Audi The RS division, which stands for “Racing Sport” or “RennSport,” is best known for taking nondescript, practical cars and turning them into monsters. And the car that really embodies this best and has been the division’s long-standing flagship is the RS6.
The current model, code-named C8, offers a speed and practicality that few can even come close to. Audi claims it will make it through sixty in 3.5 seconds, but in reality in 3.18. And remember, this is from a wagon. A large, humble car that happily seats five.
But really, this all-encompassing, embarrassing performance of the supercar has remained constant throughout the life of the RS6. Take the C5, the first generation of the RS6 – at the time it was launched, and it was the fastest production car in the world.
Then there was the second generation – the C6 – where things got really, really interesting. And that’s because Audi decided to put a big V10 under the hood. Not just any V10. It was the same one used in the Lamborghini Gallardo. So here you had a station wagon with a real supercar engine. So a real sleeper.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the time when Audi built a Lamborghini engine into the RS6.
A look back at the history of the Audi RS6
Via: Alexandre Prévot from Nancy, France, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The history of the Audi RS6 can be traced back to 1994 with the first car with the RS emblem: the RS2. The RS2 was developed in collaboration with Porsche. The Stuttgart-based company was involved in everything from wheels to engines.
Looks like it’s an understatement. In terms of performance, it was anything but. It came with a 2.2-liter in-line six-cylinder engine powered by a single turbocharger producing 315 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 302 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm. Together with Audi’s famous Quattro system, this could achieve 60 in 4.8 seconds. It’s quick now. In 1994 it was crazy. In fact, the RS2 was that fast and could get 30 mph faster than the McLaren F1.
Then in 1999 came the B5 RS4, which followed pretty much the recipe of the RS2: restrained looks, a Quattro all-wheel drive system and a sledgehammer turbo. Its engine was a 2.7-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 that was cleaned up by Cosworth – the British tuning company responsible for some of the legendary engines. So, as expected, he was quick. Really fast. Zero to sixty in 4.8 seconds and 375 hp.
The third RS car, the C5 RS6, arrived in 2002 and, like its predecessors, was extremely fast, practical and subtle. Again, Cosworth was brought in to assist the engine, which resulted in a 4.2-liter, twin-turbocharged engine developing a whopping 444 horsepower – which rose to 473 horsepower with the later Plus model.
This feat meant that the C5 RS6 was a true, chariot-shaped missile. This is one that could go head-to-toe in terms of average supercar performance and crush that in terms of day-to-day usability.
Why a Lamborghini Gallardo V10 is built into an Audi RS6 is a brilliant idea
Via: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
In 2008 the second generation of the RS6 was presented, the C6. At this point, Audi’s RS division was in full swing with four full-fledged RS vehicles. It was followed by the hugely successful B7 RS4 that was released in 2005, so it had to be something special. And what better way to ensure that than borrowing the V10 from the Lamborghini Gallardo?
Now 512 hp is enough for most. And especially in a family car. For Audi, this apparently wasn’t the case as the Gallardo’s V10 lump was squeezed for even more power. According to Road & Track, the version of the RS6 has been tuned to offer lower and medium torque and has two turbochargers.
The RS6 now put out 571 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, which meant the C6 was the most powerful car Audi had produced up to that point. It could reach sixty in 4.4 seconds and easily go 200 mph if you removed the limiter.
It wasn’t all a straight line accomplishment, however, as Audi made sure it was delivered in every other department. According to Autocar, the steering was precise, fluid and well weighted, while in the corners it felt well cushioned and agile despite its overall weight and size. And since it was an Audi – rather than an RS model – it had great traction thanks to the Quattro all-wheel drive system that provides straight-line grip glued to the road.
To those who didn’t know, the C6 just seemed like a big executive sedan. And it was, but it just so happened that it could surpass almost anything that was next to it. And best of all? This could happen when five people are comfortably seated and there is a trunk full of luggage. It was and is the definition of a sleeper.
About the author
Jack Grayson
(40 articles published)
Jack Grayson is a writer with experience in copywriting, music journalism, blog writing, and contract proposals. His areas of interest are music, fashion and the automotive industry.
More from Jack Grayson
The post Review of the time Audi placed a Lamborghini engine in the RS6 first appeared on monter-une-startup.Did you miss our previous article...
https://formulaone.news/mclaren/heres-what-nick-mason-is-driving
