Latest news with #RS6
NZ Autocar
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Next Audi RS 6 will have electrified powertrains only
Both hybrid and electric performance A6s are being readied for 2026, the former based on a V8 engine. Camera mirrors may be an option for next RS 6. Whatever the choice, all RS 6s will be electrified for the fifth generation of the go-hard large family Audi. And the electric variant will be the first full EV for Audi Sport. A competitor to BMW M5 and i5 M60, the new RS 6 will be the most powerful version yet, as you'd expect with an additional power source on board. It is likely to produce up to 544kW in combustion-engined form. And it will also come in both saloon and wagon versions, something not offered by Audi in 15 years. A couple of years back, Audi Sport was intending to take the RS 6 fully electric. But sluggish EV sales have convinced it to extend the life cycles of key ICE models to the middle of the 2030s. The electric RS 6 e-tron will use Volkswagen Group's new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) underpinnings. But the hybrid example will run on the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture. In other words, an update of the MLB mechanicals it already uses. Power galore Expect the 4.0 twinturbo V8 petrol engine to be carryover. To meet Euro 7 emissions legislation, it combines with a plug-in hybrid system that has a motor mounted in the gearbox. A similar powertrain is used in Porsche's Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. There, it is good for 575kW and 1000Nm, sufficient for a sub 3.0sec sprint time. Audi will likely be chasing similar spirited performance. The electric RS 6 e-tron will run a dual-motor, four-wheel drive powertrain similar to that in the S6 e-tron, only with greater output. Expect around 500kW and 950Nm. It should almost give the RS e-tron GT a run for its money. Audi is expected to give the RS 6 e-tron similar paddle and sonic treatment to the Ioniq 5 N, for greater driver engagement. The engineers are also working on a 'progressive torque curve'. The EV will use the same 95kWh (usable) battery as the A6 e-tron but it won't have as much range, around 640km. Styling will involve the usual amped up aggressive appearance compared with their more mainstream stablemates. Cue wider wheel arches, a bigger diffuser and spoiler, and a lower, wider stance. Read our review of the S5 Avant here. The PHEV will feature bigger air intakes and central tailpipes. Both models will be 4900mm long. Expect the PHEV to be around 2090kg, and the RS 6 e-tron to weigh in excess of 2500kg. Audi Sport will likely employ a new active suspension system similar to that used on the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. Brakes will likely be carbon ceramic units with 10-pot front calipers.
Edmunds
21 hours ago
- Automotive
- Edmunds
Audi RS 6 Avant vs. BMW M5 Touring: Big Wagons Hit the Track
And he's right. When you drive the two wagons back to back, there is an immediate sense that the Audi is more agile. It felt sharper than the M5 in just about every section on the track, save for the straightaways, which favored the BMW. But even with less power, the RS 6 was ultimately the better thrill. Its V8 supplied ample power and included a fun growling soundtrack in every foot-down moment. The gearbox was smooth while operating on its own and got even better when we chose to do the work ourselves with the paddle shifters. And once those Continental tires got some heat in them, the RS 6 clung on around corners more like a supercar and less like a family wagon. Weirdly, the thing we liked least about the RS 6 Performance is one of its highlight features: the self-locking center differential. The Audi's ability to shuffle power between all four wheels depending on the situation is a good thing, but it did so a bit clumsier than we would've liked. During a quick corner, we could feel (and hear) the car trimming the power from the inside wheel, which felt unnatural. A system like this shouldn't be noticeable to the driver, and it definitely was. The M5 has a ridiculous list of ways that you can configure the car for driving. You have individual control over the steering, brakes, engine, transmission, all-wheel-drive system, suspension and exhaust. Then there's a separate manual altogether for the electric elements, controlling whether the Touring drives in all-electric, hybrid or recharge mode depending on battery levels. If reading this was confusing, that's because doing it in real life was as well. It will take the owner multiple track days to figure out the best way to dial in the car to their liking.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
2026 Audi RS6: V8 to live on alongside new EV
