Basically, the RS6 Avant is an A6 Avant stuffed with the Lamborghini Gallardo's V10-after that engine has been re-engineered around direct fuel injection and fitted with two turbochargers. Forget for a second the ungodly 580hp it produces and concentrate on the 479lb-ft of torque it makes from just 1500rpm all the way up to 6250rpm. Audi pairs this engine with a paddle-shifted six-speed Tiptronic transmission and its Quattro all-wheel drive system. It also fits enormous brakes and either 19- or 20-inch wheels. The 19s come inside 255/40 tires, while the 20s are fitted with 275/35s. Those fender blisters are there to cover up the oversized rubber.
With a claimed zero-to-62 mph time of 4.6 seconds, there's little doubt this will be the quickest station wagon on Earth, trumping both BMW's M5 Wagon and the Mercedes-Benz E63. But it won't be that quick here. Ever.And that's a crime.
WRX STI Spied!As this is written, it's the first day of October 2007. But at the end of October, Subaru will have shown the production version of the WRX STI at the Tokyo Motor Show and this will be old news.
This is the new Subaru WRX STI being thrashed on Germany's Nrburgring in the early autumn of 2007. The hood scoop on the regular WRX is huge, but the STI's version looks like it could swallow most of the Solomon Islands.
The hood scoop is only the most obvious element. Note how the fenders are blistered to cover 18-inch wheels. And those wheels sit just outboard of big Brembo brakes. Out back are four exhaust pipes-one for each of the 2.5-liter flat-four's cylinders-and a large flat wing over the five-door hatch's rear.
Thanks to Subaru's continually improving turbocharger technology, 300bhp should be no sweat for the all-wheel-driven WRX STI. And even more should be coming in special editions from Subaru itself and dozens of tuning shops planet-wide. The Evo X, it seems, will have some real competition.
Changes made to the WRX body in creating the STI are enough to make the car almost dang good-looking. Here's hoping it drives as well when it shows up here sometime during 2008.
Volkswagen looks upIs VW about to return to its rear-engine roots? Could be, going on the evidence of the up! design study. And yes, the lower case 'u' and exclamation point are components of the name.
A small 'city' car, the up! is only 3.45 meters (135.8 inches) long, with the powerplant tucked neatly in the butt. VW is coy about what exactly that engine is. Diesel or gas? Who knows? Don't, however, expect air-cooling to make a comeback. Go ahead and think 100mpg if there's a dinky diesel aboard.
What is apparent is that the up! is a neat, clean design with possibilities for tuning and racing. Right now, it's just a blue-sky thing, but blue skies have a way of sticking around.
Rumors & Lies* According to the Toronto Star, as of early October 2007, 28 drivers had been charged under the Canadian province of Ontario's new street racing law. The law, which treats all speeding 50kph beyond the limit, results in automatically impounding the accused driver's car for seven days, suspension of the driver's license for seven days, and a fine of up to $2000 upon conviction. This law is likely to catch on in the US if it works for the Canucks.
* In Commercial Township, New Jersey, undercover state troopers arrested 62 people in a crackdown on street racing in late September 2007. Beyond that, three vehicles were impounded and 208 summons issued. According to the South Jersey News, the raid was in response to complaints of street racing along rural roads.
* Part of the GM/UAW labor pact signed in September 2007 seems to ensure that the Chevrolet Cobalt's and Pontiac G5's successors will continue to be built at the GM plant in Lordstown, Ohio. While the Gamma platform they'll be based on will be engineered off-shore, production will remain in the US and not shift to South Korea.