In yet another entertaining and insightful video, CarWOW pits together four Audi RS 6 generations against each other. All four are twin-turbo, AWD wagons, but that’s where similarities end.
The newest RS 6 C8 packs a four-liter V8 with 600 PS (592 hp / 441 kW) and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) of torque and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It is 20 years younger than its first-gen ancestor. It has a curb weight of 2,075 kg (4,575 lbs) and costs from £95,500 in the UK. Unlike the other three contenders, it takes advantage of launch control.
The previous-gen 2013 RS 6 Performance has the same displacement and cylinder configuration, as well as a similar eight-speed A/T. However, it produces a superior 605 PS (597 hp / 445 kW) while weighing 125 kg (275 lbs) less thanks to the lack of electrification. Peak torque amounts to 750 Nm (553 lb-ft), and prices start from £86,000.
The 2008 RS 6 C6 utilizes a massive five-liter V10 unit with 579 PS (571 hp / 426 kW) and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) at the output end. The gearbox is six-speed manual. The car weighs 2,025 kg (4,464 lbs) and costs from £79,000.
Rounding off the list is a first-gen 2002 RS 6 that makes do with a 4.2-liter V8 rated at 450 PS (444 hp / 331 kW) and 560 Nm (413 lb-ft), which a five-speed auto transmission pushes to the wheels. At just 1,865 kg (4,112 lbs), it is the lightest of the four and also the most affordable at £60,000.
You might think that the latest model – the C8 – is by definition more capable than its predecessors, but watch the video, and you will see it fall behind the competition due to its heavy hybrid powertrain.