The 2026 Audi RS6 won't ditch its V8 engine but it will gain a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system and be sold alongside the electric RS6 e-tron, marking the first time the Audi Sport division has offered both electric and combustion-powered RS6s. According to Autocar, the next RS6 is expected in European showrooms in 2026 with Australia following shortly after, and Audi has been testing a V8 PHEV powertrain – much like that employed by the rival BMW M5. The move comes after a previous decision to make the next RS6 full-electric only was reversed after slower than anticipated sales for electric vehicles (EVs) saw the company ditch plans to sell only EVs by 2033. The strategic rethink also saw Audi confirm it would develop a new line of internal combustion engines to play a role in expanding its lineup of hybrid vehicles. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Instead of ditching the electric RS6 e-tron in favour of a hybrid version, however, Audi will offer customers both. The 2026 RS6 e-tron, like the A6 e-tron it's derived from, will sit on the Volkswagen Group's Premium Platform Electric (PPE) underpinnings, with the 2026 RS6 hybrid using the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture like the new-generation Audi A6 it's based on. The ability to produce both is helped by other brands within the Volkswagen Group, including Porsche, continuing to offer internal-combustion-engine hybrids alongside EVs, splitting development costs across more models. While the RS6 is a rival to the BMW i5 M60 and BMW M5 PHEV, given its similar size and price, the move more closely resembles the decision by BMW's M division to introduce both EV and hybrid models of the next BMW M3 on different platforms. Further hedging its bets, Audi will offer the RS6 in sedan and wagon body styles – reintroducing the sedan for the first time since 2010 – according to Autocar. The next RS6 is set to be the most powerful RS6 yet with the hybrid version expected to use a further developed version of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 – used by Porsche and Bentley – which makes 453kW/850Nm in the current RS6. Teamed with plug-in hybrid tech including an electric motor integrated into the transmission and a lithium-ion battery, power will jump to as much as 575kW/100Nm – the output the powertrain makes in the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. This endows the Panamera with a 2.9-second 0-100km/h time and 325km/h top speed. Those sorts of figures, if achieved in the RS6, would outmuscle the latest G90 BMW M5's performance, which sees 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds and a 305km/h top speed from its 727kW V8 PHEV. The RS6 e-tron is expected to build on the current Audi S6 e-tron – due in Australia this year with a 405kW/856Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain – by some margin and will be offered with the same 94.8kWh battery as the standard A6 e-tron. Audi's current high-performance EV is the RS e-tron GT performance, which produces 680kW and does the 0-100km/h dash in 2.5 seconds. A source told Autocar, however, that the RS6 e-tron is unlikely to be as powerful though there will be a "solid increase" over the S6 e-tron. Both petrol-hybrid and EV RS6s will look the part, with pumped-up body work, larger front air intakes as well as large alloy wheels housing high-performance brakes. More details are expected ahead of the 2026 Audi RS6's official unveiling, expected sometime later this year. MORE: Everything Audi Content originally sourced from: The 2026 Audi RS6 won't ditch its V8 engine but it will gain a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system and be sold alongside the electric RS6 e-tron, marking the first time the Audi Sport division has offered both electric and combustion-powered RS6s. According to Autocar, the next RS6 is expected in European showrooms in 2026 with Australia following shortly after, and Audi has been testing a V8 PHEV powertrain – much like that employed by the rival BMW M5. The move comes after a previous decision to make the next RS6 full-electric only was reversed after slower than anticipated sales for electric vehicles (EVs) saw the company ditch plans to sell only EVs by 2033. The strategic rethink also saw Audi confirm it would develop a new line of internal combustion engines to play a role in expanding its lineup of hybrid vehicles. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Instead of ditching the electric RS6 e-tron in favour of a hybrid version, however, Audi will offer customers both. The 2026 RS6 e-tron, like the A6 e-tron it's derived from, will sit on the Volkswagen Group's Premium Platform Electric (PPE) underpinnings, with the 2026 RS6 hybrid using the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture like the new-generation Audi A6 it's based on. The ability to produce both is helped by other brands within the Volkswagen Group, including Porsche, continuing to offer internal-combustion-engine hybrids alongside EVs, splitting development costs across more models. While the RS6 is a rival to the BMW i5 M60 and BMW M5 PHEV, given its similar size and price, the move more closely resembles the decision by BMW's M division to introduce both EV and hybrid models of the next BMW M3 on different platforms. Further hedging its bets, Audi will offer the RS6 in sedan and wagon body styles – reintroducing the sedan for the first time since 2010 – according to Autocar. The next RS6 is set to be the most