Those folks at Audi must be crazy. Their RS6 Avant not only has a fancy name for what the rest of us call an estate car, itâs a pretty fearsome machine as well.
But now theyâve taken it and created a beast which is even more powerful and dramatic to give the whole image of the estate car a serious kick up its sizeable bootspace.
Theyâve called it the Performance modelâŚ..and it certainly lives up to its name with a scorching 605PS of power which flings this machine from a standing start up to 62 mph in just 3.7 seconds or just 12.1 seconds to get up to 124 mph, 1.4 seconds less than the standard RS6 Avant, which makes it a serious player in the supercar ballpark.
At its heart is a mighty 4 litre V8 biturbo power unit with a blistering 700 Nm of torque which can be increased by the driver to 750 Nm through an overboost function.
What that means is that this two-tonne, five metre-long beast becomes a superbly athletic growler when kicked with the Dynamic function engaged, yet with Audiâs Quattro permanent all-wheel drive keeps all that power firmly fastened to the road with the torque flexibly distributed to all four corners via the centre differential.
At the same time, the adaptive air suspension lowers the body by 20mms and the integrated damping control varies according to the road conditions and the driving style being adopted.
The standard eight-speed tiptronic transmission is a delight and has been designed to maximise the potential from the beating heart under the bonnet. Itâs happy to be left in Drive but slipping it into Sport raises the temperature and you can turn up the gas even more by going up and down the box through the shift paddles behind the multi-function leather steering wheel or manually through the selector lever.
And then, in relaxed mode without the foot to the floor and in Comfort, Auto or Individual mode, it reverts to a sensible, luxurious cruiser with all the storage, comfort and safety features needed by any family.
It has two distinct personalities to be experienced behind the wheel, but even when itâs standing idle, there are plenty of clues to its potential. The test car came with a glorious red paintjob which highlighted the accentuated bumpers with large air inlets and black honeycombed grille up front, the flared side sills and the high profile diffuser insert at the back. Finishing it off were the optional red brake callipers behind the 21-inch titanium-look alloys.
Whatâs surprising though is that even with all this power, the Audi engineers have managed to achieve surprisingly good economy of almost 30 mpg overall, not least through specially-developed engine management
with the Audi cylinder-on-demand system, which activates only four of the eight cylinders when under only part load.
On the inside, youâll find superb sports seats with supporting side bolsters and integrated head restraints to keep you in place in the midst of the action. The test carâs seats were in a new light grey Alcantara and leather combination with a honeycomb pattern and contrasting blue stitching on the armrests and floor mats, although I think I would have preferred black or dark grey as an alternative.
As youâd expect at this price â it starts at ÂŁ84,675 before you add any options â youâve got lots of toys like the electrically adjustable steering column, BOSE surround sound system, ambient lighting package, heated front seats, LED headlights and darkened LED rear lights and a first-class navigation system.
Around the flat-bottomed steering wheel thereâs a feeling of top quality features and the superb build standard which weâve now come to expect from Audi.
But the biggest attraction of this car is how that level of luxury has been combined with sizzling performance. On the motorway, it just eats up the miles smoothly and almost silently but for the best experience, find some quiet twisting country lanes and open it up round the bends.
The car will give you plenty in return and coupled with the fabulous rasp and burble from the back end, I guarantee youâll soon have a broad smile right across your face.
CAR: Audi RS6 Avant Performance 4.0 TFSI quattro tiptronic
PRICE: ÂŁ84,675 (ÂŁ94,915 as tested)
ENGINE: 3993cc V8
POWER: 605 PS
TORQUE: 700 Nm
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 155 mph 0-62mph 3.7 secs
ECONOMY: 29 mpg combined
CO2 EMISSIONS: 223 g/km
TT Rating:Â 
