AutoWeek RS6 Article
07-11-2002, 04:25 PM
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AutoWeek RS6 Article
00:01 July 15, 2002)
Warp Speed: Twin-turbo 450-hp Audi RS6 sets luxury performance mark
By DUTCH MANDEL
Directed at you, the black diamond-patterned screened grille and vents mark
the difference between the Audi RS6 and its siblings S6 and A6 4.2. (All
photos by Achim Hartmann)
HOW TO EXPLAIN THE ALLURE OF RS? It might just be that many stories
surrounding Audi's previous-generation super-potent RS4 are the stuff of
fantasy or urban legend. Some, though, are definitely the truth.
One of the most believable tales- because of the lust the car engenders-goes
something like: So hip, hot and coveted were these limited-edition tuned
beasts that owning one raised your status among the car-smart. Major and
minor celebs tugged at strings to own it. The status and performance of this
380-hp monster was so phenomenal that from the Black Forest to the Côte
d'Azur, Audi's RS4 was the must-have thrill ride.
Audi RS6 photo gallery
The proof was there for the taking, and this is where its legend grows. So
desired were the RS4 rockets that they became the Hope Diamond among car
thieves. Of the first six quattro-built RS4s delivered in France, five were
stolen. Gone. Au revoir. No smash-and-grab, this was a well-orchestrated,
well-financed, well-executed professional team. It looked that way to one
resident who enjoyed his RS4 for two weeks before it was whisked away
without sanction.
"These guys knew what they were doing, alright," he said. "They broke into
the house, stole the keys and were gone. They took nothing else." The way he
figures it-or the way it was explained to him by the local gendarmes-his RS4
became the spoils of the Russian underworld. While he had the car, he says
he drove it like no other traffic-dodging creature he's piloted, and that's
saying a bunch. Especially coming from the mouth of Indy 500-winner Danny
Sullivan.
AUDI'S BRAND MAVENS WOULD LIKE you to think of quattro in several terms.
First, it is the Italian word for four. Second, it is Audi's patented
all-wheel-drive system. Third-and this is tricky-it is the performance
car-making division akin to AMG or BMW M Sport. If you are confused by it
all, you're not alone. Audi has been selling S-badged cars as sporty
versions and RS-badged cars as extra-sporty versions, but now comes quattro
(the division, not the propulsion system) to sell, well, sporty versions.
Got that?
The thick, perforated-leather steering wheel features fingertip-controlled
paddles, giving the driver three options for shifting up or down. (Photo by
Achim Hartmann)
In 1983, quattro GmbH formed to sell Audi-logo golf shirts and hats and
other accessories. The move kept the quattro name registered within the
public domain. In 1995, quattro began modifying cars with aftermarket wood
and leather and wheels. It stepped to the plate with RS4 in 1998. That foray
into building exclusive performance cars proved both profitable for the
company and for the enthusiast. Now, some 230 Audi employees are dedicated
to the quattro division of making cars that go fast and look good... without
shouting.
"The subtle design of the exterior treatment [of RS6] acts more as a
'pointer' to the informed enthusiast," says Stephan Reil, development
general manager for quattro. The RS6 is the first RS model for the states,
"but," Reil says, "it is not the last RS car you will see in the U.S."
AS DRIVES IN GERMANY SHOULD, our first dose of RS6 opens on the autobahn, a
road system we know to be counter to American driving truth. Autobahn roads
are driving beauty, and marble-smooth. They are built with positive camber
in curves to aid the driver, and have long, sweeping corners and well-marked
open sightlines. There is no planned obsolescence to the construction;
concrete here lasts longer than any four-term politician. "Slow"
drivers-those who clip along at only 160 km/h (100 mph)-do not clog the left
lane, but move to the right to let the traffic fly.
