2003 Audi RS 6

In World War II, the allies equipped several innocent-looking merchant ships with powerful but hidden guns. When submarine raiders surfaced to shell them, so as not to waste precious torpedoes, the ship's crew would unlimber its cannon and try to blast the sub out of the water. These disguised men-of-war were called Q-Ships, and the term has come to mean a car whose potential is carefully hidden from prying eyes. Audi's RS 6 fits the definition perfectly.

The RS 6 is beautifully behaved, easy to drive, and ready in an instant for eye-tearing sprints.

Now, you can buy a quite few outstanding automobiles when you have $85,000 to spend. So why should you buy an Audi RS 6? The answer depends upon your point of view. If 0-60 in 4.7 seconds is appealing, in an all-wheel-drive (read all-weather) discrete but lavishly equipped sedan—a modern Q-Ship, if you will—that seats four comfortably (five in a pinch) and incorporates a new, highly sophisticated road-sensing suspension—and you're more concerned with on-road results than image—then this is your car.


By way of background, Audi's 2004 S4 sedan and Avant wagon, due here this fall, are definite BMW M3/Mercedes-Benz C36 contenders that represent a key new Ingolstadt program designed to raise the brand's profile here among young, moderately wealthy enthusiasts. They expect sell to 5,000 S4s of both types. The RS 6 is an even more exclusive model. This highly modified A6 variant will be available in July, in very limited numbers. Audi plans to import just 1,000 carefully built units.


The car's vital statistics are intriguing. To power the RS 6, Audi's engineers have equipped their state-of-the-art, 4.2-liter, 40-valve V-8 with a twin-turbo setup that pumps out a stunning 450 hp. Its 415 lb.-ft. of meaty torque are spread across a wide range from 1,950 to 5,600 rpm. And if you think the RS 6's sub 5-second 0-60 time is impressive, how about a swift 3.1-second passing time from 45 mph to 70 mph? So much for ever hesitating to pass on two-lane roads.

Inside, Audi's reputation for stunning interiors is sustained?little wonder they're the benchmark for so many rival automakers.

Until recently Audi did not import high-performance cars to the U.S. from quattro GmbH, its captive high-performance division, founded in 1983. It has its own development and production areas in two major Audi plants, to modify and personalize new vehicles. The Audi effort is similar to Mercedes-Benz's AMG or BMW's M-Sport. quattro GmbH's U.S. presence begins with this model.