he 2022 Audi RS6 Avant is still one of the most German cars. The wagon is spectacularly well designed, putting the E63 rival to shame, and it makes almost 600 hp. And even though it has been losing some big drag races, notably against the RS3, we still love it.
It’s because of the RS6 that I think Marc Lichte is the best German car designer right now. And although this is supposed to be a sensible Audi wagon, it’s actually a bit of a hot rod in the looks department.
That sexy front end that makes the RS6 so sharp is entirely stolen from the A7 family of cars. That’s right, those aren’t A6 headlights. And the way the fenders have been rolled out to fit bigger tires says “muscle car” if you think about it.
But this RS6 is special in other ways, custom ways. That OEM+ look is achieved because it’s been tuned ABT Sportsline, which is probably the most reputable Audi customer in Europe. This is what’s called the RS6=S, and it means the wagon received two things: more power and a body kit.
Under the hood, the familiar twin-turbo 4.0-liter mild-hybrid V8 now produces 700 hp and about 10% more torque than stock. The gains are achieved through an ECU remap, obviously, but also a brand new exhaust system with quad black tips and butterfly valves.
Auditography has tested the ABT RS6-S on the road and says it will do 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.1 seconds, which does indeed mean it’s faster. The power gains are matched to an ABT height-adjustable coilover kit and ABT antiroll bars.
And then we come to the body kit. Most of the parts are in carbon fiber and include the front lip, front blades, side skirts, side rear blades, and trunk spoiler. But only the black multi-spoke wheels stand out as true tuning parts, maybe because they’re too large.
This insane spec is also possible thanks to Audi themselves and one of their brand new colors. Apparently, Tactical Green has been available on the RS6 since 2019, but I never noticed this. I just thought it was specific to the RS e-tron GT, since the Taycan Turbo’s twin has been wearing it a lot. Plus “Tactical Green” just doesn’t sound like an Audi paint name, and I’ll always be a Nardo Grey hardcore fanatic.