Which happens when you bury your foot into the RS6's throttle. Whether from
a standstill or when moving with traffic, RS6 delivers the same startling,
joyous result: You are pulled as if on a tether into the Audi Sport seats by
the mighty V8's tugging torque. The twin turbos spool up with amazing
clarity and immediacy and shoot the car to 200 km/h in no time. Audi claims
the RS6 will do 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds; we reckon it's quicker, but our
theory must wait for instrument tests. In European trim, the 450 horsepower
peaks at 5700 rpm and remains flat to 6400 revs, 300 short of redline.
American-spec motors get the full 450 horsepower in SAE net rating at a
higher rpm with a shorter plateau along the rev band. The torque, regardless
of where the car is sold, doesn't peak so much as it plateaus and pulls-at
barely above idle, 1900 rpm, it stays at its maximum of 415 lb-ft all the
way through to 5600.
Fine leather, white-numbered black gauges, a Bose sound system, nav system,
Tiptronic gear shifter... between the standard and the add-on options, just
about every amenity has been fitted into Audi's luxury sedan. (Photo by
Achim Hartmann)
But numbers are numbers; the experience is visceral. Driving at about 75 mph
you stab the throttle and it grunts, downshifts and grunts again, delivering
more power. Where would you like to go? How fast? When would you like to get
there? Thanks to the liberal use of aluminum and carbon fiber RS6 tips the
scales at 4048 pounds, and if you figure in what it has underhood, its
power-to-weight ratio-9:1- rivals sports cars. When we opened the car up, it
took no time for trees to zip by more quickly; a glance at the speedo
indicated we were clipping along at more than 250 km/h- a buck fifty-five
(the top speed electronically governed in U.S. models).
A thick, perforated-leather steering wheel makes driving RS6 all that more
comfortable. Nestled on either side behind the wheel lie paddles that allow
you to shift up or down through the gears; up on the right, down on the
left. These paddles are infinitely better than the wheel-mounted buttons on
the S8.
Advancing technology often pulls the most strident supporters of tradition
from their caves. While there might be a debate among driving purists that
the only way to shift performance power is through a manual transmission
gearbox, that is changing. Audi chose to put a Tiptronic five-speed
automatic from Porsche into the RS6. It works perfectly well, especially
when switched to its Sport setting. In Sport you can hold engine revs higher
and longer when up- or downshifting, a motion done from a traditional
tunnel-mounted shifter or via paddles. Yes, paddles. Tiptronic is still an
automatic transmission, but the fingertip paddle-shift method replaces the
steering wheel thumb-buttons of the earlier version.
Based on a measure of lateral acceleration, the Tiptronic box adjusts shift
points to prevent a wandering hunt of gears through corners. It may not be
the most immediate gear shifting available, with a bit of perceptible lag,
but you should not be disappointed in your ability to choose gears.
RS6 gets an independent four-link front suspension with hydraulically damped
mountings on single-tube shocks and springs-a system similar to that on the
A6 4.2, but lowered by an inch. The rear is a double-wishbone setup.
Additionally, RS6 gets Dynamic Ride Control-yes, another acronym to
remember. Think of it as a hydraulically damped diagonal connection between
front and rear shocks. In the seesaw world of weight bias transfer, whether
under acceleration, braking or cornering, in the DRC system fluid passes
through a reservoir between front and rear suspension points. By monitoring
the pressure at each wheel-this is all mechanical, there is no computer
chip-DRC makes sure all tires are firmly planted. The system, almost too
simple in execution for a complex world, works admirably.
The biturbo V8 produces 450 hp that peaks at 5700 rpm, with 415 lb-ft of
torque that plateaus at 1900 rpm and stays at the max through 5600. Sticky
18-inch tires are mated to the unique-for-RS6 nine-spoke aluminum wheels.
(Photo by Achim Hartmann)
As for its shoes, those wonderfully thick and sticky 255/40ZR-18 tires, they
mate to unique-for-RS6 nine-spoke aluminum wheels. Additionally, RS6 gets a
tire-pressure monitoring system as standard equipment.