powerful RS6 yet with the hybrid version expected to use a further developed version of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 – used by Porsche and Bentley – which makes 453kW/850Nm in the current RS6. Teamed with plug-in hybrid tech including an electric motor integrated into the transmission and a lithium-ion battery, power will jump to as much as 575kW/100Nm – the output the powertrain makes in the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. This endows the Panamera with a 2.9-second 0-100km/h time and 325km/h top speed. Those sorts of figures, if achieved in the RS6, would outmuscle the latest G90 BMW M5's performance, which sees 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds and a 305km/h top speed from its 727kW V8 PHEV. The RS6 e-tron is expected to build on the current Audi S6 e-tron – due in Australia this year with a 405kW/856Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain – by some margin and will be offered with the same 94.8kWh battery as the standard A6 e-tron. Audi's current high-performance EV is the RS e-tron GT performance, which produces 680kW and does the 0-100km/h dash in 2.5 seconds. A source told Autocar, however, that the RS6 e-tron is unlikely to be as powerful though there will be a "solid increase" over the S6 e-tron. Both petrol-hybrid and EV RS6s will look the part, with pumped-up body work, larger front air intakes as well as large alloy wheels housing high-performance brakes. More details are expected ahead of the 2026 Audi RS6's official unveiling, expected sometime later this year. MORE: Everything Audi Content originally sourced from: The 2026 Audi RS6 won't ditch its V8 engine but it will gain a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system and be sold alongside the electric RS6 e-tron, marking the first time the Audi Sport division has offered both electric and combustion-powered RS6s. According to Autocar, the next RS6 is expected in European showrooms in 2026 with Australia following shortly after, and Audi has been testing a V8 PHEV powertrain – much like that employed by the rival BMW M5. The move comes after a previous decision to make the next RS6 full-electric only was reversed after slower than anticipated sales for electric vehicles (EVs) saw the company ditch plans to sell only EVs by 2033. The strategic rethink also saw Audi confirm it would develop a new line of internal combustion engines to play a role in expanding its lineup of hybrid vehicles. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Instead of ditching the electric RS6 e-tron in favour of a hybrid version, however, Audi will offer customers both. The 2026 RS6 e-tron, like the A6 e-tron it's derived from, will sit on the Volkswagen Group's Premium Platform Electric (PPE) underpinnings, with the 2026 RS6 hybrid using the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture like the new-generation Audi A6 it's based on. The ability to produce both is helped by other brands within the Volkswagen Group, including Porsche, continuing to offer internal-combustion-engine hybrids alongside EVs, splitting development costs across more models. While the RS6 is a rival to the BMW i5 M60 and BMW M5 PHEV, given its similar size and price, the move more closely resembles the decision by BMW's M division to introduce both EV and hybrid models of the next BMW M3 on different platforms. Further hedging its bets, Audi will offer the RS6 in sedan and wagon body styles – reintroducing the sedan for the first time since 2010 – according to Autocar. The next RS6 is set to be the most powerful RS6 yet with the hybrid version expected to use a further developed version of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 – used by Porsche and Bentley – which makes 453kW/850Nm in the current RS6. Teamed with plug-in hybrid tech including an electric motor integrated into the transmission and a lithium-ion battery, power will jump to as much as 575kW/100Nm – the output the powertrain makes in the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. This endows the Panamera with a 2.9-second 0-100km/h time and 325km/h top speed. Those sorts of figures, if achieved in the RS6, would outmuscle the latest G90 BMW M5's performance, which sees 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds and a 305km/h top speed from its 727kW V8 PHEV. The RS6 e-tron is expected to build on the current Audi S6 e-tron – due in Australia this year with a 405kW/856Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain – by some margin and will be offered with the same 94.8kWh battery as the standard A6 e-tron. Audi's current high-performance EV is the RS e-tron GT performance, which produces 680kW and does the 0-100km/h dash in 2.5 seconds. A source told Autocar, however, that the RS6 e-tron is unlikely to be as powerful though there will be a "solid increase" over the S6 e-tron. Both petrol-hybrid and EV RS6s will look the part, with pumped-up body work, larger front air intakes as well as large alloy wheels housing high-performance brakes. More details are expected ahead of the 2026 Audi RS6's official unveiling, expected sometime later