The Audi RS6 GT is an IMSA-GTO-inspired special
The C8 Audi RS6 is stronger than ever in its latest performance guise, but as BMW M5 Touring nears, Audi has taken its flagship estate to the next level. Built to celebrate Audi Sport's 40th year, the RS6 GT takes inspiration from the legendary 90 Quattro IMSA-GTO of the late ‘80s with bespoke design touches, chassis upgrades and a tweaked powertrain. Just 660 units will be produced.
The GT adopts a bold new look thanks not only to its (optional) Audi Sport heritage livery, but bespoke bodywork modifications fitted at Audi’s Böllinger Höfe facility. Its carbonfibre bonnet is the first on a production Audi, with its unpainted sections referencing the IMSA-GTO racer. The front bumper is entirely new, featuring a deeper, lower central intake and a larger splitter painted gloss black. Even the front wings are now sculpted from carbonfibre, featuring GTO-inspired vents aft of the wheels to reduce air pressure and improve brake cooling.
There’s also a new rear bumper that integrates with a flush boot lid, shortening the RS6’s rear overhang. Combined with a new, more aggressive diffuser (complete with a central rain light), the removal of the roof rails and the inclusion of a large roof-mounted spoiler from 2020’s RS6 GTO Concept, the RS6 GT has presence in abundance. If the GT’s design looks familiar, Director of Audi Sport Rolf Michl told evo that he previously worked with Swedish athlete Jon Olsson for the creation of his DTM-inspired C7 RS6 in 2015 – while this widebody one-off was certainly more extreme in nature, it shares some design DNA with the GT.
Despite its wild new look, the RS6 GT adopts the same 621bhp V8 as the Performance, with its eight-speed automatic transmission tweaked for sharper shifts. A 15kg weight reduction helps cut the 0-100kmph sprint down by a tenth to 3.3sec, with the standard-fit RS Dynamic Plus package enabling a 305kmph top speed. While the GT’s output can’t match the 710bhp of the IMSA-GTO it’s inspired by, performance figures aren’t too far off – the racer managed a 3.1sec 0-62kmph time and a 310 mph top speed.
Taking a page out of the RS4 Competition’s book, Audi Sport has fitted coilover suspension front and rear, dropping ride height by 10mm and offering three-way adjustability (opt for air suspension and the GT will match the Performance for ride height). Spring rate has seen an increase, with anti roll bars 30 and 80 per cent stiffer front and rear. This new setup is configured for the road out of the factory, but a dedicated toolkit allows buyers to reconfigure it to their tastes.
Standard-fit carbon ceramic brakes are installed behind bespoke 22-inch forged aluminium wheels, available in white, two-tone diamond cut and black finishes depending on specification. The GT is also fitted with new 285-section Continental Sport Contact 7 tyres for improved all weather performance and reduced braking distances.
Step inside and virtually every surface is covered in black Dinamica microfibre, including the new, carbonfibre RS bucket seats which are unique to the GT (for now), saving 2kg apiece. There’s no chance you’ll mistake it for an ordinary RS6, with GT branding embroidered in the floor mats and seats. There’s even an engraving in the piano black centre console trim denoting which of the 660 examples you’re in.
Just 60 of the 660 examples are destined for the UK and will be available in just three specifications; the Arkona White Heritage scheme we see here, Mythos Black and Nardo Grey. Order books are open now, with deliveries set to begin in the second quarter of 2024.