The large wheels afford space for large brakes, which are a must when
traveling at triple-digit speeds. Brembo eight-piston fixed calipers are at
the front, with single-piston floating calipers at the rear. Discs are
vented front and rear, yes there is ABS, yes there is brake assist and yes,
this sucker stops. Audi's own tests show that RS6 goes from 100 km/h (62.1
mph) to standstill in just 2.6 seconds. That suggests 0 to 60 and back to 0
in under eight seconds.
How are you going to distinguish one of the very few RS6s from an S6 or from
an A6 4.2? It will be subtle, but direct. It comes as a sedan only-no Avants
for America (though they'll be available in Europe). Look at an RS6 from the
front, and three air intake vents along the lower fascia will be readily
apparent. Note a black diamond-patterned screen in the vents, and fog lights
flanking the most outboard scoops that pump air into the motor's twin
intercoolers.
Move to the side and robust sills give it a stout stance. Additionally, a
matte-aluminum finish covers exterior mirrors regardless of which of the six
RS6 exterior colors you choose: silver, pearl white, green, gray, blue or
red. To our way of thinking, only a balloon-footed buffoon or someone
confident in his ability to beat a ticket would opt for red.
The rear carries a redesigned apron. It, too, gets the diamond-patterned
grille treatment over vents that manage airflow to reduce lift. Tucked on
the left side are two oval-shaped chrome exhaust tips. A spoiler on the
trunk lid almost completes the tail treatment; an RS badge, a tattoo in its
lower-left corner, lets the world know what just passed.
Everything about RS6 is about driving and handling-from its potent motor to
the attention to detail that mandated engineers move its battery to the
spare-wheel recess for better weight distribution. To further lighten the
load, and to make the engine bay look ever more bitchin', the upper section
of the air cleaner and the front of the engine compartment are formed in
carbon fiber.
Competition is the BMW M5, the Mercedes-Benz E55 and Jaguar's XJR. Based on
sales volume, Audi may be behind BMW and Mercedes in the states, but in
terms of its cars' interior volume and appointments, Ingolstadt has few
equals. Audi and sister company Volkswagen have become the interior-design
exemplar. The RS6 follows that creed, with a simple and sporting interior
devoid of frivolity and filled with matte-finished aluminum, leather and
wood (a dark gray poplar) or optional carbon fiber.
The American market gets either a black or silver interior color scheme
throughout. Heated, power-adjustable Audi Sport seats done in supple leather
carry an RS6 logo in the upper seatback. Another RS6 logo adorns the
steering wheel.
For the money-about $81,000-the RS6 owner gets virtually every amenity,
every accommodation that can be fitted to a luxury sedan. Standard equipment
includes a Bose sound system, xenon headlights, front and rear parking
radar, ski rack, headlight washers, power-adjustable steering column,
Homelink remote, folding exterior mirrors... Stand-alone options include a
nav system, OnStar telematics, digital cell phone and rear-seat side
airbags. A warm-weather package includes solar sunroof and power rear and
manual side sunshades.
The RS6 could well be one of the most exclusive performance sedans ever sold
in the states by a mass marketer, and that's sure to tempt-if not
thieves-speculators and Audi aficionados alike. Audi's business plan calls
for just 860 to be sold here, limited by manufacturing intricacies and by
emissions regulations that forbid import of these fire-breathers built after
December 2003. So, for six months next year, beginning in May, U.S. RS6s
will be "churned out" at a blistering pace of 20 per day with each finished
car put through a thorough test drive.
Even in limited numbers, however, it makes sense for Audi to bring RS6 here
for many reasons. The car bolsters Audi's sports and performance image. It
gives an Audi sedan the chance to be ahead of BMW and Mercedes-Benz in
performance and engine output-for once. It also carries the company to the
end of its product-cycle line with the current A6. And based on our
experience, it'll give Audi good press.
Understand, we try to be as objective as is humanly possible, but with this
car we can find nary a flaw. It has the grunt of a race car and coddles
occupants in world-class luxury. Audi's RS6 could be the all-around perfect
balance of performance, comfort and automotive pleasure.
