Skip advert
Advertisement

Abt RS6-E takes Audi estate past 1000bhp

Hybrid tech adds electric boost to already-potent twin-turbo V8 Audi

Abt Sportsline has created the world’s first Audi RS6 hybrid, and it boasts hypercar-rivalling performance. Abt e-Line, the German tuning house’s electric-power division, developed the RS6-E from an Abt-tuned RS6, with the final results seeing it punch through the 1000bhp barrier.

The car’s hybrid powertrain, which teams an electric motor and an upgraded version of the standard car’s twin-turbocharged 4-litre V8, kicks out combined totals of 1004bhp and 952lb ft of torque – some 407bhp and 399lb ft more than Audi’s own RS6 Performance. Top speed is quoted as being 199mph, while 0-62mph is dispatched in 3.3 seconds.

Advertisement - Article continues below

To reach those heady outputs, Abt first applied its Power R upgrade package to an RS6 Performance. This lifts power and torque to 720bhp and 678lb ft respectively – up from 597bhp and 553lb ft – by means of a remap and an Akrapovic exhaust system. Next the electric motor was integrated into the drivetrain, adding a further 284bhp and 274lb of torque directly to the rear axle.

> Audi RS4 review

To deploy the extra performance the driver must press two buttons mounted on the steering wheel – one to prime the system and another to activate it. The electric boost is available in ten-second bursts at speeds in excess of 62mph. Supplying the motor is a battery pack housed in the boot. It’s rated at 13.6kWh, which translates to around 20 bursts before the battery is drained.

All the hybrid technology adds about 200kg to the standard car’s nigh-on two-ton kerb weight, although it’s clearly a trade-off that yields mind-boggling performance, as you can see in the video below, which features Formula E driver Daniel Abt.

Away from the powertrain-based modifications, Abt has fitted H&R springs to lower the car’s ride height. And keen for the RS6-E to grab as much attention as possible, the standard car’s inconspicuous exterior has been abandoned by wrapping it with a circuit-board inspired pattern, grafting on an aggressive, aerodynamic bodykit and fitting three-tone 21-inch Abt Sport GR alloys.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Used Audi RS6 Avant (C7, 2013 - 2019) review, specs and buying guide – family-friendly supercar slayer from £20k
Audi RS6 – front
In-depth reviews

Used Audi RS6 Avant (C7, 2013 - 2019) review, specs and buying guide – family-friendly supercar slayer from £20k

Audi’s C7-generation RS6 may lack ultimate involvement, but it’s still a crushingly effective and desirable super-estate
27 Mar 2025
Audi RS6 (C6, 2008 - 2010): a V10 family car with supercar power
Audi RS6 C6
In-depth reviews

Audi RS6 (C6, 2008 - 2010): a V10 family car with supercar power

The C6-generation Audi RS6 is a V10-powered sleeper with supercar pace and in 2024, a bargain price
1 Oct 2024
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Best German cars – our high-performance favourites from the Fatherland
Best German cars
Best cars

Best German cars – our high-performance favourites from the Fatherland

If you still think Germans don’t have a sense of humour, you haven’t driven their finest performance cars. You’d be grinning from ear to ear
18 Apr 2025
Volkswagen Passat 2025 review – a breath of fresh air next to leaden EVs
Volkswagen Passat front
Reviews

Volkswagen Passat 2025 review – a breath of fresh air next to leaden EVs

Being ‘only’ 1500kg has its advantages. The latest Passat in petrol-only form reminds us ‘normal’ cars can and should be above average
16 Apr 2025
Why the Vauxhall Astra should have been given a different name
Vauxhall Astra GSE
Opinion

Why the Vauxhall Astra should have been given a different name

It’s time to reassess a perennially underrated hatchback, says Porter
17 Apr 2025