The Audi RS6 Avant is arguably one of the hottest wagons on sale today. This powerful family hauler seems to be every tuner’s wet dream these days. One such aftermarket company is the Kempten-based ABT. ABT is known to give a twist to almost all the Volkswagen Group cars.

Recently, it revealed its version of the RS6 Avant itself, but it looks like that wasn’t enough. ABT decided to work on this wagon again by equipping it with the Power R performance upgrade and calling it the ABT RS6-R. Amongst all the other cosmetic upgrades and carbon fiber treatments, the wagon also benefits from 50 extra horses over the ABT RS6. Do we like it all the more now? Hell yeah!

What is the Audi RS6-R by ABT?

On the outside, the RS6-R looks way more aggressive than the standard RS6 by ABT. The tuner has slapped a carbon fiber lip spoiler on the front bumper along with new side air intakes. The side profile looks intimidating, thanks to the big 22-inch ABT High-Performance HR wheels. These are actually carried over from the 2020 ABT RS6. There are new side skirts and fender inserts as well.

Step to the back and you’ll notice the carbon-fiber bonanza continues. ABT says it has added 10 new exterior parts here. There is a set of semi-louvers and a roof spoiler at the top. The rear end also looks a lot sharper, thanks to a rear skirt add-on and the large rear diffuser that houses quad-exhausts. There are inserts on the side of the rear windshield as well, and this is the only thing I didn’t like among all the other modifications. Nevertheless, all these touches further accentuate the wagon’s mean and aggressive stance.

On the inside, there aren’t a lot of changes. ABT is said to have made 10 components available for the cabin. The steering wheel is finished in ABT leather and carbon to add to the plush and sporty aspect of the RS6. ABT has also added limited edition door sills with unique serial numbers. We’re yet to see or hear about any other changes made to the interior.

What Performance Upgrades does the RS6-R by ABT Have?

The Audi RS6 Avant is powered by a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 engine that makes 592 horses and 590 pound-feet of torque in the stock car. The mill is also equipped with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. Power is sent to the wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. The family wagon sprints to 62 mph from a standstill in 3.6 seconds and tops out at 155 mph.

In the 2020 ABT RS6 Avant, the same mill makes 690 horses and 649 pound-feet of torque. This power upgrade itself seemed sufficient, but ABT decided to up the ante.

This is an increase of 50 horses and 30 pound-feet of torque over its own RS6 Avant iteration, and 148 horses and 89 pound-feet of torque over the stock RS6 Avant! Now, that’s going to be a hoot-and-a-half to drive.

ABT has also installed a stainless steel exhaust system and tweaked the suspension. The 2020 RS6 Avant comes with a new Launch Control function, so we expect that to be retained here as well. The hot wagon is also mated to a permanent Quattro all-wheel-drive system and a mechanical center differential with a 40:60 torque split that favors the rear wheels.

Two modes known as RS1 and RS2 are also installed that let you choose between either a balanced setup or a performance-oriented one. It’ll be interesting to see how the wagon performs in these settings, especially in tandem with the tweaked suspension.

How fast is the Audi RS6-R by ABT?

As mentioned earlier, the 2020 Audi RS6 takes 3.6 seconds to gallop to 62 mph from a standstill. The top speed is rated at 155 mph. The ABT RS6 takes 3.3 seconds to the same mark and comes with a top speed of 190 mph. With the added steroids, the ABT RS6-R sprints to the 62 mph mark in 3.2 seconds and paces all the way up to 199 mph.

In the States, the starting price of the Audi RS6 Avant is $109,000. So, this brings the overall cost of the ABT RS6-R to about $185,500. The RS6-R is expected to be one of the rarest RS6 Avants produced by ABT. Only 125 examples will be built and each one will feature a numbered plaque on the door sill.

Final Thoughts

ABT has managed to transform this hot wagon into an even hotter commodity. The RS6-R has the pizzazz on the outside and all the oomph under the hood to make it one of the best RS6 iterations available today.

Given ABT’s expertise with Volkswagen Group’s vehicles and its special affinity towards the RS6 Avant, the RS6-R will be a well-screwed, fine-tuned beast without any loose ends in any department whatsoever. Despite the high price, the RS6-R should sell quite comfortably. What are your thoughts on the RS6-R by ABT? Share them with us in the comments section below.