The Audi RS6 has gone through four different iterations over the years, but it has always consistently delivered two things: gut-punchingly fast four-wheel-drive performance and estate car practicality. Actually, that’s not strictly true – the first two versions of the RS6 were available as saloons as well as Avant-badged estates, but it’s the allure of the super-fast load-lugger that’s at the heart of the RS6’s appeal. The first generation, launched in 2002, came with a healthy 450hp from its twin-turbo 4.2-litre V8. In 2008, when the time came to replace the popular original, Audi got a bit giddy and slotted in a whopping great 5.0-litre V10 with 580hp and two turbos. The third version, with Audi feeling a bit stung from launching a V10 family estate during a financial crisis, reverted to a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with ‘just’ 560hp… but then released a Performance version with a punchy 605hp. The fourth-gen car got sensible again with the inclusion of mild-hybrid technology, but these things are all relative… this is still a 600hp twin-turbo V8 family estate. There are more exciting performance cars out there, but there’s no better way to carry an old wardrobe at supercar speeds.