Audi takes pride in bringing together its entire range of RS models

The letters RS in Audi are synonymous with performance and sportiness at the highest level. The brand with the four rings pays special attention to every detail in its most dynamic versions, with a range that now offers no fewer than 12 choices, for all tastes and in every colour.

Starting with the compacts, with the powerful 5-cylinder engine in different power configurations, you can choose between the RS 3 with Sportback and Sedan bodies (still based on the previous model, not the new A3 generation), the TT RS in Coupé and Roadster versions, and the new Audi RS Q3 and RS Q3 Sportback.

With estate bodywork, which after all gave rise to the saga with the legendary Audi RS 2 Avant from the early 1990s, we have the Audi RS 4 Avant (twin-turbo V6 engine, 450 CV) and the Audi RS 6 Avant (twin-turbo V8, 600 CV). Sharing mechanics with the first, you can opt for the elegant bodywork of the Audi RS 5 Coupé, or the more practical and versatile Audi RS 5 Sportback. Meanwhile, the power of the RS 6’s V8 is also offered in a coupé-style saloon format, with the RS 7 Sportback.

The latest addition to the range, the Audi RS Q8, shares its engine with these last two. It is the most powerful SUV ever built by Audi to date. Curiously, all three models stand out for combining sportiness and efficiency thanks to mild hybrid MHEV technology. It is not easy to find cars with 600 CV that carry the ECO environmental label from the DGT… even if it seems contradictory. But that is the law.

Nürburgring, the best test track

Now, Audi reminds us that, although the complete renewal of the range arrived in 2019 with no fewer than 8 models, surprises await us in the not-too-distant future thanks to Audi Sport GmbH. In the Böllinger Höfe factory, where the subsidiary responsible for the brand’s most sporting versions assembles the Audi R8, production of the Audi e-tron GT, the first fully electric sports car from Audi, will soon begin.

Meanwhile, Audi has gathered its new RS models in Ingolstadt for a very special photo session. Any excuse is good, and in this case it can be an opportunity to tell you how the brand’s engineers use the Nürburgring circuit as a testing track to ensure that every Audi RS delivers the best driving experience.

This is where Frank Stippler, Audi test driver, managed last year to cut 12 seconds from the previous record set by an SUV, with the new Audi RS Q8, stopping the clock at 7 minutes and 42.253 seconds. Keep this figure in mind: according to Audi, each new RS model undergoes no less than 8,000 km of testing on the “Green Hell”. And that mileage is said to subject the vehicle to the same stresses it would experience over a full lifetime under normal conditions.

In short: dream cars that combine everyday versatility with maximum performance. For now you can indulge yourself with the family photos, although very soon new models will need to be added to these images.

Audi RS range image gallery