The Address Sept-Oct 2013

Not every man wants to be Tony Stark. Sure, most of us revel
and respect the intelligence, power, and wealth, but when you
really think about it, a real man does not need the attention
of pulling up in an Audi R8 at a nightclub in a fancy tux. For
those who opt for a classic black suit instead of the latest chicbling
design, who would rather sport a good old-fashioned set
of aviators over cyber-Oakleys, and keep a clean shaven mug
over an impossibly high-maintenance razor-shaped goatee –
for us, there is the Audi RS6 Avant.
Launched at a recent event in London by the immaculate
Gwyneth Paltrow, the Audi RS6 Avant is unique in its offering
of true supercar performance in the guise of a family-friendly
estate car. A true wolf in sheep’s clothing, this twotonne
car offers only a few subtle hints to its racing pedigree.
Its front grill is slightly larger than a standard A6 Avant, and
it comes with 20-inch forged alloy rims. Even at the back, the
car has the standard two-exhausts, appropriately blowing no
more hot air than its more reasonable counterpart. In fact, just
about the only real hint to the casual observer is the actual RS6
badge, which stands for RennSport – literally translated as
‘racing sport’, a mark of Audi’s top of the range performance
spec in each of its classes.
As someone once said though, it is the quiet ones you have
to watch out for. Because make no mistake, the subtle man is
a man nonetheless, and it is ingrained deep within our lizard
brains to go as fast as we possibly can. The Audi RS6 Avant
is less a sports sedan and more akin to the world’s subtlest supercar.
Underneath its non-descript hood is a twin-turbo V8
engine that shares most of its parts with the same power-plant
in the Audi R8 and the Lamborghini Gallardo. This beast uses
the full width of its 555 bhp and 700 Nm of torque to propel
it from a standstill all the way to 100 km/h in a blistering 3.9
seconds, the same sort of performance you get out of a Ferrari
California which, incidentally, costs more than twice as much.
The car can keep going up to an electronically limited top
speed of 250 km/h, or 305 km/h if you remove the limiter. ➢
From top to bottom — The 4-litre V8 TFSI engine features
Le Mans-winning fuel-injection technology, which enhances
fuel effi ciency, power and torque; An 8-speed tiptronic
transmission with DSP (Dynamic Shift Programme); Open the
power-operated boot lid by pressing the button on the radiooperated
remote control key, the button in the driver’s door
panel or the soft-touch button in the tailgate handle recess
SEPT/OCT 2013 | TA 75