Daily Maverick
Dailymaverick logo

Motoring

Motoring

Going, going … gone! Audi RS 6 Avant GT fetches a cool R4.5m

Going, going … gone! Audi RS 6 Avant GT fetches a cool R4.5m
The just revealed RS 6 Avant GT. (Photo: Audi SA)
Melinda Ferguson
By Melinda Ferguson
13 Nov 2024
Facebook
0
Car auctions have the power to make people lose the plot, especially when the prize is a highly collectible, final-edition Audi racing legend.

As the auctioneer took his position in front of the just-revealed white and orange Audi RS 6 Avant GT – the reason we had all gathered at the highly exclusive Cavalli Estate in Cape Town – I had an urge to jump up, stop the show, and ask whether I could become a late-entry bidder. 

The reserve price for the Audi was R3.9-million. Perhaps if I sold my house, flogged my worldly possessions, accessed my somewhat measly retirement fund through the new two-pot system, I could possibly be in the running for this highly desirable beast on wheels?

In the lead-up to the grand reveal, we’d been enticed by a whole lot of info that left me on the edge of my seat, aching to grab an auction paddle. The RS 6 Avant GT is one of just 660 limited units that have been made available globally to celebrate 40 years of Audi RS – which stands for Renn Sport in Deutsch. Just one of these beauts had been allocated to Africa and here she was, number 74 off the lot, in all her bad-ass glory. 

Naturally I’d done some homework before the night of the auction as all good wannabe bidders should. 

Audi, Motoring Melinda Ferguson Cocktail hour at Cavalli Estate before the Audi auction. (Photo: Melinda Ferguson)


Power and speed


Powered by a 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine, brandishing 463kW and 850Nm of torque, once set loose, the RS 6 Avant GT hurtles from 0-100km/h in just 3.3 seconds, with a top speed of 305km/h. And then there’s the trusty 8-speed Tiptronic auto box (found in a range of the brand’s products), and Audi’s celebrated Quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. There’s also a locking centre differential that allows for substantial rear-axle bias when Dynamic mode is selected.

Legendary Audi 90 GTO


On the night, head of Audi South Africa, Sascha Sauer animatedly described how the new RS 6 Avant GT was designed with the Audi 90 Quattro IMSA GTO in mind.

“The RS 6 Avant GT is an iconic vehicle that embodies the soul of Audi,” Sauer said.

“This car showcases meticulous craftsmanship and a design inspired by the legendary 1989 Audi 90 Quattro IMSA GTO race car, telling a story of rich heritage and engineering prowess.”

The 1989 Audi 90 GTO was a German four-ringed racer created in the late 1980s to take part in the highly competitive IMSA GT Championship in the US. The GTO was based on the Audi 90, but to make it fit for the track, the body was created from carbon composites and it had a tubular steel space frame for rigidity and safety. It went on to win seven races in the 1989 IMSA GTO season. 

The new Audi RS 6 Avant GT also references the Audi 90 GTO’s bold colour scheme, its front end and shorter rear bumper. Plus it’s got a set of wicked-looking 22-inch glossy white alloy wheels. 

After hours of cocktails, starters, dinner and chit-chat with swishy-looking rich people, the wait was finally over and the auction began.

Audi, Motoring, Melinda Ferguson The just-revealed RS 6 Avant GT. (Photo: Audi SA)


The power of the ‘A’ word


The word “auction” is derived from the Latin phrase augeō, which means “I increase” or “I augment”. The auction’s origins can be traced back to as early as 500 BC, where in Babylon, women were publicly sold off for marriage. Unlike now in 2024 where I was free to buy this bloody gorgeous Audi (if I had the cash), back then it was illegal for women to get married without going through the auction process, never mind drive a car. 

It’s a well-known fact that Auction Fever can make people lose their minds. In a public forum, an insatiable need to beat one’s rival bidders can dull the senses. And if the auctioneer has talent in the power of persuasion, it’s damn hard not to raise that paddle.  

On the night at Cavalli Estate, the man with the lightning-quick tongue was Lionel Roux from Burchmores, who has a compelling gift of the gab. As he opened the bidding at R3.9-million, those with the much-envied paddles were off to the races. I was forced to watch from the sidelines, like some salivating auction voyeur.

A live auction is a thing to behold. The psychology behind bidding in one is often to get a good deal. In reality, in the heat of the moment, the auctioned item often goes for much more than it’s worth, when the adrenaline of “I increase” takes hold. Especially when it’s a highly desirable final-edition Audi RS racer. 

In the end, there were only two moneyed men fighting it out. The Audi finally fetched a rather impressive price of R4.5-million. Was it worth the price? Who cares? The guy who finally managed to cast the winning bid was clearly loaded. His Aston Martin keys gleamed on the table. He promptly handed over the Audi’s keys to his bright-eyed young wife (or girlfriend). 

She pranced up on stage and revved her new chattel. It definitely beats being sold off to the highest bidder in Babylon. DM

Categories: