---
title: "Audi Design Students Imagine the Ultimate RS6 GTO Racing Wagon"
description: "It pays homage to Audi's iconic 90 Quattro IMSA GTO from 1989."
date: "2020-11-11"
modified: "2020-11-11"
authors:
  - name: "Máté Petrány"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/mate-petrany"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/37564/audi-design-students-imagine-the-ultimate-rs6-gto-racing-wagon"
categories:
  - "Audi News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "Audi"
  - "Audi 90 IMSA GTO"
  - "Audi RS6"
  - "Audi RS6 GTO"
  - "Audi RS6 GTO Concept"
  - "RS6 Avant"
  - "sports car"
  - "Wagon"
---

# Audi Design Students Imagine the Ultimate RS6 GTO Racing Wagon

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2020/11/audi-rs6-gto-concept-1.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

The [Audi RS6 Avant is the new über-wagon](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/31209/2020-audi-rs6-avant-first-drive-review-wagon-ber-alles>) that officially starts at [$110,000 as an order-only](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/32528/order-only-2021-audi-rs6-avant-super-wagon-will-start-at-110000>) 2021 model. It's [available in the United States with beautiful Nogaro Blue paint](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/36134/america-finally-gets-another-nogaro-blue-audi-wagon-with-the-2021-rs6-avant>), and it'll probably [cost a lot more than Audi intended](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/37248/some-dealerships-are-marking-up-the-new-audi-rs6-avant-by-50000-or-more>) thanks to dealer markups. On the plus side, it's also a family car that can easily keep up with a significantly more expensive super SUV [like a Lamborghini Urus](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/33883/come-on-and-bring-the-family-to-this-audi-rs6-avant-vs-lamborghini-urus-drag-race>); Audi, however, couldn't stop at launching a 591-horsepower sports wagon. As part of the brand's 40 years of [Quattro celebrations](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/25688/behold-this-10-minute-tribute-to-audis-most-iconic-rally-car-the-sport-quattro-s1>), the company’s apprentices guided by Audi design chief March Lichte created what they call the RS6 GTO Concept, a pure racing wagon showing extensive modification inside and out.

Debuting through the team's [Instagram channel](<https://www.instagram.com/audi.azubis.neckarsulm/>), the RS6 GTO Concept features a widebody conversion with centerlock wheels, hood vents, side exhausts, a bigger rear spoiler sprayed red, a fully caged two-seater interior with carbon fiber bucket seats and all the safety gear a racing wagon could need. One can only hope the apprentices can build this into a functioning show car, just like [Škoda does with its own cool student projects](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/34983/the-skoda-slavia-student-car-is-the-roadster-conversion-all-hatchbacks-deserve>).

![message-editor%2F1605094448778-124736443\_203620731208169\_7824280561984417513\_n.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605094448778-124736443_203620731208169_7824280561984417513_n.jpg>)
*Instagram | audi.azubis.neckarsulm*

![message-editor%2F1605094415474-124130422\_224974112299278\_1642092822559998410\_n.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605094415474-124130422_224974112299278_1642092822559998410_n.jpg>)
*Instagram | audi.azubis.neckarsulm*

![message-editor%2F1605094432082-124426178\_180403413728698\_7563914276227485623\_n.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605094432082-124426178_180403413728698_7563914276227485623_n.jpg>)
*Instagram | audi.azubis.neckarsulm*

![message-editor%2F1605094440499-124652985\_369476927465436\_9025061725320489125\_n.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605094440499-124652985_369476927465436_9025061725320489125_n.jpg>)
*Instagram | audi.azubis.neckarsulm*

![message-editor%2F1605094422990-124183025\_1329478384065680\_4352727170291799437\_n.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605094422990-124183025_1329478384065680_4352727170291799437_n.jpg>)
*Instagram | audi.azubis.neckarsulm*

![message-editor%2F1605094404884-124040871\_842173023212456\_5454981860867719701\_n.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605094404884-124040871_842173023212456_5454981860867719701_n.jpg>)
*Instagram | audi.azubis.neckarsulm*

![message-editor%2F1605094460912-audi-rs6-gto-concept.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605094460912-audi-rs6-gto-concept.jpg>)
*Instagram | audi.azubis.neckarsulm*

The new RS6 concept wears the GTO badge as a tribute to 1989's Audi 90 Quattro IMSA GTO, which packed what the brand called the most powerful five-cylinder works engine in motorsport. The German race car's 2.2-liter aluminum five-cylinder featured a single KKK turbocharger to develop 720 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and a healthy 531 pound-feet of torque at six grand.

As for the RS6 Avant this concept is based on, it's not quite a racecar but it can accelerate to 60 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds. It'll also hit 189 mph when equipped with the optional Dynamic package thanks to its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. Sadly, there's no manual transmission available to match the feel of the 90 Quattro, but the standard eight-speed automatic should do just fine handling the 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque.

![message-editor%2F1605110814754-dsc09665.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605110814754-dsc09665.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605105787233-rs62.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605105787233-rs62.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605110833896-dsc09719.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605110833896-dsc09719.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605110848116-dsc09731.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605110848116-dsc09731.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605110873049-dsc09734.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605110873049-dsc09734.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605110887243-dsc09891.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605110887243-dsc09891.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605105794579-rs63.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605105794579-rs63.jpg>)
*Audi*

Raced only during the 1989 IMSA season, the 90 IMSA GTO won seven races after Audi had missed the Daytona and Sebring rounds, ultimately helping Roush Racing to a class championship.

Currently, the most powerful new Audi five-cylinder in motorsport is used by [KTM in its new X-Bow GTX race car](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/37065/new-ktm-x-bow-gtx-stuffs-a-530-hp-audi-5-cylinder-in-a-2310-pound-all-carbon-package>), in which the 2.5-liter unit produces 530 horsepower. To get more, one needs to jump into a historic Quattro S1 WRC, or something similarly violent with four rings on its nose.

![message-editor%2F1605096545831-a153016\_large.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605096545831-a153016_large.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605096566920-a168865\_large.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605096566920-a168865_large.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605096610310-a198127\_large.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605096610310-a198127_large.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605096628584-a192399\_large.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605096628584-a192399_large.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605096665523-a207062\_large.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605096665523-a207062_large.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605096692595-au090376\_large.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605096692595-au090376_large.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605096746509-au090377\_large.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605096746509-au090377_large.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605096780701-au090378\_large.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605096780701-au090378_large.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605096807367-au090380\_large.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605096807367-au090380_large.jpg>)
*Audi*

![message-editor%2F1605096923946-au090379\_large.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1605096923946-au090379_large.jpg>)
**Audi AG**

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## Author
As a fan of old cars, new cars, trains, planes, buses, and you-name-it, Máté can sometimes be seen driving an Autobianchi around Budapest, much to the amusement of the children, mostly. When not time-traveling, he continues to report from the future to his American colleagues, often talking about Lotus, Ozzy Osbourne, or both.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/mpetrany>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/petrany>)