The Only Twin-Turbo V10 Car Of Its Kind Is Now Unbelievably Cheap

Few eras in automotive history produced anything quite as gloriously unhinged as the super-sedan arms race of the mid-2000s. Performance cars were pushing boundaries that would have seemed absurd a decade earlier, and nowhere was the madness more concentrated than in the luxury mid-size sedan segment. BMW had launched the world’s first 500-horsepower sedan, and its rivals responded by raiding the parts bins of Italian supercar makers. These were the final, uninhibited years of the internal combustion engine — before electrification and hybridisation began reshaping what a fast executive car could be.

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One German manufacturer went as far as borrowing a supercar-spec V10 and dropping it into a station wagon. As if that weren’t audacious enough, a pair of turbochargers was added to offset the extra weight, and four-wheel drive was thrown in to keep the whole hefty package planted to the asphalt. At full throttle, it was definitely wise to leave the Labrador at home.

The Audi RS6 Is The World’s Only Twin-Turbo V10 Car, And It’s A Beast

Highlights Of The C6 RS6

• Features a 5.0-liter V10 shared with Lamborghini
• Capable of 188 mph with the right options boxes ticked
• Uses a quick-shifting six-speed tiptronic

BMW had (arguably) invented the polished super sedan with the gorgeous E28 M5 of the ’80s. That E28 was fitted with essentially a supercar engine — the 3.5-liter straight-six from the M1 — but at 286 horsepower it stopped short of true supercar territory. The next M5, the elegant E34, also carried the M1 engine, with the sprint to 60 mph taking around 6.0 seconds. Audi, the company that had introduced the world to a new form of performance car with the Ur-Quattro, wasn’t about to cede the spotlight, so it launched its own unique take on the fast family car.

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The RS2 was based on an aging Audi 80 platform, and with the help of Porsche, became a 311-horsepower estate that one magazine found could accelerate to 30 mph quicker than a McLaren F1. Throughout the rest of the ’90s, the German big dogs continued to sharpen the teeth of their most snarling executive range-toppers.

The fourth BMW M5, introduced in 2005, tried to deliver a knockout blow. The fizzy six-cylinder engines were long gone — the E60 borrowed a concept from Formula 1, with engineers somehow shoehorning a sonorous V10 under the hood. Surely Audi wouldn’t get up from this one?

The RS6 Shared An Engine With Lamborghini

But get up from the mat, Ingolstadt did. The Audi RS6 had made its debut as a sedan and Avant in 2002, fitted with a Cosworth-produced, twin-turbo, 4.2-liter, 90-degree V8 pumping out 444 horsepower. It wasn’t enough. With the M5 wielding a naturally aspirated V10, Audi went to its then-new acquisition Lamborghini to see what they had available.

The Gallardo had launched in 2003, and its 5.0-liter V10 just so happened to fit in the engine bay of an Audi A6. For good measure, Audi then bolted on two turbochargers, pushing output past the BMW M5’s 507 horsepower and all the way to 572 horsepower — which, as it happened, was exactly the same figure as the 6.2-liter V12 in the Lamborghini Murciélago. The fire-breathing C6-model RS6 was born.

A Closer Look At The Hardware In The Audi RS6

2008 Audi RS6 Specs

Source: Audi

Introduced in 2008, the C6 RS6 was a type of car the world had never seen before. The sedan was roomy and practical enough for a grocery run or an IKEA haul, yet it packed the power of one of the most ferocious supercars on the planet. Overkill? Maybe. But there is a perverse joy in the fact that the most powerful series-production Audi ever made at the time was available as a station wagon — and a sedan. It was, as you may have guessed, the most powerful station wagon the world had ever seen.

The V10 Is A Supercar Engine In A Family Car

The direct-injection twin-turbo V10 is a work of art. With a 5.0-liter displacement, it produces 572 horsepower and a mighty 479.4 lb-ft of torque — enough to reach 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 174 mph. Need more? The plus equipment line that followed in 2010 unlocked a top speed of 188.3 mph.

The V10 was fitted with a sophisticated dry-sump lubrication system that kept oil flowing even during extreme lateral acceleration. The motor was coupled to a quick-shifting six-speed tiptronic, which sent power to the quattro drivetrain. Carbon-ceramic brake discs were a useful option, and the sport suspension with Dynamic Ride Control came as standard. The one catch: the RS6 was never officially sold in the USA. Clean examples do occasionally surface on the used market, however, and they remain surprisingly affordable for what they are — a 572-hp luxury wagon with a Lamborghini-derived engine.

Used pricing varies depending on condition, mileage, and market, but resources like Classic.com track auction results for well-kept examples. Given the RS6’s rarity and cult following, values have shifted since this article was first published — check current listings for the most accurate picture.

Even Audi Thought It Was A Good Idea To Tone Down The Power For The Next RS6

For the next-generation RS6, even Audi reined in the power, though that didn’t stop it becoming a favourite among Formula 1 drivers. The new car had 20 horsepower less than the model it replaced, plus a two-cylinder deficit. However, with a lower kerb weight and better axle load distribution, Audi claimed it was an all-around improvement. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 produced 552 horsepower, channelled through a fast-shifting eight-speed tiptronic and, naturally, the trademark quattro drivetrain.

This new car went even quicker, hitting 60 mph in less than four seconds. For the ultimate RS6 experience, look to the latest Avant GT. Limited to just 660 units worldwide, it features retro decals, aerodynamic refinements, and carbon-fiber detailing. This 621-horsepower estate hits 60 mph in around 3.0 seconds and tops out at 190 mph.

Wait A Minute — Wasn’t There A Twin-Turbo V10 Diesel Too?

Volkswagen 

2006 Volkswagen Touereg V10 TDI Specs

Source: Volkswagen

That’s correct. Around the same time that VAG was building unhinged Audi A6s, the group was going full YOLO with its SUVs and luxury sedans. For the 2006 Touareg, Volkswagen introduced a 5.0-liter, 20-valve V10 TDI, pushing out 309 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. This extraordinarily complex engine propelled the Touareg to 60 mph in less than 7.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 140 mph, while the company claimed a respectable 22.4 mpg. To demonstrate the engine’s massive torque reserves, VW even used the oil-burning SUV to tow a 155-tonne Boeing 747. The same engine found its way into the Phaeton executive sedan — designed, presumably, for CEOs who wanted a unique blend of luxury, understated Passat styling, reasonable economy, and the ability to drag a 500-seat aircraft down a runway.

Sources: Audi, Classic.com.