THESE ARE TRULY THE END OF DAYS. Witness the RS6 Avant GT, a spectacular last hurrah for Audi's petrol-powered super-estate before it cedes to a battery-powered successor. The decision to go all-in on EV might be questionable, but credit where it's due, for the GT means the RS6 has its chance to rage against the dying of the light.
Just 660 Avant GTs will be built. All are sold, despite the £177,115 price tag (that's more than a £60k premium over the regular RS6 Avant), though with just 60 allocated to the UK the GT is sure to be a rare sight and doubtless a coveted future classic is the stiffness of the anti-roll bars (up 30 per cent at the front and 80 per cent at the rear) and the dampers offer triple adjustment.
Quite how many people will deviate from the factory settings is debatable, but the tools and instructions are on-board for those who want to try some experimentation.
The GT boasts what can only be described as a strong look. One that borrows directly from the RS6 GTO concept from 2020, which in turn harked back to the rampant Audi 90 IMSA GTO race car from 1989. This fire-breathing 710bhp five-cylinder monster combined Audi's Group B powertrain and all-wheel drive with a bespoke spaceframe chassis clad in composite bodywork that looked like a production Audi 90 that had been on a diet regime of creatine and anabolic steroids.
Transposed onto a 2024 Audi estate car, the IMSA livery is attention-grabbing to say the least. Given it borrows from an epic but obscure chapter in Audi's motorsport history there's every chance most observers will be oblivious to its significance, but as with most cars aimed at people like us, if you know, you know. The GT also comes in Mythos Black and Nardo Grey with more subdued decals, but going down that route would surely be a cop-out.
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BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
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