17 September 2002: Audi is to launch the world’s most rapid production saloon as well as a unique estate model this month - the Audi RS 6 quattro and RS 6 Avant quattro, powered by 450bhp 2.7-litre, twin-turbocharged V6 engines, a six-speed manual gearbox, and the company’s quattro permanent four-wheel-drive system.

Audi says the RS 6, is unquestionably the world’s most explosive amalgamation of "super car" and estate to date, and specification in cludes the very latest in Le Mans race winning technology.

Dynamic Ride Control, the electronically controlled, mechanical damping system, monitors road conditions and cornering forces and continually adjusts the suspension characteristics to maintain balance in all situations.

The new RS series are the latest in a line of high-performance Audis first introduced almost a decade ago:

Audi RS 2 quattro Avant – 1993-5: 5-door estate, 1595kg; 5-cylinders, 2226cc, 315bhp @ 6500rpm, 4-wheel-drive, 6-speed gearbox; Maximum speed 163mph, 0-62mph 5.8secs; Fuel consumption 25.9mpg.

Audi RS 4 quattro Avant – 2000-1: 5-door estate, 1620kg; 6-cylinders, 2671cc, 380bhp @ 6100-7000rpm, 4-wheel-drive, 6-speed manual gearbox; Maximum speed 155mph (governed), 0-62mph 4.9secs, 0-124mph 17.0 secs; Fuel consumption 23.5 mpg (overall).

Audi RS 6 quattro Saloon and Avant – 2002: 5-door estate, 1865kg; 8-cylinders, 4172cc, 450bhp @ 6400rpm, 4-wheel-drive, 5-speed tiptronic; Maximum speed 155mph (governed), 0-62mph 4.7secs, 0-124mph 17.8secs; Fuel consumption 19.3mpg (overall).