Audi chooses Continental rubber for latest RS6 Avant Performance

Germany’s venerable super-estate has now become the most powerful combustion car in the range - courtesy of a power bump to 621 BHP. But how has Audi’s RS division managed to keep all that extra muscle in check?

Dispatching the 0-60mph sprint in just 3.4 seconds was the reserve of only the most exotic hypercars less than a decade ago. Yet, somehow, with the new Performance variant of the RS6, Audi’s engineers have managed to seemingly defy the laws of physics by producing a 2-tonne luxury estate car which can out-accelerate a Pagani Zonda.

The mind-bending headline figures don’t stop there either. Up front, a larger turbocharger extracts an extra 30bhp from the 4.0 V8 petrol engine – allowing this ‘bahn storming RS6 to run into its 189 mph top speed limiter with astonishing ease.

However, as the adage goes: power is nothing without control. That is why Audi has opted to pair its world-renowned Quattro all-wheel drive system with the multi-award-winning Continental SportContact 7.

Fitted to new (and lightweight) 22-inch gold wheels, Continental’s 285/30/22 high-performance offering allows the uprated RS6 to capitalise on every ounce of its heightened dynamic ability. For example, when the road gets twisty, the standard self-locking centre differential improves handling precision and allows that sonorous V8 to send up to 85 percent of the power directly to the rear wheels.

As part of the RS Dynamic Package, Audi also gives you the option to make your Avant Performance even sharper and more agile, with an all-wheel steering setup which has been specially tuned to provide active steering corrections when the driver needs it most.

When it comes to hauling the RS6’s significant mass down from the warp-speeds it can now achieve, the optional carbon ceramic brakes allow you to lean on all the extra grip which the SportContact 7 tyre offers over its predecessor. On this front, Continental proudly asserts that they have measured an impressive 8 percent reduction in wet braking distances, with a 6 percent reduction in the dry.

However, historically, the RS6 has always been about more than just blistering performance. For this fast estate to live up to its lineage, it must offer a compelling blend of thrills and the ability to cruise all day in effortless serenity.

Thankfully, we are happy to report that the latest RS estate has perfected this split, Jekyll and Hyde personality. From the sumptuous contrast stitched leather interior and raft of optional high-end features (such as a night vision camera and Bang and Olufsen Stereo) to the SportContact 7’s “ContiSilent” technology, which reduces road noise by up to 9 dB – there is no debating the fact that the RS6 Avant Performance is a truly consummate all-rounder.

Ultimately, it is easy to see why Continental’s high-performance tyre has earned the RS seal of approval. Together the RS6 and SportContact 7 make a formidable pairing.