this year. MORE: Everything Audi Content originally sourced from: The 2026 Audi RS6 won't ditch its V8 engine but it will gain a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system and be sold alongside the electric RS6 e-tron, marking the first time the Audi Sport division has offered both electric and combustion-powered RS6s. According to Autocar, the next RS6 is expected in European showrooms in 2026 with Australia following shortly after, and Audi has been testing a V8 PHEV powertrain – much like that employed by the rival BMW M5. The move comes after a previous decision to make the next RS6 full-electric only was reversed after slower than anticipated sales for electric vehicles (EVs) saw the company ditch plans to sell only EVs by 2033. The strategic rethink also saw Audi confirm it would develop a new line of internal combustion engines to play a role in expanding its lineup of hybrid vehicles. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Instead of ditching the electric RS6 e-tron in favour of a hybrid version, however, Audi will offer customers both. The 2026 RS6 e-tron, like the A6 e-tron it's derived from, will sit on the Volkswagen Group's Premium Platform Electric (PPE) underpinnings, with the 2026 RS6 hybrid using the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture like the new-generation Audi A6 it's based on. The ability to produce both is helped by other brands within the Volkswagen Group, including Porsche, continuing to offer internal-combustion-engine hybrids alongside EVs, splitting development costs across more models. While the RS6 is a rival to the BMW i5 M60 and BMW M5 PHEV, given its similar size and price, the move more closely resembles the decision by BMW's M division to introduce both EV and hybrid models of the next BMW M3 on different platforms. Further hedging its bets, Audi will offer the RS6 in sedan and wagon body styles – reintroducing the sedan for the first time since 2010 – according to Autocar. The next RS6 is set to be the most powerful RS6 yet with the hybrid version expected to use a further developed version of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 – used by Porsche and Bentley – which makes 453kW/850Nm in the current RS6. Teamed with plug-in hybrid tech including an electric motor integrated into the transmission and a lithium-ion battery, power will jump to as much as 575kW/100Nm – the output the powertrain makes in the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. This endows the Panamera with a 2.9-second 0-100km/h time and 325km/h top speed. Those sorts of figures, if achieved in the RS6, would outmuscle the latest G90 BMW M5's performance, which sees 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds and a 305km/h top speed from its 727kW V8 PHEV. The RS6 e-tron is expected to build on the current Audi S6 e-tron – due in Australia this year with a 405kW/856Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain – by some margin and will be offered with the same 94.8kWh battery as the standard A6 e-tron. Audi's current high-performance EV is the RS e-tron GT performance, which produces 680kW and does the 0-100km/h dash in 2.5 seconds. A source told Autocar, however, that the RS6 e-tron is unlikely to be as powerful though there will be a "solid increase" over the S6 e-tron. Both petrol-hybrid and EV RS6s will look the part, with pumped-up body work, larger front air intakes as well as large alloy wheels housing high-performance brakes. More details are expected ahead of the 2026 Audi RS6's official unveiling, expected sometime later this year. MORE: Everything Audi Content originally sourced from:
Perth Now
a day ago
- Automotive
- Perth Now
2026 Audi RS6: V8 to live on alongside new EV
The 2026 Audi RS6 won't ditch its V8 engine but it will gain a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system and be sold alongside the electric RS6 e-tron, marking the first time the Audi Sport division has offered both electric and combustion-powered RS6s. According to Autocar, the next RS6 is expected in European showrooms in 2026 with Australia following shortly after, and Audi has been testing a V8 PHEV powertrain – much like that employed by the rival BMW M5. The move comes after a previous decision to make the next RS6 full-electric only was reversed after slower than anticipated sales for electric vehicles (EVs) saw the company ditch plans to sell only EVs by 2033. The strategic rethink also saw Audi confirm it would develop a new line of internal combustion engines to play a role in expanding its lineup of hybrid vehicles. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Instead of ditching the electric RS6 e-tron in favour of a hybrid version, however, Audi will offer customers both. The 2026 RS6 e-tron, like the A6 e-tron it's derived from, will sit on the Volkswagen Group's Premium Platform Electric (PPE) underpinnings, with the 2026 RS6 hybrid using the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture like the new-generation Audi A6 it's based on. The ability to produce both is helped by other brands within the Volkswagen Group, including Porsche, continuing to offer internal-combustion-engine hybrids alongside EVs, splitting development costs across more models. While the RS6 is a rival to the BMW i5 M60 and BMW M5 PHEV, given its similar size and price, the move more closely resembles the decision by BMW's M division to introduce both EV and hybrid models of the next BMW M3 on different platforms. