The Audi RS6 saloon is making a return to fight BMW's M5
It’s been 15 whole years since Audi’s RS6 saloon met its end, but we might be about to see it return to challenge BMW head-on
The Audi RS6 was set to go all-electric in its next generation, but with Audi having made a U-turn on its divisive naming strategy, the RS6 is now here to stay in combustion-powered form. With the sighting of this latest test mule, it seems that not only is the new ‘C9’ RS6 just around the corner, the model will be more diverse than it has been in generations.
We've already seen the next-generation RS6 Avant testing on public roads ahead of its launch next year, but what these new images appear to reveal is an RS6 in saloon form. There's no official information just yet, but the launch of such a model would bring Audi eye-to-eye with BMW's M5, with both offered in the two bodystyles. The move would bring the RS6 saloon back to the showroom after 15 years off sale, with the second-generation C6 the last to receive the body style.
> 2026 Audi RS6 spied – over 700bhp of hybrid power for M5 Touring rival
These images might be of a camouflaged test mule, but the similarities in design between it and the incoming RS6 Avant are clear to see. At the front, the saloon features the same bumper design with aggressive, vertical intakes either side of a large central grille – both the Avant and saloon utilise the same cross-hatched grille design, complete with identical sensor arrays.
Five-spoke, deep-dish 21-inch diamond cut wheels in a similar design to RS cars of the past are present, as on the Avant mule. The huge brakes nestled behind them are tell-tale sign this is more than a mere 'S', filling the space behind both the front and rear wheels. Chunky Pirelli P Zero tyres are fitted to this test car, with the front tyres 295-section in width.
A glance down the side of the car reveals the use of widened arches just like the estate, likely covering a wider track. At the front, the widened arch features an integrated vent aft of the front wheels, a design touch first seen on the limited-run RS6 GT of the outgoing C8 generation.
At the rear of the RS6 saloon is the same dual exhaust design as the Avant, bringing the large oval outlets inboard in a similar style to those seen on a BMW M3. The camouflage wrap makes it hard to distinguish, but look closely and you'll spot an aggressive diffuser-style section surrounding these tips which will set it apart from an ordinary car – there's also a subtle lip spoiler mounted to the boot lid.
What will breathe through that new exhaust system is not yet known, but we do have a good idea. The hybrid warning sticker in the windscreen of this mule all but confirms there's some level of hybridisation here, which aligns well with the rumours of the use of Volkswagen Group's new V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Power figures aren't yet known, but should it borrow the Ultra High Performance Hybrid system used in the Bentley Continental GT Speed and Porsche Panamera Turbo S wholesale, it would produce 771bhp to exceed the output of the G90 BMW M5 saloon by 54bhp. In the Panamera, this figure makes it capable of a 2.9sec 0-62mph time and 202mph top speed, six tenths and 13mph ahead of the M5.
The only catch with this powertrain is that it's only featured in ultra-high end products so far, with the Panamera Turbo S costing from £175,100 and the Bentley from £236,600. Alternatively, the Audi RS6 saloon might receive the lesser 'High Performance' Hybrid system, but even this produces 670bhp to put it well in-line with Munich's offering.
Either way, a V8-powered Audi RS6 returning for another generation is a great sight to see, and it'll be greater still if Audi picks up where Mercedes-AMG has left off with a flagship high-performance saloon to fight BMW M.
