The £176,975 Audi RS6 GT Says To Hell With Subtlety

For all their blistered arches and giant wheels, fast Audi models are still reasonably subtle. At least, compared to the big-nostril wares of BMW M. But this particular creation from Neckarsulm - the RS6 GT - is a little different.

Much like the RS6 GTO concept from a few years ago, it provides a nod to the iconic 90 quattro IMSA GTO racing car. Only this time, you can go out and buy the thing. For, erm, £176,975.

That figure dwarfs not just that of the £111,570 RS6 Performance, but also the loaded-up, £127,000 Vorsprung Edition of the car. Thankfully, you’re getting more than just a livery slapped on a boggo RS6 for the extra outlay.

The bodywork takes inspiration from the aforementioned RS6 GTO, with new vertical ‘blades’ at the front end and a new intake grilled sitting below a redesigned carbon fibre bonnet. There are new air outlets behind the massive arches (also made from carbon fibre) to help reduce pressure from around the 22-inch wheels while also ejecting heat from the brakes.

The six-spoke wheels, by the way, are made specifically for the GT, and they go nicely with the gloss carbon inserts for the side skirts and mirrors. Audi even went to the trouble of tweaking the boot lid “with a visually lowered loading edge,” and while looking at that, you’ll have no doubt also spotted the big new ‘double wing” and carbon fibre diffuser insert.

Inside, there are new RS bucket seats trimmed in a mix of leather and Dinamica (the latter being a bit like Alcantara), and there's red and copper stitching throughout. The model name 'RS6 GT' appears in various places, just in case you forget what kind of RS6 you bought.

The 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 makes no more power, outputting 621bhp as before. But then again, few people will drive the standard car and think “gee, it’s a bit slow”. In any case, Audi has had a play with the handling, with a specific tune to the rear differential for a more rear-biased driving attitude, plus the addition of adjustable coilovers and much stiffer anti-roll bars.

The car can be ordered in Arkona White for the full 90 IMSA evocation, alternatively in Nardo Grey, or Mythos Black. 660 will be made worldwide, with 60 coming to the UK.