There is something unwaveringly cool about affordable, high-performance executive cars. Cars that resemble those that would look at home parked in an upscale company car park while being capable of kicking numerous so-called supercars into the weeds, and the king of these has to be the uncompromisingly awesome Audi RS6.
This hardly comes as a surprise though, as some twenty years before the RS6 rolled off the production line Audi set out its stall and announced to the world that it would become the pioneer and eventual market leader in four-wheel drive luxury performance cars with the release of the Ur-Quattro, another car that every gearhead should drive at least once.
Having bested its rivals for over twenty years, the RS6 has set an increasingly high bar for its fellow German competitors with both the blisteringly fast Mercedes-Benz E63 and handling benchmark BMW M5 having to up their own game to stay competitive, current, and a tempting alternative for buyers. Fantastically fast and offering otherworldly levels of performance in a sophisticated package, these are 10 reasons why every gearhead should drive an Audi RS6.
10 They Weren't All Wagons
It's a popular misconception that the RS6 has only ever been offered as a superfast sports wagon, as there were two generations of the muscular Audi that featured the option of purchasing the supercar-eater as a sedate-looking sedan.
The first two generations of RS6 were both offered with a sedan bodyshell, not a particularly popular option, it was dropped for the following model iterations as the RS6 became synonymous with ballistically quick wagons.
9 The Fast Load Lugger Of Choice
Anyone in the market for a comfortable, spacious, tech-laden wagon that can outrun the majority of dedicated sports or performance cars on the market with no doubt look at an RS6 and then look no further as it simply ticks every box.
Boasting throughout their generational runs an average load capacity of 1600 liters of trunk space in the cavernous wagons and 600 liters in the sedans there was generally plenty of room for loads of shopping and family stuff.
8 Quattro All-Wheel Drive
Every single RS6 came fitted with Audi's ground-breaking all-wheel-drive Quattro system providing superb levels of handling prowess, grip, and all-weather cross-country abilities allowing it to shame thoroughbred exotics.
Unlike some of its rivals, the Quattro system allows the Audi RS6 to distribute its enormous power outputs throughout the drivetrain instead of simply dumping all of the power into the rear wheels, giving it incredible off-the-line acceleration.
7 Ever-Evolving Models
The first-generation cars were game-changers within the field of luxury sports wagons, Audi proved that with the dawn of the RS6, they had created a vehicle that was likened to being the perfect road, a car capable of doing it all.
As the respect and popularity of the RS6 gathered momentum, the car continued to adapt and evolve with every iteration, more power, more comfort, more technology, and even more speed become a by-product of what the RS6 stood for.
6 Supercar Rivaling Performance
There once was a time when, if you wanted a superfast car, you would be faced with the inevitable drawbacks associated with such a purchase, like a cramped interior, limited trunk space, and a bone-shattering ride.
With the RS6 however, buyers learned that there was no need for compromise, as here was an executive-sized vehicle that could keep pace or even outrun some supercars whilst the family, and the pet dog came along for the cosseted ride.
5 There Was A Bonkers V10 One
The very notion of dropping a big race-inspired 5.0-liter V10 engine into a street-oriented car is a bold one, but to add a twin-turbo setup that would result in it delivering a whopping 571hp and a stump-pulling 479 lb-ft of torque, that's just madness.
Able to blitz to 124 mph in as little as 12 seconds, the V10 powered car could rocket on to a top speed in excess of 190mph when de-restricted the RS6 was, at the time, became the most powerful car Audi had ever created for the road.
4 Not Actually As Expensive As Most People Think
With the earliest cars now two decades old, the first generation of Audi RS6 went through a period of suffering relatively heavy depreciation, with some high-mileage examples of the less loved sedan version dropping below $12,000.
Those looking for something a little wild may be surprised to hear that a decent example of the monster twin-turbo 5.0-liter V10 can be snapped up for circa $30,000, which gives you one helluva lot of bang for your buck.
3 A Modifier's Dream Machine
Even the lowest powered examples churned out a less than sedate 444hp, but thanks to the presence of forced induction in all generations, the Audi RS6 would happily let those looking for more ponies indulge their power-hungry needs.
A simple remap can see power jump by an incredible 80hp, further modifications such as hybrid turbos, uprated intercoolers, and cold-air induction systems could result in a snarling 1,000hp beast capable of devouring everything in its path.
2 It's Really A Muscle Car In Disguise
With a snarling V8 or V10 beneath the hood and performance figures that would send many high-end sports cars running for cover, the RS6 may be an executive in a smart suit, but it's one that has spent years in the gym perfecting its craft.
Every edition of the RS6 just screams muscle car in disguise, from its deep throaty exhaust to the way it piles on the speed at an almost relentlessly easy pace, charging forward with even the slightest press of the throttle.
1 The Do It All Family Friendly Machine
Having become more identifiable and far more commonly spotted as a superfast wagon, the RS6 can turn its hand to just about every task that a growing modern family could ever ask of it, and possibly more.
Wearing several hats at once, the RS6 is a cavernous competent load-lugger, comfortable long-distance cruiser, impressive executive steer, and fiery supercar slaying sports car all wrapped up in a subtle package that shouts finesse.