2002 Audi RS6 Avant Quattro 4.2 V8 Biturbo

The Audi RS6 Avant Quattro 4.2-litre V8 Biturbo might be a bit of a mouthful, but then it is a helluva car – and this example takes that mighty specification and blows it out of the water.

The owner bills it as “possibly the best C5 RS6 on sale today” and having seen it we are minded to agree. For a start it has a full Stage 3 MTM conversion that liberates 564 bhp. The work, which cost £15,000 back in 2003, means the Audi’s performance is, er, vivid.

And it’s only covered just over 105,000 miles, has a full MOT and a recent full service by marque experts Unit 20. This work comprised fresh engine oil and a new filter, a new cambelt, idlers and adjuster, a thermostat, water pump and coolant, and a full gearbox service including fresh oil and filters. The work came to a pound shy of £1,700, or just over 10% of the total he has spent on it in the past 12 years.

It also has four new genuine MTM 19-inch alloy wheels (£2,000+), four new Goodyear Eagle 275/30 R19 tyres (£500+), four new tyre pressure sensors, new TPS front discs and Pagid (OEM) pads, plus new droplinks to the anti-roll bar. The whole lot was set up with a Hunter four-wheel alignment and a Road Force wheel balance, which enthusiasts will recognise as being the ultimate in balancing.

The owner tells us that it has been very reliable – and he should know, as he’s owned it since 2008 - and has been a lot of fun both locally and when used for longer journeys. No boy racer, he’s only selling it to make way for the Aston Martin Rapide he always promised himself.

The Mugelloblau Pearl blue coachwork is in the sort of condition you’d expect of such a well maintained car. This means the flanks appear straight and free of dents, dinks and ripples, and the other body panels are equally unsullied. The paintwork, as you can see from the photo gallery, gleams.

The panel gaps are as tight as Audi’s reputation suggests they should be, and the doors all open, close and align perfectly. Audi’s trademark silver door mirrors, reserved for its fastest models, are present and correct as are the roof rails that add a surprisingly practical element to this three-mile-a-minute super-estate.

The new 19-inch MTM alloy wheels - purchased to replace the 20-inch wheels that he found gave too hard a ride – are still in great shape and shod with a matching set of nearly new Goodyear Eagle tyres.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Of course, there are a few stonechips and minor marks here and there but there is nothing whatsoever to worry about and none of them need attention.

And nothing – and we do mean nothing – is sexier than a blue, fast Audi estate, is it?

The Nappa leather and carbonfibre interior is wonderful; few people do interiors like Audi and this one is as well-fettled as it is clean and beautiful. A rare non-sunroof model too, which adds to the car’s headroom and clean lines.

The Nappa leather seats show barely any wear at all, and what gentle creasing they do have is minimal and entirely consistent with the car’s use and mileage.

The headlining is clean and taut, the carpets are excellent, the door cards and dashboard look almost new, and everything seems to work exactly as it should with the exception of the air-conditioning system, which definitely isn’t as cold as it should be.

The boot is clean, neatly organised and home to the toolkit, Bose speaker and CD multi-changer.

The interior is, like the exterior, timeless in its design and testament to the care with which it has been used and looked after for the past dozen years.

The RS6’s service history summary prior to the vendor buying the car is:

08.09.2003 and 12,691 miles

14.09.2004 and 23,651 miles

18.08.2005 and 29,609 miles

24.08.2006 and 36,861 miles

10.07.2007 and 46,383 miles

12.02.2008 and 50,180 miles

07.10.2008 and 55,000 miles

It has since been serviced by independent specialists and as we’ve covered the recent preventative maintenance in the summary there is little to add other than the MTM conversion, which comprises an MTM quad tailpipe and downpipe conversion, new KO4 turbochargers, an MTM fuel pump/regulator, stronger silicone turbo hoses, uprated head gaskets, and MTM-specific engine and gearbox software, was done back in 2003 so has had plenty of time to prove itself.

Other than the fact that the owner has lavished an enormous sum on it in the past year even though he knew he’d be selling it; we tend to buy nice cars from nice people, and that he went to all this unnecessary expense tells you everything you need to know about him.

As does the fact that he took the time to talk us through his tips for maintaining the occasionally fragile gearbox: Never gun it hard in first gear, he told us, and always make sure you come to a complete halt before shifting from Drive to Reverse. This, along with a servicing and a new gearbox sump to replace the porous original, has kept this one working beautifully when so many have succumbed over the years in the hands of unsympathetic owners.

He told us that it has been very reliable over the years, with only an airflow sensor letting him down in addition to the Dynamic Ride Control, which failed some years ago. On the advice of a specialist, he had the DRC replaced with a set of Bilstein coilovers. With, he thinks, nine settings available, he runs them on their softest setting; this, in conjunction with the 19-inch wheels, endows the RS6 with a very good ride while maintaining its staggeringly effective handling and roadholding.

The engine bay is very clean, and the underside is straight and free of corrosion and damage. We’ve driven the Audi and can confirm that it drives every bit as well as its specification and history would lead you to believe: “Bonkers quick” in fact, just as the vendor promised.

The Audi’s MOT certificate expires in June 2021. It was gained without a single advisory point, something it’s done every year since 2006. (It did fail its MOT in 2006. For incorrectly spaced characters on the number plates…)

It also comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the fact that it has a full service history. There is also a summary of the work that has been done to it since the vendor has owned it. It’s comprehensive, and totals almost £15,000.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook and book pack, the original sales invoice, and two keys.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained and modified to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

And please be reassured, we’ve undertaken a full COVID-assessment and put into place strict control measure to enable us to safely facilitate a no-contact, socially distanced viewing that includes disinfection of the vehicle before and after your viewing.

The standard RS6 is an incredibly fast car, and the MTM conversion makes it even more so. Fitted now for the past 17 years, it’s a well-proven upgrade that doesn’t compromise reliability at all.

And, when you’re looking at a car like this the quality of any modifications is just one of your worries. The others are: has it been thrashed, crashed, or otherwise abused? And the answer seems to be no. In fact, it’s one of those rare cars that just gets better and better the closer you look.

The best bit about the whole package though is likely to be the price. This is, you’ll remember, one of the fastest five-seater cars on the planet - and the quattro drivetrain and estate body means it is also one of the most practical.

Throw in a fastidious owner, four new wheels and tyres, a full service history that includes much recent preventative work, and an excellent interior and exterior and our guide price of £9,000 to £13,000 looks like one of the biggest bargains of the year so far.

Plus, as a very early RS6 and the Genesis for all that came thereafter, it may well become collectable over the coming years, which might further reduce the cost of ownership. Makes you think, eh?

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.