2021 Audi RS 6 Review

Audi has always had a special place in the hearts of car enthusiasts, and its past RS cars have something of a cult following. But the company's current lineup has gotten a little bland for such die-hard fans. The delightfully quirky five-cylinder RS 3 and TT RS are both getting the ax, while the latest iteration of the RS 5 ditches the old model's sonorous V8 for a V6 that's plenty powerful but doesn't offer much in the way of personality.

So how do you get enthusiasts talking again? How does a twin-turbo V8 wagon strike you? Audi likely won't sell many RS 6 Avants in the U.S., but it's going to win some hearts and minds.

Audi has two big competitors when it comes to super-hot wagons. The first is the Mercedes-Benz AMG E 63 S Wagon, which packs a 603-hp twin-turbo V8 and boasts similar performance specs. One advantage of the Mercedes is a bigger trunk — while it looks less sporty, you get more cargo space in the trade.

The second wagon of note shares space with the RS 6 under the Volkswagen Group's corporate umbrella: the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo, which boasts a twin-turbo V8 of its own in either GTS (453 hp) or Turbo (550 hp) trim. The Porsche is much more expensive, but it's hard to argue with its performance pedigree.