Audi RS6 to keep V8 with new hybrid alongside EV

Using this set-up also means a bump in power over the existing RS6’s 621bhp and 627lb ft. For example, in the most potent Cayenne, the PHEV arrangement delivers a combined 730bhp and 701lb ft of torque. 

An even more powerful version of this PHEV powertrain is used in the facelifted Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, where it develops 771bhp and 738lb ft. That provides the four-wheel-drive luxury liftback with an official 0–62mph time of 2.9sec and a 202mph top speed – figures that Audi Sport will be aiming to emulate with the new RS6.

The move to develop the V8 for the RS6 is reinforced by fellow Volkswagen Group brand Porsche, which announced last year that the next-generation Cayenne and other models will retain combustion engines into the future, with investment aimed at “improving the efficiency of the V8 developed by Porsche and built at the Zuffenhausen engine plant”.

The electric RS6 E-tron, meanwhile, is confirmed to run a sophisticated dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain that builds on the one already in the S6 E-tron.

In that model (launched alongside the standard A6 E-tron earlier this year), the system develops 543bhp and 631lb ft.

Insiders at Audi Sport have suggested to Autocar that power will be ramped up to somewhere closer to 670bhp and 701lb ft.

One source said: “It’s unlikely to reach as far as the RS E-tron GT [Audi Sport’s most powerful model, at 912bhp], but there will be a solid increase over and above the S6 E-tron as part of the differentiation measures.”

Like some other performance EVs, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Audi will also give the RS6 E-tron a trick gearbox and pump sound into the cabin to increase driver engagement. 

Audi Sport engineers are also claimed to be developing a progressive torque curve. 

The EV will use the same 94.8kWh (usable) battery as the A6 E-tron but, given its performance positioning, it isn’t expected to achieve the same range as the standard saloon (463 miles) or Avant estate (437 miles).

Both the electric and combustion-engined RS6s will be visually more aggressive than their standard stablemates, with a more angular design, wider arches and, at the rear, a deep diffuser and larger roof-mounted spoiler.

For the PHEV, notably larger air intakes and centrally positioned oval tailpipes will be added. Meanwhile, the EV will grow to 4900mm in length, to match its PHEV V8 sibling.

Despite the adoption of lightweight materials such as aluminium and composites, the extra hybrid hardware will add mass, tipping the new PHEV RS6 beyond the 2090kg of its predecessor. The electric RS6 E-tron, meanwhile, is set to exceed the 2500kg mark.