No surprise given my username, but I’m a former B7 RS4 owner. Loved the car - the engine was sublime, interior gorgeous, super practical, gearbox was incredible and the car was stunning to look at with its wide haunches and stance (particularly lowered on some Work Kiwamis). PFA. I have a build thread on here too.
Things that made the car not quite complete for me though:
- Ride and handling was really too stiff. Mine was on KW V3s with an updated swaybar in the end. That said, it was stiff on the original suspension too.
- Handling was just a touch underwhelming. A fast car no doubt but it lacked really good innate balance - pushed hard it would understeer (improved with the swaybar), and you couldn’t slide it. It was, and felt, nose heavy. I’ve had several high powered RWD cars and far prefer their dynamics.
So fast forward a number of years and I’m looking for the next family car. Currently in a Ford Ranger Raptor - new gen, and in Aus so I get the 292kW one. It’s actually pretty bloody good. No sports car or fast wagon, but it will handle as well as say a standard golf in the twisties which is impressive for a 2.5 tonne lifted 4x4 Ute on 33” tyres. It’s massively comfortable on big tyres and that Fox suspension - dare I say it, rides as well as a Range Rover Sport. And it’s a laugh off road, I just don’t get to use it off road much. The Raptor, practically, is pretty much perfect for my lifestyle. Logically I should keep it and be happy. But I’m a car guy, and I’ve got the itch for a fast wagon again.
Here in Aus, we got the RS6 and there’s a few about. They still command high prices - £40k+ for any C7 in UK money. We got E63s as well, but they stopped importing the wagons after the W212 pre-facelift only sold 12 units nation wide. The W212 pre-facelift are rare as anything, getting old now, and I don’t love the look of them. We also get M5s.
My options are this:
- Compromise and don’t get a Wagon, buy an M5 or E63s Sedan. I really want a Wagon though.
- Import an E63 Wagon (W212 facelift) from the UK. Will be buying sight unseen, so need to find a good buyers agent.
- Buy a C7 RS6 locally
The RS6 was my dream one car as a young adult. I remember buying one in Gran Turismo in my uni days and racing it everywhere - must have been a C5 back then. I’ve always had a hankering for one. It’s what led me to the RS4. I absolutely love the shape of the C7, one of the all time best looking cars I think, in and out. My only real reservation is driving dynamics - I like a car that feels alive. If I didn’t need the practicality, I’d be looking for a 911 or a M2 competition (previous gen).
E63S is, despite substantial £10-12k import costs, probably a touch cheaper than an RS6 - even buying the most expensive 2016 W212 E63S Wagon currently on Autotrader. I can’t quite stretch for the W213 unfortunately - not with the import costs added on. Advantages here - I’d be able to buy what is likely a better quality car. It’s RWD, dynamically better than the RS6. They sound mental, and I love the general ludicrousity of them. The downsides - buying sight unseen, I hear their suspension is much firmer than the RS6 (downside of my RS4), and RWD… frankly I’m concerned about my wife driving a 600hp+ RWD car. I don’t think the 4Matic E63 W212 was sold in the UK - and I can’t import from the US or Europe, I need RHD. If I could stretch for the W213 this would be a no brainer I think.
M5 - well, I can get one here, right price right condition. They just don’t excite me, and I don’t love compromising.
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...V8 twin turbo awd , better handling than the Rs6