FANTASTIC BEASTS

Audi's RS6 GT and BMW's F90-gen M5 CS are arguably the ultimate expressions of the German superwagon and supersaloon, both with 620bhp-plus, both with extensively reworked chassis, both monstrously rapid. But which delivers the biggest thrill?

- by JAMES TAYLOR

PERHAPS THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE water at Ingolstadt.

In Mary Shelley's original Frankenstein novel, it's there that Victor creates his monster through a mysterious mixture of chemistry and alchemy. And it's there that the Audi board signed off the monstrous RS6 Avant GT. From evo's very first test in 2024, it was clear that some kind of similar alchemy was at work. This was more than an RS6 with stickers: it was blessed with a colossal turn of pace but also remarkable precision. It was very much alive.

In his first drive of the GT (evo 327), Richard Meaden commented that there was something of the BMW M5 CS about it. Praise doesn't come much higher in the corridors of evo Towers: the CS is still talked about in hushed tones round here. From its debut in 2021, the big BMW captivated all who drove it, edged out the Lamborghini Huracán STO and Porsche 911 GT3 to win eCoty 2021 (the only four-door car yet to win eCoty), and topped it all by proving itself an ultimate all-rounder in a five-month Fast Fleet long-term test. Like the RS6 GT, it was infused with agility at odds with its size. This was more than an M5 with a gold grille.

So we couldn't resist getting the two together to compare, contrast and crown the ultimate German supersaloon/superwagon. Separated by three years, this pair share plenty of parallels. Both were developed by specialised divisions within major manufacturers, both last-of-the-line products squeezing the pips from their respective platforms. The CS was the final, ultimate form of the F90-generation M5 and the GT likewise for the C8-gen RS6, with motivated engineers given the resources to go out on a high and make them the best cars they could be.