Audi insists there's a place in this SUV-obsessed world high-performance wagons. Depending on where you live, the Four Rings will happily sell you an RS4 or RS6. Or you can wait until the speedy estate cars are updated. The former RS4 is getting a next generation while the RS6 is preparing for a mid-cycle refresh.
But the RS6 pictured here is more than just a facelift. Hiding in plain sight are vertical air intakes on the front fenders that you don't get on the regular RS6 Avant. It looks like Audi has also changed the shape of the front air intakes while the spoiler lip looks new. At the rear, the diffuser is clearly different judging by the three vertical fins flanked by the dual oval exhaust tips.
Audi RS6 Avant "GT" spy photos
You can also spot what looks like an Audi Sport decal on the rear doors. The sticker probably extends to the fenders with a red graphic to mimic the RS6 GTO concept unveiled in late 2020. In fact, even the prototype's chunky roof spoiler looks the same. A mirrored version of the Audi Sport's three-color motif appears on the front of the car as well, judging by the exposed black section on the doors. The RS6 GTO had the same layout, albeit the graphics were different.
Tentatively called the RS6 GT, the spicy wagon has horizontal red reflectors above the exhaust tips whereas the regular model has vertical ones mounted at the corners of the bumper. The wheels are huge for a prototype that rides on winter tires. We're getting the impression it sits even lower to the ground than the RS6 Performance, although don't take our word for it since it might be an illusion.
Perhaps Audi Sport will massage the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine to extract more than the 621 horsepower and 625 pound-feet available in today's RS6 Performance. Audi Sport boss Sebastian Grams has hinted at more oomph by saying the RS6 could get a "more extreme" and "even stronger" variant that would be "even sharper."
Expect to see the beefy wagon break cover at some point in 2024.
