Limited-edition Audi RS6 GT revealed – Only 1 confirmed for South Africa

Audi has just pulled the covers off the new RS6 Avant GT – a limited-edition version of its powerful estate car.

Production of the GT will be capped to just 660 units worldwide, and Audi South Africa has confirmed that the country has been allocated a single example which will arrive here in the second quarter of 2024.

The rare Audi’s pricing was not made public, though the RS6 Performance has a local starting price of R2,332,700, so the lucky South African owner likely paid far north of this for the specially-crafted GT.

Pinnacle of the series

The inspiration for the special-edition RS6 comes from the RS6 GTO Concept model that made its debut in 2020, where twelve apprentices from Audi Design worked on the project for six months while learning vehicle construction, automotive, and tooling mechanics as well as automotive painting, using the Audi 90 Quattro IMSA GTO race car from 1989 as their inspiration.

To better differentiate the GT from the RS6 Performance, the air intakes are finished in gloss black, there are new vertical blades in the front apron, and there is a new grille and front splitter – all of which lend the wagon a wider and lower appearance.

Audi Sport has remade the bonnet and fenders using carbon fibre to render them lighter and more eye-catching, and there are integrated air outlets behind the wheels that help to reduce pressure in the arches and improve brake cooling.

The side profile’s definition is enhanced through new side skirts, glossy carbon wing mirrors, and a set of six-spoke 22-inch alloy wheels fitted with high-performance Continental Sport Contact 7 tyres that provide excellent grip in both dry and wet conditions, and even improve the car’s braking distance by up to 2 metres when braking from 100km/h.

At the back, you’ll find GT-specific badging, as well as a functional rear diffuser with a vertically centred reflector and a double wing.

For the first time on the RS6, the company has also decided to remove the standard roof rails for an even sportier silhouette.

There are five paint schemes to choose from – Arkona White, Chronos Gray Metallic, Madeira Brown Metallic, Mythos Black Metallic, and Nardo Gray – and these can be enhanced with one of two decal packs.

The first uses Audi Sport’s signature black, grey, and red decals in combination with gloss-white alloy rims, while the other adds black and grey decals with gloss-black or matte-black wheels.

As for the interior, the Avant GT comes standard with the RS Design Package, which adds red and copper accents to various items like the stitching on the steering wheel, the sides of the centre console, central armrest, door armrests, and the GT-branded floor mats.

The RS bucket seats are upholstered in a leather-Dinamica combination and feature the car’s lettering below the headrest as well as a honeycomb stitching pattern, which are complemented by red seat belts.

The armrests, dashboard, and centre console are all finished in a Dinamica Black microfibre texture, and the console is branded with the serial number of the car’s limited-production run.

Like the Performance, the GT sources its power from a 4.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that delivers a whopping 463kW and 850Nm, giving the estate car a 0-100km/h time of 3.3 seconds and a 0-200km/h time of 11.5 seconds.

It has a permanent all-wheel-drive system, a top speed of 305km/h, and uses an eight-speed Tiptronic transmission with a locking centre differential that distributes power to the front and rear axle at a ratio of 40:60.

If slippage occurs, the Audi can apply more drive torque to the axle with better traction which ensures better cornering with less understeer.

The GT also come standard with adjustable coilover suspension which lowers the ride height by 10mm and provides better handling and comfort, though customers can instead opt for RS sport suspension plus with dynamic ride control, or RS adaptive air suspension.

Unlike the regular RS6, the GT is not entirely assembled at the carmaker’s Neckarsulm production facility, but is sent off to Böllinger Höfe after the body construction phase – the same location that builds the R8, e-tron GT quattro, and RS e-tron GT.

Here, all the estate’s unique GT attributes, such as the bonnet, suspension, and fenders, are fitted by hand by a team of seven experienced employees – a process which takes an entire day.