A quarter century ago, station wagons such as the Ford Country Squire dominated the realms of family transportation. Just look at that rear suspension!
But by the 1990s, minivans like as the Toyota Sienna appeared in the landscape and began to force the American wagon from its natural habitat: suburbia.
Then came the big SUVs, superpredators like the Cadillac Escalade.
Sure, a few plucky survivors held out in isolated pockets. Subarus roamed the snowy byways of the rural Northeast.
Volkswagens were spotted on the freeways of LA.
Which brings us to VW's corporate stablemate, Audi. Audi has never given up oin the wagon, but it isn't selling the body style in its purest form in the US. Americans have to make do with the A6-based Allroad crossover wagon.
Which brings us to Audi's new RS 6 Avant Performance wagon.
Like the Allroad, it's based on the competent and stylish A6 wagon.
But to make it an RS6, Audi has fitted the car with a 605-horsepower version of the company's 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine shared with the Bentley Continental GT and Audi RS7. 605 hp! In a wagon!!! That just 45 hp less than a Corvette Z06.
The result is a wagon capable of blitzing the sprint to 62 mph in just 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 190 mph if optioned with the "dynamic" package.
With these performance numbers, the RS6 joins the other European superwagons on the market, like the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG,
... the mighty Volvo V60 Polestar.
With such power and performance, Audi has fitted the RS6 Avant with an assortment of aerodynamic doodads, such as the rear spoiler and diffuser designed to keep the wagon planted to the road. And yes, I just wrote "wagon planted to the road." Don't try this with an old Ford, please.
Also keeping the RS6 Avant steady on the road are a set of 21-inch wheels, performance tires, and massive carbon-ceramic brakes. That's right, carbon-ceramics. On. A. Wagon.
Inside the cabin, the RS6 offers the same level of luxury and design as the sumptuous A6 it's based on.
We tried out these sport seats in another Audi and found them to be very impressive.
In the back, the RS6 Avant retains the utility of wagon, although it looks as though families of five might have issues.
The Audi RS6 Avant Performance hits European showrooms in November. And given the state of the wagon market in the US, Audi doesn't plan on bringing the car over here.
However, of you live in America and are eager to enjoy the RS6 Performance experience, you can opt for its sibling — the beguiling RS7 Performance. That car is expected to reach out shores, but Audi hasn't announced a timeline for its arrival.
