Audi RS 6 GTO concept pays homage to 90s IMSA race car

KUALA LUMPUR: Meet Audi's latest concept car, the RS 6 GTO. It is a high-performance wagon that pays tribute to the brand's iconic race car from the past, the Audi 90 Quattro GTO.

The Audi IMSA race car had a short-life span, a year to be precise, before getting eliminated by Audi's top brass. Built in 1989 for the US-based IMSA racing series, the 90 Quattro GTO won 7 of the 12 races it participated in. Helping it be the beast it claimed to be was a 2.2-litre five-cylinder KKK turbo engine making 721 PS of power.

Coming back to the modern-day GTO concept, it is based on the ongoing RS6 Avant and is developed at the company's Neckarsulm plant where other Audi models like RS 6, R8, are built.

The RS 6 GTO is built on the showroom-spec RS 6 with several design tweaks inspired by the 90s race car, including -

• Wider wheel arches
• Red, silver, and black livery
• White turbofan wheels with red centre caps
• Side-exit exhaust outlet
• Large red rear spoiler
• Unique front splitter
• Side skirts & rear diffuser
• F1 inspired lower rear brake light
• A gamut of GTO badges
• An aggressive pair of bonnet vents
• Partially covered front-grille

On the inside, the leather-trimmed sports seats seen on the standard RS 6 have been replaced by carbon-fibre, suede-trimmed Recaro bucket seats. Also, part of the cabin kit is a roll cage, six-point harnesses, and a restyled centre console with canon fibre trim.

Under the hood, the GTO concept is expected to get the same 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine that powers the RS 6. The said mill in the RS 6 makes a maximum power of 600 hp and a peak torque of 800 Nm from 2,050 to 4,500 rpm. The power is sent to the wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission with a Quattro AWD system. In the RS 6, the engine completes a 0 to 100 kmph sprint in 3.6 seconds and delivers a top speed of 280 kmph. We now have to see what the said mill has in-stock for the GTO concept - will it be the same or re-turned.

Audi Malaysia recently introduced the 2020 RS6 Avant in its lineup, the wagon holds a starting price tag of RM 976,309.

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