An 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged W16 engine pushing out 1,001 horsepower and 1,250 Newton-meters (922 pound-feet) of torque was peak hypercar back in 2005 when the Bugatti Veyron initially came out. Fast forward 15 years later, you can now get literally the same amount of power in a station wagon with loads of practicality and five seats.
Granted, this Audi RS6 Avant has been tuned by MTM to offer an identical 1,001 hp and 1,250 Nm, so while it’s not an entirely fair comparison, it’s still mind-boggling to have that kind of oomph in a “family car.” The folks over at AutoTopNL put those numbers to the test on an unrestricted section of the Autobahn in Germany.
Mind you, MTM’s RS6 Avant is still slower than the all-conquering Veyron. The 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) task was completed in 2.79 seconds whereas Bugatti claims the original Veyron needs only 2.5s for the same job. If we were to continue this comparison since both cars come from the same VW Group, it reached 124 mph (200 km/h) in 8.13 seconds whereas the Molsheim beast only requires 7.3s.
Flat out, Ingolstadt’s speedy family hauler reached the 186-mph (300-km/h) velocity in 20.5 seconds. An impressive feat no doubt, but this is where the Veyron’s epic engine truly shines, hitting that speed in just 16.7 seconds. The Chiron’s predecessor can also reach a much higher speed (253 mph / 407 km/h) whereas the video showing the Avant doing 207 mph (333 km/h), although it seems it could’ve gone a bit faster than that.
Even though MTM’s RS6 is not quite on the same level of performance delivered by the Veyron, it doesn’t have to be. The beefy Avant is a lot cheaper and has to carry around more weight (nearly 200 kg / 441 lbs) while remaining a hugely spacious family car. For good reason, the Veyron remains the more desirable car of the two, but it’s impressive a midsize luxury wagon can deliver comparable performance after a tuner gets its hands on it.