Audi A6 e-tron

With Audi set to launch its last petrol-powered car in 2026, most models in the carmaker’s range will switch to electric power in the coming years, including those from the Audi Sport division.

Audi Sport is responsible for S- and RS-badged Audis (as well as the R8 supercar), and there are already electric models carrying both badges in the form of the E-Tron S and RS E-Tron GT Audi A6 e-tron.

Our latest spy shots show what is believed to be another electric RS model, an RS 6 E-Tron based on the upcoming A6 E-Tron Audi A6 e-tron.

The prototype may look like some of the testers for the regular A6 E-Tron but a closer inspection reveals details such as flared wheel arches and an upgraded brake package with red calipers.

An A6 E-Tron concept shown in 2021 packed a 100-kWh battery and a dual-motor powertrain good for 469 hp and 590 lb-ft. Power in the RS 6 E-Tron should at least match the maximum 621 hp available in the gas-powered RS 6 Avant Audi A6 e-tron.

Interestingly, there will also likely be an RS 6 Avant E-Tron, as Audi has hinted that the regular A6 E-Tron will have an Avant wagon option with the A6 Avant E-Tron concept shown last March.

The A6 E-Tron, and thus any RS version, has been designed around the Volkswagen Group’s new PPE modular EV platform for high-volume luxury models. The platform will debut later this year in the Audi Q6 E-Tron crossover, which is also expected to spawn an RS variant.

The A6 E-Tron will also be released later this year. The RS version will likely follow it by about six months to a year Audi A6 e-tron.