______________________________________________
Warp Speed: Twin-turbo 450-hp Audi RS6 sets luxury performance mark
By DUTCH MANDEL
Directed at you, the black diamond-patterned screened grille and vents mark
the difference between the Audi RS6 and its siblings S6 and A6 4.2. (All
photos by Achim Hartmann)
HOW TO EXPLAIN THE ALLURE OF RS? It might just be that many stories
surrounding Audi's previous-generation super-potent RS4 are the stuff of
fantasy or urban legend. Some, though, are definitely the truth.
One of the most believable tales- because of the lust the car engenders-goes
something like: So hip, hot and coveted were these limited-edition tuned
beasts that owning one raised your status among the car-smart. Major and
minor celebs tugged at strings to own it. The status and performance of this
380-hp monster was so phenomenal that from the Black Forest to the Côte
d'Azur, Audi's RS4 was the must-have thrill ride.
Audi RS6 photo gallery
The proof was there for the taking, and this is where its legend grows. So
desired were the RS4 rockets that they became the Hope Diamond among car
thieves. Of the first six quattro-built RS4s delivered in France, five were
stolen. Gone. Au revoir. No smash-and-grab, this was a well-orchestrated,
well-financed, well-executed professional team. It looked that way to one
resident who enjoyed his RS4 for two weeks before it was whisked away
without sanction.
"These guys knew what they were doing, alright," he said. "They broke into
the house, stole the keys and were gone. They took nothing else." The way he
figures it-or the way it was explained to him by the local gendarmes-his RS4
became the spoils of the Russian underworld. While he had the car, he says
he drove it like no other traffic-dodging creature he's piloted, and that's
saying a bunch. Especially coming from the mouth of Indy 500-winner Danny
Sullivan.
AUDI'S BRAND MAVENS WOULD LIKE you to think of quattro in several terms.
First, it is the Italian word for four. Second, it is Audi's patented
all-wheel-drive system. Third-and this is tricky-it is the performance
car-making division akin to AMG or BMW M Sport. If you are confused by it
all, you're not alone. Audi has been selling S-badged cars as sporty
versions and RS-badged cars as extra-sporty versions, but now comes quattro
(the division, not the propulsion system) to sell, well, sporty versions.
Got that?
The thick, perforated-leather steering wheel features fingertip-controlled
paddles, giving the driver three options for shifting up or down. (Photo by
Achim Hartmann)
In 1983, quattro GmbH formed to sell Audi-logo golf shirts and hats and
other accessories. The move kept the quattro name registered within the
public domain. In 1995, quattro began modifying cars with aftermarket wood
and leather and wheels. It stepped to the plate with RS4 in 1998. That foray
into building exclusive performance cars proved both profitable for the
company and for the enthusiast. Now, some 230 Audi employees are dedicated
to the quattro division of making cars that go fast and look good... without
shouting.
"The subtle design of the exterior treatment [of RS6] acts more as a
'pointer' to the informed enthusiast," says Stephan Reil, development
general manager for quattro. The RS6 is the first RS model for the states,
"but," Reil says, "it is not the last RS car you will see in the U.S."
AS DRIVES IN GERMANY SHOULD, our first dose of RS6 opens on the autobahn, a
road system we know to be counter to American driving truth. Autobahn roads
are driving beauty, and marble-smooth. They are built with positive camber
in curves to aid the driver, and have long, sweeping corners and well-marked
open sightlines. There is no planned obsolescence to the construction;
concrete here lasts longer than any four-term politician. "Slow"
drivers-those who clip along at only 160 km/h (100 mph)-do not clog the left
lane, but move to the right to let the traffic fly.
Which happens when you bury your foot into the RS6's throttle. Whether from
a standstill or when moving with traffic, RS6 delivers the same startling,
joyous result: You are pulled as if on a tether into the Audi Sport seats by
the mighty V8's tugging torque. The twin turbos spool up with amazing
clarity and immediacy and shoot the car to 200 km/h in no time. Audi claims
the RS6 will do 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds; we reckon it's quicker, but our
theory must wait for instrument tests. In European trim, the 450 horsepower
peaks at 5700 rpm and remains flat to 6400 revs, 300 short of redline.
