Audi RS6 Avant (C7) | PH Private Area
The fast estate par excellence - just ask one Mr C. Harris
Given how the old C8 bowed out (the almighty GT) and how the current RS5 has introduced the idea of hybrid Audi Sport wagons, hopes will be reasonably high for the upcoming RS6. It might end up weighing three tonnes, measuring three metres across and making 800hp, but on a road that can contain it there’s every reason to think it’ll be very good to drive.
It wasn’t always the case, of course. The first RS6’s were epic ground coverers, but rather blunt to steer. The V10 in particular was peak fast Audi of the bad old days: a spectacular engine of never-ending power, but little in the way of finesse. That all changed with the C7: a V8 returned (and with it a more exciting sound), and the smaller engine and new chassis tech made it corner more keenly, and less power didn’t matter because there was a little bit less weight as well. Just as fast, just as suited to a skiing holiday, now rather more enjoyable on those rare solo journeys.
Which Audi was to be commended for, but it was the C7’s design that really won the people over. If anything, the C6 was a bit too subtle for its own good, while the C8 was probably overdone. The C7, which may have once looked overly aggressive, now looks just the right amount of menacing. With all of that combined, the RS6 proved very popular: there wasn’t an M5 Touring, and there wasn’t an AWD E63 for the first few years of the RS6’s life, so anyone who needed their estate fast, fun and four-wheel drive only had one choice. Good job it was great, then.
So there are plenty around secondhand, including the later Performance version that took power beyond 600hp. They’ve retained value pretty well, too, with £25k the entry point - certainly not always guaranteed with a fast Audi. On the face of it, this one looks like many other Nardo Grey C7 RS6s, nicely optioned and with very few owners from new. But there’s some additional intrigue here, as the first owner was Audi UK, and the original specification was chosen by Chris Harris.
You can see the original story here, grainy pics and all, where the £20,000 of options was explained by Chris (and hotly debated in the comments). He drove the car for a few months before it was returned to Audi UK; the next owner had it for 10 years, and the current owner has kept it for the past couple. All those options chosen back at the end of 2013 must make for one of the most highly specced RS6s out there, with the ceramic brakes, forged wheels, sports exhaust and B&O sound.
In the tens of thousands of miles since this RS6 was last seen on PH, all its services bar one have been with Audi, and a fresh set of Pirellis went on earlier in 2026 (not a small bill on 21s). It’s standard and said to have been ‘fastidiously’ maintained. Given it looks as good as it did a dozen years ago, that seems hard to argue with. And now the asking price isn’t a huge amount more than the original cost of those options - probably £100,000 less than a new one, too…
I'd love one of these but IMHO the colour really hasn't aged well. I didn't mind it when it was first released despite all the "you forgot to paint it" and "nice undercoat" comments but now I'm not a massive fan.
I did have to do some previous owner’s modifications and made some of my own of course.
Audi RS6 (C7) upgrades & improvements
I thought that cars were onmy bought in that shade at a huge discount otherwise nobody would want one.
Ni e car apart from that.
I had one of these. Loved it.
Seems to be the colour of choice to be different but it’s not!
Grey, black, white and variants.
Rolls etc
He maintains his absolute favourite is an ABT tuned RS6 of this era. My old boss has an S4 Avant and has had lots of nice cars, he says that is the best car he has ever owned, it got nice a d replaced with a new M140i which he said couldn’t hold a candle to the Audi.
I think some aspects of the image and ownership of fast Audis tend to detract from our impression of them, but they are fantastic all rounders and typically fairly easy to live with.
BMW have muscled in on their patch now offering AWD so it quite as unique, but it makes sense really, 500 plus bhp through two wheels is fun but doesn’t make for serene progress, think my next car might be an M550i.
I'd be a bit concerned about running a 12 year old car with carbon brakes so you'd want to have them inspected pre-purchase - it's not like you're going to track it so it seems an unecessary roll of the dice cost-wise.
One other good point in respect of this one is that the rear tints aren't original (see Harris article and pics) so should be removable, which I think would be a big improvement. Usual S6/RS6 of that era bits will need checking out too - should've probably had the turbo oil strainer recall, for example.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff