Audi Promises That The Next-Gen RS6 Series Will Be Better Than The M5

The performance bar in Audi’s RS lineup is constantly rising, and the next RS6 will have to offer a significant step up. The recently introduced RS5, in fact, develops more power than the previous RS6 (600 hp), which means that Audi will have to up the ante to justify its flagship status. The answer seems to lie in more than a slight improvement, with a plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain being seriously considered.

Audi is reportedly considering two different paths for the C9-generation RS6, prototypes of which have already been seen on the roads in a wagon version (Avant) and, for the first time in 15 years, as a sedan. One option involves the installation of a plug-in hybrid 2.9 liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine from the RS5, but reworked to surpass the 630 hp and 825 Nm of the current top model.

A much more exciting possibility would be the installation of a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 plug-in hybrid, as used in the Bentley Continental GT Speed. Such a powertrain would bring as much as 771 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque, which would put the RS6 directly against the BMW M5 (727 hp), in both sedan and wagon (Touring) versions. Audi is not revealing its plans for now.

Speaking to Car Sales, the head of Audi Sport, Rolf Michl, made it clear that the new RS6 will not be just a slightly reworked RS5 in a different package. “We know how important the RS6 is to our history… rest assured that we are looking closely at all generations of the RS6 model,” he said. “Each generation had its own unique strengths, and the next one will show that.”

“In the various generations of the RS6 model, I have covered at least 250,000 to 300,000 kilometers. Now I drive a lot of the combination of the B10 RS5 and the C8 RS6. It is very obvious to me where these cars differ, and that is much more than a question of the number of cylinders,” added Michl.

Michl stressed that, unlike the RS5, the new RS6 must be able to tow “horses, yachts and ships”, noting that the RS6’s customer profile is different. “The RS6 today is also a very luxurious touring machine,” he said.

Recently seen prototypes of the new RS6 have confirmed that it will be sold as both a sedan and a wagon (Avant). In typical RS style, it will get significantly widened fenders, more aggressively designed bumpers and new twin tailpipes, similar to those on the smaller RS5 model.

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