American-spec motors get the full 450 horsepower in SAE net rating at a
higher rpm with a shorter plateau along the rev band. The torque, regardless
of where the car is sold, doesn't peak so much as it plateaus and pulls-at
barely above idle, 1900 rpm, it stays at its maximum of 415 lb-ft all the
way through to 5600.
Fine leather, white-numbered black gauges, a Bose sound system, nav system,
Tiptronic gear shifter... between the standard and the add-on options, just
about every amenity has been fitted into Audi's luxury sedan. (Photo by
Achim Hartmann)
But numbers are numbers; the experience is visceral. Driving at about 75 mph
you stab the throttle and it grunts, downshifts and grunts again, delivering
more power. Where would you like to go? How fast? When would you like to get
there? Thanks to the liberal use of aluminum and carbon fiber RS6 tips the
scales at 4048 pounds, and if you figure in what it has underhood, its
power-to-weight ratio-9:1- rivals sports cars. When we opened the car up, it
took no time for trees to zip by more quickly; a glance at the speedo
indicated we were clipping along at more than 250 km/h- a buck fifty-five
(the top speed electronically governed in U.S. models).
A thick, perforated-leather steering wheel makes driving RS6 all that more
comfortable. Nestled on either side behind the wheel lie paddles that allow
you to shift up or down through the gears; up on the right, down on the
left. These paddles are infinitely better than the wheel-mounted buttons on
the S8.
Advancing technology often pulls the most strident supporters of tradition
from their caves. While there might be a debate among driving purists that
the only way to shift performance power is through a manual transmission
gearbox, that is changing. Audi chose to put a Tiptronic five-speed
automatic from Porsche into the RS6. It works perfectly well, especially
when switched to its Sport setting. In Sport you can hold engine revs higher
and longer when up- or downshifting, a motion done from a traditional
tunnel-mounted shifter or via paddles. Yes, paddles. Tiptronic is still an
automatic transmission, but the fingertip paddle-shift method replaces the
steering wheel thumb-buttons of the earlier version.
Based on a measure of lateral acceleration, the Tiptronic box adjusts shift
points to prevent a wandering hunt of gears through corners. It may not be
the most immediate gear shifting available, with a bit of perceptible lag,
but you should not be disappointed in your ability to choose gears.
RS6 gets an independent four-link front suspension with hydraulically damped
mountings on single-tube shocks and springs-a system similar to that on the
A6 4.2, but lowered by an inch. The rear is a double-wishbone setup.
Additionally, RS6 gets Dynamic Ride Control-yes, another acronym to
remember. Think of it as a hydraulically damped diagonal connection between
front and rear shocks. In the seesaw world of weight bias transfer, whether
under acceleration, braking or cornering, in the DRC system fluid passes
through a reservoir between front and rear suspension points. By monitoring
the pressure at each wheel-this is all mechanical, there is no computer
chip-DRC makes sure all tires are firmly planted. The system, almost too
simple in execution for a complex world, works admirably.
The biturbo V8 produces 450 hp that peaks at 5700 rpm, with 415 lb-ft of
torque that plateaus at 1900 rpm and stays at the max through 5600. Sticky
18-inch tires are mated to the unique-for-RS6 nine-spoke aluminum wheels.
(Photo by Achim Hartmann)
As for its shoes, those wonderfully thick and sticky 255/40ZR-18 tires, they
mate to unique-for-RS6 nine-spoke aluminum wheels. Additionally, RS6 gets a
tire-pressure monitoring system as standard equipment.
The large wheels afford space for large brakes, which are a must when
traveling at triple-digit speeds. Brembo eight-piston fixed calipers are at
the front, with single-piston floating calipers at the rear. Discs are
vented front and rear, yes there is ABS, yes there is brake assist and yes,
this sucker stops. Audi's own tests show that RS6 goes from 100 km/h (62.1
mph) to standstill in just 2.6 seconds. That suggests 0 to 60 and back to 0
in under eight seconds.
