Audi RS6 Avant GT Pricing Is Ludicrous
Luxury imports from Germany have historically not been synonymous with affordability and there appears to be no danger of that changing. Audi has announced pricing for the RS6 Avant GT, with the model looking like it’ll become a bauble for the kind of people that probably already have something like it in the garage.
The model is effectively the super-premium version of the RS6, which is already a sported-up version of the A6/S6, and carries an MSRP of $198,900 before you’ve factored in destination fees or dealer markups.
Considering that the base A6 is a family car that starts just a hair under $60,000, that’s a sizable price jump. But the standard model comes with a 261-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four that can be upgraded to a 335-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. For roughly $77,000, customers can likewise have the S6 and its twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 boasting 444 hp — along with the upgraded materials and relevant tech packages.
However, those wanting Audi to squeeze the maximum amount of performance from the platform, there is the RS6. The model starts at $126,600 and comes equipped with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 outputting 621 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque — along with just about every other performance component the manufacturer could fit onto the model. The Quattro all-wheel drive system helps launch the vehicle to 60 mph in under 3.3 seconds and keeps the vehicle planted (with help from an updated differential) around corners at speeds you probably wouldn’t realistically attempt on public roads.
The GT variant was advertised as a super-limited variant of the RS6 Avant Performance, with the company only offering 660 examples for the 2025 model year — 85 of which would be shipped into our market.
But it’s not abundantly clear what you’re getting for that extra $72,300 beyond exclusivity. While the 2025 Audi RS6 Avant GT does offer ceramic brakes and a top speed of 190 mph, these are already things you can have added to the standard RS6 for some additional cash. For whatever reason, today’s automakers (particularly the Germans) feel like every sporting model needs to be governed unless the customer is willing to pay extra.
Audi has said that the GT will be faster in terms of acceleration, despite it using the same powerplant as the standard RS6. Carbon fiber body panels are said to have made the model 88 pounds lighter than the Avant Performance. The company said, in tandem with some new aerodynamic bits (e.g. rear diffuser), should make the vehicle a tenth of a second faster to 60 mph.
The aforementioned carbon brakes come with discs sized 16.5 inches in front and 14.6 inches at the rear. While they’re available on the cheaper RS6, the further revised rear differential and three-way adjustable coilover suspension are supposed to be unique to the GT. Likewise unique is the fact that Audi won’t let you have the model with roof racks due to the fact that the top of the car is carbon fiber and needs to have room for a rear spoiler. You also cannot order it in the color of your choosing.
All examples of the Audi RS6 Avant GT come painted to resemble its historic racing vehicles. The most obvious influences are the 1989 Audi 90 Quattro IMSA GTO (above) and the 1983 Audi Quattro A2 Evolution. While the scheme works well with the white 22-inch Avus wheels, it gives the impression of a road-going racer.
Audi had previously previewed the vehicle in Nardo Grey, wearing an all-black graphics pack (below). But North America will only be getting the white models.
The interior is comparatively normal in appearance. Owners get some obligatory GT badging, specialized floor mats, and a plaque on the center console. But the real performance upgrade comes by way of the liberal use of Dinamica suede, which extends onto the dashboard to help minimize reflective glare on the windshield.
It’s a pretty snazzy package and will undoubtedly be a lot of fun to drive. But the odds of you obtaining one are likely to be slim. Despite the 2025 Audi RS6 Avant GT supposedly becoming available before the end of the year, they’ll presumably all be spoken for by people possessing an extra special relationship with the company or its dealers.
You probably won’t be able to afford one and, even if you could, good luck greasing the correct palms before someone else does.
With the RS6 Avant GT being priced and sold like it’s a supercar, most interested parties will probably be better off saving their money and getting the less expensive RS6 Performance. It already comes equipped with the same motor and can be optioned to have some of the better equipment that’s standard on the GT. Having a vehicle that’s not immediately going to become garaged by collectors will also make you feel less hesitant to use something originally designed to be the daily commuter as an actual car.
[Images: Audi]
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Consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulations. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, he has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed about the automotive sector by national broadcasts, participated in a few amateur rallying events, and driven more rental cars than anyone ever should. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and learned to drive by twelve. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer and motorcycles.
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Seriously what the hell is wrong with TTAC these days, if this were an Elantra N Touring Spec for street use they would be shouting about value and experience from the highest of the twin towers.
Today's lesson: special editions of high performance cars that were expensive to begin with cost even more. In all seriousness, though, the RS6 Avant is absolutely lust-worthy.