The 705-Horsepower Audi RS6 Avant Performance Nogaro Edition Is One Angry Über-Wagon
We fear it. We want it. And we can’t have it.
There are precious few things one can count on in the world these days, but sure as the rotation of the (not flat) Earth, we'll always love station wagons. And the Audi RS6 Avant Performance Nogaro Edition, a 705-horsepower hauler of things with a long name and a short sales pitch, makes it harder still to move on.
Murky as the future may be, Audi still excels at two things is always has: All-wheel-drive, and fast wagons. Thus the RS6 Avant Performance was born back in October of 2015, with its twin-turbo V8 putting out nearly 600 horsepower. It was supposed to be the ultimate expression of a lightning-fast longroof, a distillation of everything the company had learned ever since the very first RS model debuted over 20 years ago. Except, someone forgot to tell the guys at ABT Sportsline, the German tuning shop that collaborated with Audi to develop the RS6 Avant Performance Nogaro Edition.
Here's the recipe to this layer cake of practical power. Start with one RS6 Avant Performance, bathe it in iconic Nogaro Blue, jack the horsepower up to 705, and slap on a titanium exhaust to really let it sing. And with 649 pound-feet of torque on tap, the Nogaro Edition will have no trouble turning those 21-inch wheels. The upgrades give it a 0-60 mph time of just 3.7 seconds and top speed of 199 mph. In other words, it's a supercar in sheep's clothing.
What's not to love? For one, the price. The Audi RS6 Avant Performance Nogaro Edition will run you around $160,000, which seems like a lot of coin until you consider this very well could be the only car you'd ever need to own. Then there's the exclusivity—they're only making 150 of these bad boys, and like a lot of fun things, you'll only be able to buy them in Europe.
Of course, seeing as how other manufacturers have been testing the American waters with their own wagons these days, it's always possible Audi will see fit to spread a little love stateside one day. Hey, we can dream.