How are you going to distinguish one of the very few RS6s from an S6 or from
an A6 4.2? It will be subtle, but direct. It comes as a sedan only-no Avants
for America (though they'll be available in Europe). Look at an RS6 from the
front, and three air intake vents along the lower fascia will be readily
apparent. Note a black diamond-patterned screen in the vents, and fog lights
flanking the most outboard scoops that pump air into the motor's twin
intercoolers.
Move to the side and robust sills give it a stout stance. Additionally, a
matte-aluminum finish covers exterior mirrors regardless of which of the six
RS6 exterior colors you choose: silver, pearl white, green, gray, blue or
red. To our way of thinking, only a balloon-footed buffoon or someone
confident in his ability to beat a ticket would opt for red.
The rear carries a redesigned apron. It, too, gets the diamond-patterned
grille treatment over vents that manage airflow to reduce lift. Tucked on
the left side are two oval-shaped chrome exhaust tips. A spoiler on the
trunk lid almost completes the tail treatment; an RS badge, a tattoo in its
lower-left corner, lets the world know what just passed.
Everything about RS6 is about driving and handling-from its potent motor to
the attention to detail that mandated engineers move its battery to the
spare-wheel recess for better weight distribution. To further lighten the
load, and to make the engine bay look ever more bitchin', the upper section
of the air cleaner and the front of the engine compartment are formed in
carbon fiber.
Competition is the BMW M5, the Mercedes-Benz E55 and Jaguar's XJR. Based on
sales volume, Audi may be behind BMW and Mercedes in the states, but in
terms of its cars' interior volume and appointments, Ingolstadt has few
equals. Audi and sister company Volkswagen have become the interior-design
exemplar. The RS6 follows that creed, with a simple and sporting interior
devoid of frivolity and filled with matte-finished aluminum, leather and
wood (a dark gray poplar) or optional carbon fiber.
The American market gets either a black or silver interior color scheme
throughout. Heated, power-adjustable Audi Sport seats done in supple leather
carry an RS6 logo in the upper seatback. Another RS6 logo adorns the
steering wheel.
For the money-about $81,000-the RS6 owner gets virtually every amenity,
every accommodation that can be fitted to a luxury sedan. Standard equipment
includes a Bose sound system, xenon headlights, front and rear parking
radar, ski rack, headlight washers, power-adjustable steering column,
Homelink remote, folding exterior mirrors... Stand-alone options include a
nav system, OnStar telematics, digital cell phone and rear-seat side
airbags. A warm-weather package includes solar sunroof and power rear and
manual side sunshades.
The RS6 could well be one of the most exclusive performance sedans ever sold
in the states by a mass marketer, and that's sure to tempt-if not
thieves-speculators and Audi aficionados alike. Audi's business plan calls
for just 860 to be sold here, limited by manufacturing intricacies and by
emissions regulations that forbid import of these fire-breathers built after
December 2003. So, for six months next year, beginning in May, U.S. RS6s
will be "churned out" at a blistering pace of 20 per day with each finished
car put through a thorough test drive.
Even in limited numbers, however, it makes sense for Audi to bring RS6 here
for many reasons. The car bolsters Audi's sports and performance image. It
gives an Audi sedan the chance to be ahead of BMW and Mercedes-Benz in
performance and engine output-for once. It also carries the company to the
end of its product-cycle line with the current A6. And based on our
experience, it'll give Audi good press.
Understand, we try to be as objective as is humanly possible, but with this
car we can find nary a flaw. It has the grunt of a race car and coddles
occupants in world-class luxury. Audi's RS6 could be the all-around perfect
balance of performance, comfort and automotive pleasure.
______________________________________________
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07-12-2002, 05:47 AM
#10
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2000
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Same here...but I dont receive AutoWeek..so was "assuming" it was from them..
since their was talk earlier on the e-mail based forums in the day about a new article in AutoWeek.