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This one produces 45 HP more than the standard RS6 Avant
Performance – The Audi RS6 Avant draws power from a 4.0-litre, bi-turbo V8 that outputs 560 HP and 700 Nm of torque. With the Performance variant, power output has been increased by 45 HP to 605 HP while there is an overboost function for the torque by 50 Nm. Torque spread is massive, right from a low 1750 RPM to 6000 RPM. The result is, 0-100 km/hr comes up in just 3.7 seconds (0.2 seconds faster) and this car feels alive throughout the rev band, it just doesn’t have any lag whatsoever. That said, the mid-range is really strong and it screams to the redline.
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Unlike other Audi cars, this one comes with a ZF gearbox
The exhaust on the RS6 Avant Performance sounds sweet, produces eargasmic pops & crackles
In fact, this engine is such a gem that even at start up, it comes to life with quite a roar. The Audi Drive Select has 4 options – Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual which tweaks the engine, gearbox, suspension, sports differential and even exhaust note. In Dynamic mode, it is very eager, sounds brilliant, does an overrun on upshifts and cracks and pops on downshifts. The 8-speed torque converter gearbox had to be sourced from ZF because Audi’s own 7-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic unit isn’t up to the task of handling all that output, this one offers slick shifts, there is a Sports mode and a manual mode on the lever too, you can also shift using the steering mounted paddles and it holds onto a gear in manual mode and doesn’t upshift!
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The V8 engine is just too good, it never lets you down
Refinement levels are brilliant, it’s so calm lower down but when you give it the beans, it just wakes up and rockets ahead. In fact, the claimed 0-200 km/hr time is just 12.1 seconds and it will go onto a top speed of 250 km/hr. Want more thrust, Audi will happily pocket some of your monies and sell you the Dynamic package which ups the limiter to 280 km/hr, want even more, pay more and get the Dynamic Plus package that ups the limit to 305 km/hr. That said, this car will actually hit its top speed on the meter, that’s 320 km/hr, that’s the thrust from this motor.
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The cylinder-on-demand tech comes in to be useful in city driving
Being a big fat V8 with a lot of grunt, you might think the Audi RS6 Avant Performance will be a thirsty horse and it is. However, this car gets cylinder-on-demand technology which cuts out 4-cylinders when you drive it sanely, there is a stop-start system too, so you can stretch the kms but honestly, if you want 4-cylinders, just get a hatchback! So the range is just shy of 300 kms because the tank is 75-litres.
