle.
If you’ve got a PC, you can grab RaceRoom Racing Experience on Steam and hit the track in the legendary Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO. We suggest also to have an SimRacing Steering wheel, such us our Ascher Racing hardware.
Audi RS 4 Avant Edition 25 Years: special model limited to 250 units
Both the Audi RS 6 Avant GT and the Audi RS 4 Avant Edition 25 Years, limited to 250 units, are factory-fitted with a coilover suspension (RS sports suspension pro). The car manufacturer is celebrating the RS 4 Avant (B5, Type 8D) with this imola yellow Audi – alternatively, the colours Nardo grey and Mythos black are also available.
The Audi RS 4 Avant Edition 25 Years is only available in Europe and differs from the familiar Audi RS 4 in that the V6 biturbo now produces 470 hp (346 kW). This is 20 hp more than the current RS 4 and the special edition model has lost around 100 kilograms in weight compared to the standard model.
Other differences are that the ‘anniversary RS 4’ is equipped as standard with a ceramic brake system, revised transmission control software, stiffer mounts, stabilisers, sports differential and the RS sports suspension pro mentioned at the beginning – the three-way adjustable coilover suspension mentioned above.
Incidentally, this RS sports suspension pro is an integral part of the optional Audi Competition Plus package for the Audi RS 4 and Audi RS 5. As this optional suspension impressed the press and buyers so well in various tests, it is now a fixed component of selected Audi special models.
However, the ‘edition model’ also has a higher negative camber on the front axle compared to the ‘normal’ RS 4. The Audi RS sports suspension pro is basically a coilover suspension. In addition to the lowering, which has a tested adjustment range of 20 millimetres in total, the characteristics of the dampers can also be adjusted. The lowering and damper settings are adjusted manually.
The dampers can be adjusted independently in the rebound stage as well as the high-speed and low-speed compression stages. AutoBild and Sport-Auto magazines praised the coilover suspension on the Audi RS 4 with the Competition Plus package.
With its three-way adjustable V4 damper technology, it also gives the Audi RS 4 Edition 25 Years a plus in driving dynamics combined with sporty ride comfort.
Even during demanding driving manoeuvres with rapid load changes and tight bends or on motorway sections with many bends, the RS 4 remains on track and easy to control. Of course, this also applies to uneven tarmac surfaces. Here too, the Audi RS sports suspension damps harmoniously and prevents bumpy driving behaviour. It works so well that Sport Auto editor Christian Gebhardt, for example, was 20 seconds faster on the Nordschleife in a 450 hp Audi RS 4 with the Competition Plus package (see Sport issue 8/2023) than with the 450 hp production model!
AutoBild, for example, wrote: ‘Until now, winding country roads were his territory, where the roll compensation didn’t break into a sweat and the body movements were still normal. With the new coilover suspension, it’s a whole new world. No, it’s not a hard-as-nails pomp-bomber; with the perfectly optimised road set-up, the RS 4 now reveals an agility and lightness that we would have wished for many years earlier.’ Even on the short Sachsenring circuit, the Audi RS 4 with the Competition Plus package shaved a whole 1.9 seconds off the RS4 with DRC suspension.
For all those who also want to experience the same performance in terms of driving dynamics in their car, whether sports car, compact model or estate, should take a closer look at our three-way adjustable suspension technologies.
Photo Audi
