Audi has managed to keep the all-new RS6 Avant hidden so far, although it did release a test mule in the wild last year.
That particular car featured a camouflaged front bumper, leading us to believe it had the final production front end. However, the latest spy shots prove that was only partially true. As you can see, the RS6 Avant will feature totally different headlights than the A6 and S6 models.
The LED headlamps look sharper and more angular, giving the high-performance wagon a more menacing look. This new sighting also confirms that the front bumper we saw last year was the real deal. Obviously, the entire car is now camouflaged and the foil does a pretty good job of disguising the RS6 Avant’s distinctive styling tweaks.
Those include the wider fenders, aggressively-cut bumpers, and sharp side skirts. The massive oval exhausts and black alloy wheels, as well as the black trim around the side windows and black trim piece that unites the taillamps, serve to give the muscle wagon a more sinister look.
Other visual clues hinting at the RS6 Avant’s serious performance are the huge brakes and lower ride height. Speaking of performance, the hot wagon will share the engine and transmission with the upcoming RS7 Sportback. More specifically, we’re talking an all-new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 powertrain with around 650 horsepower.
That would represent a healthy increase over the current RS6’s 552 hp (560 PS) and even the current RS6 Performance’s 597 hp (605 PS). Expect even more bonkers acceleration times and higher top speed as well — for the de-restricted version, at least. The same engine could find its way later on in the Bentley Continental GT as well.
Also, there have been rumors suggesting that Audi Sport could offer a hybrid version of the RS6 Avant and RS7 Sportback using the same setup from the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-hybrid.
Also heard through the grapevine is the fact that Audi could offer the RS6 as a sedan too later on — the last time that happened was with the previous V10-powered C6 generation between 2008 and 2010.
We’ll learn if that’s the case later this year when the RS6 Avant is expected to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Expect sales to begin in late 2019 or early 2020, with the United States also likely to get the RS6 after a long absence.