Audi RS6 Avant takes on BMW M5 CS, AMG GT 4-Door, and Porsche Panamera

It’s not often a twin-turbo V8-powered car with 591 horsepower is an underdog but that’s exactly what the Audi RS6 Avant was in this recent test from Carwow. In this test, the Audi RS6 was tasked with taking on the brand-new — and monstrous — BMW M5 CS, the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door 63 S (AMG needs a better name for that), and the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E Hybrid (Porsche, too). The RS6 is a quick car but, in this company, it looked downright underpowered.

Carwow’s Mat Watson ran all four cars through the gamut, testing everything from their exterior designs, interiors, power, performance, handling, and even their practicality. But which car was deemed best? First let’s check the specs.

The Audi RS6 Avant gets a 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8, with 591 horsepower and 590 lb-ft, making it the least powerful car in the test by a good margin. The BMW M5 CS uses a 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8 to make 626 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. While the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door 63 S uses its own 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8 to make 639 horsepower and 663 lb-ft of torque. Lastly, the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E Hybrid is the odd man out, as it uses a 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8, along with an electric motor, to make 700 horsepower and 641 lb-ft.

In terms of outright performance, the BMW M5 CS crushed the test, dominating the rest of the group from 0-60 mph, through the quarter mile, and even in braking. It was also deemed by far the best to drive. The Audi RS6 Avant was the slowest, didn’t perform brilliantly in braking, and wasn’t the sweetest to drive. However, the humble Audi didn’t finish last which, in this company, is actually quite the achievement. The fact that the much less powerful Audi was able to take down at least one car is impressive.