Review: Twenty years of fast station wagons: Audi Sport is finally taking Canada seriously

Every generation of Audi RS cars near Banff, Alta.sagmeister_potography/Handout

This is an underdog story, but it didn’t have to be. Audi Sport might have been a household name at the moment, up there with rival German hot rodders at Mercedes-AMG and the drift-loving maniacs at BMW’s M division, were it not for the fact that Audi would have kept many of its hottest cars out of North America for decades.

The result is that the in-house performance car brand — formerly known as Quattro, now Audi Sport GmbH — has some catching up to do if it wants to become as big and well-known, at least here, as its highly profitable rivals Canada and the United States.

All of which explains why we’re driving what is arguably the only twin-turbo V10-powered Audi sedan in the country at the moment. This car, the 2010 RS 6, was never sold in Canada, but Audi Sport raided its museum in Ingolstadt, Germany to ship this and every other generation of the RS 6 to that country. Supposedly it was meant to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Audi Sport’s mid-size RS 6 sedan and station wagon, but the brand’s broader mission is to grab attention and show that, like M and AMG, it too has a long history of madness fast luxury cars.

Cruising through the Rocky Mountains along the scenic Icefields Parkway, the 2010 RS 6 is great. (All Audi Sport models except the R8 supercar carry the RS badge.) The car is still perfectly comfortable and fast despite its age. Torque from the 5.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V10 peaks just above idle, delivering a vigorous initial boost before the car continues to accelerate until – surprise – that 12-year-old sedan shoves you firmly back into the seat, while the gigantic engine rushes forward the red line.

Inside, the cabin’s cognac-colored leather seats smell rich and feel softer than the fur in newer Audis. This car might look as exciting as a boxy gray suit, but that’s part of its appeal. Most people would never guess that this understated vintage German family car puts out 571 horsepower, more than a Lamborghini Gallardo did in its day.

Interior of the first generation Audi RS 6 Avant.

Interior of the current generation Audi RS 6 Avant station wagon.handouts

As early as 2010, the M5 sedan from BMW also had a V10 engine, but without a turbocharger and with significantly less power. The Audi is certainly more comfortable and benefits from all-wheel drive, but its steering is a bit sluggish and its engine more muted than what I remember from the boisterous rear-wheel drive M5.

Out of the V10 Audi and into the very first RS 6 Avant, launched in 2002, the older model feels smaller and lighter but with a similarly approachable character. The 444 hp twin-turbo V8, co-developed with British automotive engineering specialist Cosworth, is no less impressive than the V10 and perhaps even more sonorous. Assuming you have some discs to pop into the six-disc changer and aren’t worried about the maintenance costs of that old Audi, this 20-year-old car would make a great daily commuter.

“[Audi Sport’s] The focus is on combining trackability in a car that is suitable for everyday use, a car that is easy to drive, a car that can really be used by anyone,” says Stephan Reil, the engineer who led the development of each RS car from 1998 to 2018 (The 2010 RS 6 sedan seen here is his old company car.) Reil has since taken on another job at Audi, but he was instrumental in defining the brand.

A better way to illustrate Audi Sport’s direction – rather than trucking old cars from Germany for a handful of writers to drive – would have been to sell these fast Audis primarily in North America. The list of RS models never offered here is long and includes the 1994 RS 2 Avant (read station wagon), 2000 RS 4 Avant, 2008 RS 6 Avant and sedan, 2009 TT RS Roadster, the 2011 and 2015 RS 3 Sportback Hot Hatchbacks, the 2013 and 2020 RS Q3 SUVs and many more. Meanwhile, BMW has consistently displayed every generation of the compact M3 and mid-size M5 in Canadian showrooms since the late 1980s.

First generation Audi RS 6 Avant station wagon with a Nokia car phone.

First generation Audi RS 6 Avant station wagon with CD changer.Matt Bubbers/The Globe and Mail

Reil says it wouldn’t have been profitable to bring all those niche RS cars to North America over the decades. Each model was typically only in production for two or three years, so crash testing them and certifying them for North America didn’t make financial sense. (Audi may have been right; the first-generation M3 was a sales flop in America.)

Today, however, Audi has seen that enough North American drivers are willing to part with large sums of money to drive an RS car, even if it’s not your typical sporty SUV.

Consider, for example, the unlikely success of the 2019 RS 6 Avant estate, a range that has been around since 2002 but is only now making its North American debut. Company officials don’t say how many have been sold to date, but said the number has exceeded expectations and that Canada is among the top five markets in the world for the new RS 6 Avant.

Unlike the older RS ​​6, the latest is anything but understated. It looks mean but retains the everyday comfort and usability of its predecessors. In short, it’s a $126,500 wagon for wealthy parents who have a serious need for speed but don’t want an SUV like everyone else. It’s a small niche, but apparently a profitable one.

First generation Audi RS 6 Avant station wagon.

Second generation Audi RS station wagon.

Third generation Audi RS 6 station wagon.Matt Bubbers/The Globe and Mail

“The RS 6 Avant is really the first step in broadening the portfolio so you have more different models in Canada and the US, which increases sales, image and brand awareness,” says Reil after our drive.

“What Audi is doing at Audi Sport GmbH naturally helps Audi’s image and positioning, just like our competition: BMW M is pushing the BMW brand and AMG is pushing the Mercedes brand,” he adds.

Audi Sport global sales reached a record high in 2021, up 34 percent on 2020 to 39,356 vehicles. Canadian sales figures are not available, but in the United States the sub-brand delivered a record 7,796 vehicles last year.

Despite recent growth, Audi Sport is still eclipsed by BMW M and Mercedes-AMG, which delivered 163,542 and 145,979 vehicles respectively last year. (Take these totals with a grain of salt; AMG and M sales numbers include less expensive midsize cars like the BMW M440i and AMG’s ’43 line, while Audi doesn’t.)

The fact that rarity is a plus in the luxury market speaks for Audi. Where AMG showsrooms satiates with 20 different models in Canada, Audi Sport only offers eight, but more are on the way.

The compact new RS 3 sedan should finally arrive in showrooms, and there’s a chance the RS Q3 will finally end up in Canada. Plug-in hybrids and more all-electric RS vehicles are also in the works for the future. Audi Sport is still an underdog in this country, but is now at least working hard to catch up.

sagmeister_potography/Handout

The writer was a guest at the car manufacturer. Content did not require approval.

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