Out of the German carmakers out there, Audi is one of the oddest ones. Unlike BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Porsche, Audi did not manufacture vehicles until the 1960s. Prior to that period of time, Auto Union (now Audi) was timidly present on the market. Its involvement with the Nazi regime may have given the company the cash flow it desperately needed to kick things into gear.
Though it took the company quite a while to come up with truly mind-blowing cars, Audi's S and RS Series are some of the best sports cars to come out of Germany. Some of the greatest Audis ever made are now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Though not all of them are S or RS-badged cars, the sportier Audis never fail to amaze its owners and bystanders.
10 RS6 Avant DTM
Over the last 20 years or so, station wagon really lost their appeal. As carmakers were forced to follow market trends, they focus most of their attention on SUVs. Though SUVs have been all the rage over the last two decades, some carmakers are still offering station wagons.
The RS6 Avant definitely is among the sickest Audi performance cars ever. The original twin-turbocharged 4.0L V8 that produces 552 hp to the back wheels was boosted to incredible levels. The car now produces more power than most supercars out there. The 1000 hp Audi RS6 DTM is the street-legal station wagon everybody would love to drive.
9 S5 Sportsback
Back in 2007, Audi released the much-anticipated A5. In the US, the only versions available were the coupe and the convertible. The sportier S5 was released the same year. The car came with Audi's famous 4.2L V8. With a power output of 349 hp, the S5 was far from bland.
A fair amount of gearheads will discard the Audi S5 Sportsback for one simple reason: it is powered by a diesel engine. The 3.0L V6 TDI still cranks out 347 hp, which is acceptable for a diesel-powered car. The ABT Power performance upgrade gives the S5 an extra 37 hp, thus bringing the power output to 384 hp.
8 Classy RS4
Audi did release some incredible cars from the 1980s onward. Starting with the Sport Quattro, the German car manufacturer showed it was not going to end up like Volkswagen. However, the car that truly put Audi on the map in the most recent years is the powerful RS4. The sports sedan was placed in the market as a direct competitor to BMW's M5 and Mercedes' E55 AMG.
It is sometimes better to settle for a conservative look. The RS4 is already a great looking sports sedan, and adding too many body parts may actually do harm to the car. This RS4 looks great, but the real deal is in the engine bay. The original 4.2L V8 produces 414 hp at 7,800 rpm and 317 lb-ft of torque 5,500 rpm. This RS4? 615 hp to the wheels thanks to a myriad of modifications including a TTS/Rotrex C38-91 supercharger.
7 S8 MTM
The Audi S8 was first introduced in the European market in 1996. From its inception, the S8 was perceived as a high-end Audi made for the wealthier portion of the population. The 4.2L V8 found on the very first S8 cranks out 340 hp at 6,600 rpm and 302 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. Not bad for a mass-produced '90s car.
This 2017 Audi S8 Plus MTM Talladega R might be bright blue, but it far from being a lame duck. The S8 originally comes with a turbocharged 4.0L V8 that churns out 605 hp at 6,100 rpm and 553 lb-ft of torque at 1,750 rpm. The MTM Talladega R is a true beast. On top of having a variety of custom body parts, the powerplant is modified to produce 802 hp.
6 RSQ8-R
When BMW released its X5, most German car manufacturers followed suit. Volkswagen released the Touareg. Mercedes-Benz, the GL Series. Audi, on the other hand, took some time to release its Q7. The SUV was a huge success. As time went on, carmakers worldwide diversified their SUV portfolio.
The RSQ8 is one amazing SUV. The car is racy, stylish, and by far one of the best sport SUVs made by Audi. Imagine having a German twin-turbocharged V8-powered SUV between your hands. 591 hp ready to tear up the asphalt. ABT raised the bar with the RSQ8-R, so the Audi's powerplant now develops a rather impressive 740 hp.
5 S6 Avant
Though BMW and Mercedes-Benz are slowly but surely retiring their most popular station wagons, Audi is banking on releasing increasingly powerful ones. Unlike Dodge with its Magnum, Audi does not seem to be headed towards failure. In fact, Audi could be the carmaker that brings back the station wagon.
It has always been believed that RS vehicles were far more powerful than the S models. Though it is true 99% of the time, tuners have done whatever possible to prove people wrong. The 2020 Audi S6 comes with a twin-turbocharged V6 that produces 450 hp. The S6 ABT cranks out 550 hp to the tires and 501 lb-ft of torque.
4 B5 S4
The very first S4 was quite respectable, but it actually wasn't based on the A4 model. The first S4 was a performance version of the Audi 100, and most of them were fitted with a turbocharged 2.2L inline-five that produces 227 hp at 5,900 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque at 1,950 rpm. Audi did think about its more exclusive clientele, and developed the S4 Plus. This trim includes Audi's 4.2L V8 and is capable of producing 276 hp.
The first A4-based S4 was the one seen here. There are several reasons why Audi should bring back the B5 S4. First, it was one of the very first S-badged cars to be fitted with the twin-turbocharged 2.7L V6 engine. Second, it is an amazing car all around. This California-based B5 S4 was tuned to produce 600 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque.
3 Widebody S5
The S5 is a wonderful vehicle. Even if Audi retired the 4.2L V8 found under the hood, the newer V6 is equally satisfying. Though the S5 is a great car all around, it desperately needs a much more aggressive physique. One easy way to give your S5 the aggressiveness it needs is to find a stylish body kit.
The S5 and RS5 Coupe are truly gorgeous vehicles. However, they are a dime a dozen especially in large cities such as Los Angeles or San Francisco. European tuners have come up with different body kits in order to provide some uniqueness to this widely popular sports car. This particular one developed by SR66 Design fits the car quite nicely.
2 Super RS3
Back in 1996, Audi understood that limiting itself to high-end customers may be a mistake. As a result, they released a vehicle that was far cheaper and adapted to an urban environment where parking can be limited. The A3 was decent. As time went on, Audi made sure to give Audi the power it really deserves.
MTM seems to have truly understood how to modify a high-end Audi car. The RS3 is originally capable of producing 394 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque thanks to a turbocharged 2.5L inline-five cylinder powerplant. MTM cranked up the car's power output to 500 hp, thus making it more powerful than the latest Mustang GTs.
1 Scary TT RS
The TT was sort of an oddball when it was released. It is unclear whether it was supposed to rival the BMW Z3 and the Porsche Boxster. The TT was far from being as powerful as the latter. However, Audi learned a lot from its mishaps. The most recent TT is exactly what Audi was trying to manufacture in the first place: a stylish and fast two-door car.
The Audi TT RS cannot be missed. It is a truly beautiful car that packs quite a punch. The turbocharged 2.5L five-cylinder powerplant cranks out 394 hp at 6,000 rpm and 354 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 rpm. This highly modified TT RS cranks out 810 hp on pump fuel. That is more than double its original power output.