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Further hedging its bets, Audi will offer the RS6 in sedan and wagon body styles – reintroducing the sedan for the first time since 2010 – according to Autocar. The next RS6 is set to be the most powerful RS6 yet with the hybrid version expected to use a further developed version of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 – used by Porsche and Bentley – which makes 453kW/850Nm in the current RS6. Teamed with plug-in hybrid tech including an electric motor integrated into the transmission and a lithium-ion battery, power will jump to as much as 575kW/100Nm – the output the powertrain makes in the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. This endows the Panamera with a 2.9-second 0-100km/h time and 325km/h top speed. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Those sorts of figures, if achieved in the RS6, would outmuscle the latest G90 BMW M5's performance, which sees 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds and a 305km/h top speed from its 727kW V8 PHEV. The RS6 e-tron is expected to build on the current Audi S6 e-tron – due in Australia this year with a 405kW/856Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain – by some margin and will be offered with the same 94.8kWh battery as the standard A6 e-tron. Audi's current high-performance EV is the RS e-tron GT performance, which produces 680kW and does the 0-100km/h dash in 2.5 seconds. A source told Autocar, however, that the RS6 e-tron is unlikely to be as powerful though there will be a 'solid increase' over the S6 e-tron. Both petrol-hybrid and EV RS6s will look the part, with pumped-up body work, larger front air intakes as well as large alloy wheels housing high-performance brakes. More details are expected ahead of the 2026 Audi RS6's official unveiling, expected sometime later this year. MORE: Everything Audi
The Drive
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Audi Will Make a V8 Hybrid RS6 Now Instead of Going EV Only: Report
The latest car news, reviews, and features. In just a few short days, Audi has seemingly gone from eliminating internal combustion engines from its global lineup, to giving one of its most beloved, gas-burning performance icons a new lease on life. The upcoming RS6 may not exclusively be offered with an electric powertrain, as we previously understood. It will instead be accompanied by a V8 model, incorporating an updated version of the existing 4.0-liter mill in a plug-in hybrid system, per Autocar . You can chalk up this reported change in heart to the same rationale that's led Ferrari to delay its first series production EV, and Ford to invest in new hybrids rather than successors to existing battery-electric models. This is all about demand. This news also arrives during a time of mounting pressure from member nations, chiefly Germany, to overturn the European Union's 2035 engine ban. When asked for comment on Autocar's report about a new V8 hybrid RS6, an Audi spokesperson didn't deny the claim and responded to The Drive with the following statement: 'We always said that 2033 was a target date and that we have the ability to adjust with all-new EV and ICE architectures. We continued to invest in new EV and ICE models and just launched some of our key models. We introduced the Q6 e-tron end of 2024 and just launched the Q5, the A5 and the A6 e-tron with more to come including RS models.' The existing RS6 Avant. Love those wheels. Audi The rumored hybrid powertrain would place the new RS6 on equal footing with the BMW M5, as big, V8-propelled Autobahn chargers with support from electric motors. But Audi is said to match BMW's strategy in another way: The next-generation RS6 will reportedly be available as both a wagon and a sedan, something Audi hasn't done in 15 years, Autocar adds. The technology for Audi to realize a plug-in hybrid RS6 already exists within the Volkswagen realm, thanks to Porsche. The E-Hybrid system used in the Cayenne and Panamera, for example, could inform how Audi executes the gas-burning RS6. It will obviously come at a weight penalty—there's just no getting around that—but electrification will be necessary for Audi to deliver an RS-caliber experience while keeping in line with Euro 7 emissions regulations. As for the RS6 E-Tron, it's purported to run a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain, with power figures landing around 670 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque, according to the publication. Given how so many automakers have taken a modular approach to future vehicle platforms, there's no reason Audi and others shouldn't be able to meet enthusiasts where they are, whether they demand a V8 or all-electric performance. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@
