Lighter, sharper 2024 Audi RS 6 Avant GT breaks cover

There’s a new king in Audi’s combustion-powered performance vehicle line-up – the 2024 Audi RS 6 Avant GT – and the special-edition super-wagon is heading to Australia.

Revealed overnight in Germany, the RS 6 Avant GT is the ultimate expression of the hallowed RS 6 lineage and will be limited to just 660 units globally, more than 20 of which have already been allocated for Australia and will arrive here in the second half of this year.

Clearly angrier than the standard Audi RS 6, the GT is defined by an unhinged exterior design that combines the familiar wagon silhouette with a unique new front fascia, carbon-fibre fenders and bonnet, exclusive 22-inch forged alloy wheels, motorsport-inspired fixed rear wing and fully functional rear diffuser.

Another subtle nod to its intent is the lack of roof rails, while at the other end of the scale there’s no missing those optional Audi Sport decals.

The extra muscles and war paint serve as warning signs for what’s under the bonnet – the same 463kW/850Nm twin-turbo 4.0-litre petrol V8 as the recently released RS 6 Performance but with 50kg less weight to haul, plus exclusive rear differential settings and manually adjustable coil-over suspension.

“The RS 6 GT is already equipped with the most powerful combustion engine Audi ever fitted, and so we didn’t just focus on the plain numbers – for us it was more important to give it a really good feedback for the driver and lots of driving fun,” technical project manager Nils Fischer told carsales.

All these factors combine with bespoke transmission mapping to shave 0.1sec off the RS 6 Performance’s claimed 0-100km/h time, with the GT stopping the clock in 3.3sec on its way to a top speed of 305km/h.

The 50kg kerb weight saving was achieved through the extensive use of carbon-fibre, both for the aforementioned body panels and within the interior – primarily the GT-exclusive carbon-backed bucket seats.

The special pews are just one of many unique cabin appointments reserved for the RS 6 Avant GT; others comprise the red and copper colour scheme, ‘RS 6 GT’ lettering, crimson-red seatbelts and vehicle-specific build plaque.

Another contributing factor in the lower 2075kg kerb weight are the standard-fit carbon-ceramic brakes (optional on the Performance), which also improve braking performance and feel during spirited driving.

“Everything about this car is designed for exclusivity,” said Audi product marketing manager Kenneth Dose.

“In the hierarchy of performance and how we look at cars, GT is the top of the line and that’s what we’re trying to achieve exactly with this model – the top of the line of this legend.

“The exclusive numbering of 660 units worldwide make this car the emotional highlight of the RS 6 family.”

But while the RS 6 Avant GT may be the ultimate version of the current RS 6, it certainly won’t be the last and Audi executives were reluctant to provide an end of production date for the rabid family hauler, although they did let slip there were still some “super-nice models to come”.

Audi is no stranger to launching special-editions towards the end of a product’s lifecycle, so there’s no telling what other RS 6 variants will come along between now and the end of production. However, a safe bet would be the eventual emergence of an equivalent RS 7 GT Sportback packing all the same hardware and upgrades, albeit in a slinkier fastback outfit.

The executives were predictably coy about this prospect, but such a vehicle could be the last hurrah for Audi’s force-fed 4.0-litre V8 (at least in terms of pure internal combustion), evolutions of which have found their way into other VW Group products like the Bentley Bentayga, Bentley Continental, Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus.

Local pricing for the RS 6 Avant GT is yet to be announced, but an opening figure north of $300,000 plus on-road costs is more than likely given the Performance now starts from $251,000.

Five colours will be available for consumers to choose from – Arkona White, Nardo Gray, Chronos Gray Metallic, Madeira Brown Metallic and Mythos Black Metallic – but the Audi Sport mythos decals are only available in conjunction with the former two.

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