It’s commonly known that Audi plans much hotter RS versions of its new PPE-based EV offerings including the Q6 and A6 e-tron. However, a contact of from Europe caught this RS Q6 Sportback e-tron out testing and so, in sharing them, it’s worth taking the opportunity to revisit what we know.
On first blush, the RS Q6 doesn’t appear to be much wider than the Q6 / SQ6 beyond perhaps lip flares as seen on the SQ8 e-tron. However, look closely at the photo below, a rear shot of the RS Q6 e-tron mule. It appears to have a similar trailing vent on the front quarter panel that mimics what’s been seen on cars like the e-tron GT or the RS 6 GT. If so, that would suggest unique fenders… at least at the front.
As for power, the SQ6 already on the market is rated at 509 hp, which is the same as the Porsche Macan 4S Electric also already on sale in the U.S.A. and shares the same Volkswagen Group PPE EV platform matrix. In as much, it’s reasonable to look to the Macan Turbo Electric when it comes to guessing power. The U.S.-spec Macan Turbo offers 630 hp and 0-60 mph runs in 3.1 seconds.
Following the specifications of the Porsche platform mate makes sense. We already see this at work when comparing the power figures of the e-tron GT, S e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT as compared to equivalent Porsche Tacans. And, of course, those two share the corporate J1 EV architecture.
Granted, there are two other things to think about here. The RS Q6 isn’t out yet, and Porsche just launched the Macan EV. A more potent Macan EV could be in the cards, though our money is on the RS Q6 sharing the Macan Turbo EV’s power figures, with perhaps an RS Q6 performance sharing any further power augmentation seen in the Macan lineup.
Interestingly, neither Audi nor Porsche have shown a three-motor configuration of the PPE platform just yet. While the Macan Turbo EV is a very capable car, it’s notable that the e-tron S that later became the SQ8 e-tron did have a third motor just like the Tesla plaid models or the Rivian Tri and even Quad motors that mark the higher end of that brand’s R1S and R1T vehicles.
Are Audi and Porsche leaving something out for now in order to build even faster cars in the future? It all depends on whether PPE has been developed for three or four motor configurations. Certainly the first-generation e-tron was, but the Volkswagen Group didn’t bother with a three motor configuration in the e-tron GT / Macan pair on the J1 architecture. PPE is an all-new architecture, so we have no point of reference yet. Time will tell.
