THE Australian outback is beautiful, or so they say.

We only noticed our red dirt surroundings spasmodically, so enthused were we with what was going on behind the wheel of Audi’s neck-snapping new RS6.

The four-ringed brand from Ingolstadt has long been the master of the hot wagon – its previous RS6 had a beating V10 at its heart – and this new twin-turbo V8 version keeps the tradition alive.

Modern fuel economy requirements demanded Audi downsize the engine, but while the ten-cylinder character may have had more X factor (and 12kW more power), this new one is seven-tenths faster to 100km/h, making it quicker to the mark than a Porsche 911.

It comes loaded up with quattro all-wheel-drive, luxury gear, new suspension, bigger brakes and more macho styling to match the thundering engine.

At $225k plus on-roads, it’s also a sizeable chunk of change cheaper than its $271k predecessor was at launch.

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