Audi unleashes 426kW RS6 sedan

Audi have just unleashed the RS6 sedan. With the same 5-litre V10 twin turbo from the Avant, the engine produces a mammoth 426kW (580bhp) and this is one car that sure needs reigning in. Let’s not forget the 650Nm or torque, available from as low as 1500rpm. Epic! Australia’s first taste of this rocket ship is just weeks away with RS6 Avant deliveries expected in September, while the sedan will be in showrooms from the first quarter of 2009. The Avant has a list price of $259,000 and pricing for the sedan will be announced closer to local release.

Full release below, including more images.

The New Audi RS 6 Sedan Breaks Cover

• Audi’s new RS 6 now available as a sedan
• Twin-turbo V10 engine packs a 426 kW punch
• Due to arrive Downunder in first quarter of 2009

Audi’s electrifying 426 kW, 650 Nm RS 6 sedan has broken cover.

With its 5.0-litre twin-turbo V10 engine and quattro permanent all-wheel drive, the Audi RS 6 is a car without peer. Following on the heels of the RS 6 Avant, Audi now presents it’s sedan which drives like a supercar thanks to its superior performance and thrilling dynamics, yet offers all of the everyday utility of a large executive vehicle.

The engine of the new Audi RS 6 is a high-tech work of art. The 4,991 cc V10 bundles together Audi’s race-winning technologies like FSI direct fuel injection, dry-sump lubrication and two turbochargers.

With up to 1.6 bar of boost pressure, these technologies provide smooth, powerful thrust and an incomparable power band: The peak torque of 650 Nm is available all the way from 1,500 to 6,250 rpm. Peak power of 426 kW is generated between 6,250 rpm and the maximum figure of 6,700 rpm.

With a power-to-weight ratio of 3.4 kilograms per hp, the Audi RS 6 performs like a supercar should. It catapults to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds on its way to an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h.

The V10 responds immediately and spontaneously to the throttle, and is very smooth while accelerating with a powerful roar.

The engine’s power flows through the six-speed tiptronic, one of a new, dynamic generation of Audi automatic transmissions.
The reaction time of the gearbox has been reduced to one tenth of a second, shift time has been halved compared to units used in other models and transmission ratios are short.

The driver can also manually change gears either using the shift lever or the paddles on the steering wheel. The tiptronic transmission transfers the power to an extremely sporty, rear-weighted quattro drive train.

Precision high-tech suspension
The technology bundled into the suspension of the Audi RS 6 guarantees an amazing performance experience. The front axle features four lightweight aluminum control arms per wheel, whose elastokinematics have been designed for particularly sporty performance.

The characteristics of the speed-dependent servotronic power steering were retuned and the steering gear ratio is a direct 12.5:1. The rear suspension kinematics have also been modified.

Audi’s Dynamic Ride Control DRC reduces pitch and roll using purely mechanical means. Hydraulic lines and valves connect diagonally to opposed pairs of shock absorbers. When cornering, the flow of fluid to the damper of the compressing outside front wheel increases, providing firmer support and reducing roll. When combined with the sports suspension plus (standard for Australia), DRC offers a choice of three selectable damper settings – sport, dynamic and comfort – activated via the MMI.

The electronic stabilisation system ESP offers maximum driving fun with uncompromised safety. Its relatively high activation threshold encourages a dynamic driving style. It offers a Sport mode and can also be deactivated entirely.

For Australia, the new Audi RS 6 will roll on 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 275/35 tyres. Up front, six-piston fixed aluminum calipers – painted black and decorated with RS badges – clamp down on 390 mm brake disks. The rear brake disks measure 356 mm in diameter. The rear axle features single-piston floating brake calipers. The floating steel disks feature large cooling ducts and axial perforations for enhanced performance and less weight.

The body of the 4.93 metre RS 6 also sports a number of distinctive features that immediately identify it as the king of the castle.

These include the single-frame grille, the large air intakes, the headlights featuring xenon plus, adaptive light and RS 6-specific LED daytime running lights, the flared fenders and deep side skirts, the rear diffuser, the spoiler integrated into the trunk lid and the two large oval exhaust pipes.

The finest of materials and uncompromised quality
Like all Audi RS models developed and built by quattro GmbH in cooperation with AUDI AG, the RS 6 is the embodiment of power, elegance, exclusivity and perfection. The interior is adorned with the finest of materials, including carbon fibre inlays as a standard feature (with brushed aluminium or highly-polished black lacquer as ‘no cost’ options) for Australian-built cars, and Silk Nappa RS-embossed leather seats in tried-and-tested Audi quality.

Standard equipment for Australian-specification cars includes MMI with a colour monitor and TV reception (analog and digital), advanced key entry, electric glass sunroof, Audi Navigation, dual-zone deluxe automatic air conditioning plus, an acoustic parking assistant at front and rear, a 3-spoke, multifunction leather sports steering wheel with flat-bottomed rim and a Bose surround sound system. A boost pressure indicator for the two turbochargers in the driver information system rounds out the instrumentation.

The Audi RS 6 will arrive in Australia in the first quarter of 2009.