New Audi RS6 to get 572bhp V8

The 2013 Audi RS6 looks set to swap its V10 for the new Audi V8 with the wick turned up to 572bhp – the same as the old V10.

Most of the new A6 range has now arrived in showrooms – including the S6 and Avant – but what’s still missing is a new RS6, the Audi that used to have the heart of a Lamborghini.

But as we reported in April, the 2013 RS6 is well on the way but it will be losing its Lamborghini V10 with its 5.2 litres and 572bhp and will instead get the Audi/Bentley twin-turbo 4.0 litre V8. A shame, but that’s the way the world is rolling.

We had expecetd Audi to push the new V8 to something close to 600bhp, especially as the RS6 always out-gunned the comparable offerings from BMW and Mercedes by quite a chunk. But it seems, according to Autocar, they’re only going to give the new RS6 572bhp – the very same power output as the old V10 RS6 – but it will have over 500lb/ft of torque too.

Audi S6 and S6 Avant (2012) Photos

That extra torque – about 5 per cent up on the V10 – coupled with a lighter engine and a lighter car (the new RS6 is expected to shed up to 100kg in total) should be enough to give the RS6 the performance edge over the E63 AMG and M5, especially as we would expect it to get the new 7-speed S tronic dual clutch ‘box the 2013 R8 is getting.

We don’t expect to see the 2013 Audi RS6 until Geneva 2013, but it should be in Audi showrooms by next Summer.

2013 Audi RS6 Avant Spy Video