2020 Audi RS6 Finally Coming to the United States

Audi RS6 features twin-turbo V8 engine good for 592 horsepower, 590 lb-ft of torque, and is arriving on U.S. shores as a wagon!

Do you remember the old Audi RS6? If not, you’re probably not alone, and that’s because, until now, it has been reserved for the European market. We are finally getting an RS6 to call our own in 2020, and it’s a huge deal.

The RS6 is the high performance variant of the A6 sedan, and it has always featured bonkers, over the top powertrains, unbound by things like rational thinking, or price point concerns. Case in point, Audi once produced an RS6 that featured a 5.0-liter V10 engine derived from Lamborghini, which they then twin-turbocharged for good measure. Why not?

Of course, being a modern vehicle, the new RS6 features a more economical, downsized engine, which is focused on efficiency. It’s a modest 4.0-liter V8 engine, which is also twin-turbocharged. It produces an equally modest 592 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Said engine is paired to an 8-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission, and, of course, Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system.

That mega motor uses a 48V mild hybrid system to reduce parasitic drag from the engine accessories to improve around town fuel efficiency, which is neat. Oh, and it’s also good for a 0-60 sprint of less than 3.5 seconds. This could have a pronounced effect on passengers, what with having their eyeballs rearranged to the back of their heads as you go full throttle off the line, so do take care to give them some advanced warning. Top speed is electronically limited to a pedestrian 155 MPH, though, an available Dynamic Plus package bumps that to 190 MPH, which sounds fun.

The RS6 features an adjustable RS adaptive air suspension as standard equipment, which can automatically tune the shock absorber performance for road conditions. For the more hardcore buyer, an RS Sport suspension upgrade is available, with more aggressive dampers that feature “…hydraulic lines and a central valve [that] link the diagonally opposed pairs of shock absorbers. When cornering at speed, the valves regulate the oil flow in the shock absorber of the spring-deflected front wheel at the outside of the curve, which helps reduces pitch and roll movement, and improves handling.” If memory serves, this is the same technology used in high end McLaren vehicles, and should work and feel like automotive magic.

Naturally, being a German super sports sedan, the RS6 has six drive modes to choose from, that recalibrate the engine and transmission management, electric power steering, the adjustable suspension settings, the dynamic all-wheel steering; which improves low speed agility, the quattro sport differential and in-cabin engine sound.

Being an RS model, the RS6 features bespoke body work, which includes different bumpers, side skirts and, crucially, flared fenders. The RS6 is 1.6-inches (40mm) wider than the standard car, and gives it an aggressive edge. Oh, and don’t forget the big, oval RS tail pipes shooting out the back.

Pricing is TBA, but if it’s less than $100,000 starting, consider us all to be surprised. The Audi RS6 Avant competes directly against the Mercedes-AMG E63 S wagon which sports an equally ferocious 603 horsepower twin-turbo V8, and a typical Teutonic price tag of $108,850 before any of the good options are added to it. These cars are going to cost $130,000+ when specced up right. Audi says the RS6 will arrive in the United States in mid-2020 as a 2020 model year, and customer orders are set to begin in the near future.

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