2008 Audi RS6

Our latest auction is for a bona fide modern legend, an Audi RS6 Avant fitted with the V10 engine from the Gallardo. Yup, that’s right; this is the daddy of all uber-estates, a class of vehicles we have more time for than almost any other.

It’s a good ‘un, too. With just three former keepers and in the vendor’s hands for the past six years, it has been recently and expensively serviced, work that included ten new platinum sparkplugs and refurbished and recalibrated suspension.

The engine has also been mildly tweaked via a chip to raise its power to 585bhp – and the Brembo brakes have been upgraded to suit the car’s new performance, too.

Fitted with the desirable carbon fibre pack too, it also features a DVD-based satellite navigation system, a 10-speaker Bose Surround Sound music system, a roof-mounted DVD/TV player, and heated leather seats to keep your bum warm on these chilly winter mornings.

It is, therefore, a very desirable example - and could probably be yours for much less than you think…

The metallic grey coachwork looks terrific. Featuring the sort of laser-etched shutlines that made Audi a byword for build quality and premium transport, it’s got the sort of hewn-from-solid look to it that enables it to age as gracefully as Clint Eastwood.

The panels are free of dents, dings and car-park dinks, and the flanks are free of ripples. Garaged while it has been in his care, it’s stood up to its life as a daily driver very well indeed.

The glazing, light lenses and badging are all good, and the trademark silver door mirrors show those in the know that they’re about to be overtaken by something very special, while matching silver roof rails add an air of practicality to what is surely one of the most versatile vehicles ever built.

The five-spoke alloy wheels are in great shape. Finished in anthracite, they’re largely free of the sort of serious scuffs, scrapes and other signs of a careless owner. The tyres are a mixed bag, with a pair of Falken Azenis FK510s on the front, and Continental Sport Contact 2s on the rear. All seem to have good tread.

Blemishes? Well, given that none of us are perfect (with the possible exception of Bruce Springsteen…) it’s only natural that it has a few stonechips, a couple of small scratches and a few light scuffs to the alloy wheels.

Or, to put it another way, it’s got the sort of gentle and inevitable patina we don’t mind our performance cars sporting because it frees us to drive them long and hard with fewer worries than we’d otherwise have.

The interior is so good that we can kick off by telling you that the outer edge of the driver’s seat has lost some colour – because that’s just about all there is to complain about bar a lightly frayed overmat in the front passenger footwell. It really is remarkably good but then Audi’s interiors are generally a cut above the competition’s anyway.

The rest of the leather on the electrically adjustable and heated front seats is very good being only gently creased and the underlying structure is still firm and supportive, which is just as well given the car’s considerable performance potential. The rear seats are in an even better condition, being fresh and clean and free of damage and serious creasing.

The trademark flat-bottomed steering wheel is excellent, as is the extensive carbon fibre trim. The door cards are good too, as are the carpets, headlining, and dashboard. Sunblinds in the rear side windows and rear ‘screen keep the sun and prying eyes out.

There is a multitude of entertainment on offer including a roof-mounted DVD player to keep the kids occupied in the back and a 10-speaker Bose Surround Sound system for those long motorway runs. Probably of more interest to the sort of folk who would buy one of these, the owner assures us that the engine provides all the soundtrack you need when you’re whanging it along a country lane – and that the front windows wind down on command to enable you to enjoy it through tunnels…

The cavernous boot is well carpeted and clean. Featuring useful tie-down rails on either side, the boot floor is completely solid and the rear roller blind is still in place and free of damage.

We are told that everything also works as it should.

The Audi’s service history is very good indeed, comprising:

• 06.01.2009 and 11,625 miles – service by Lincoln Audi

• 15.10.2009 and 23,764 miles – service by Lincoln Audi

• 13.05.2010 and 31,254 miles – service by Lincoln Audi

• (no date recorded) and 40,795 miles – service by Huddersfield Audi

• (no date recorded) and 52,264 miles – service by West London Audi

• 25.02.2015 and 60,986 miles – service by Newbury Audi

• (no date recorded) and 79,870 miles – service by Motech Autocentres

The vendor tells us that the Audi drives very well indeed: he’s had many high-performance cars in his time and yet the RS6 is “the best daily driver I’ve ever had!”

The Lamborghini-derived engine looks as glorious as you’d think, and it sits in an engine bay that is decently clean while still giving the fastidious owner an excuse to spend a few hours prettifying it.

The Audi’s MOT certificate, which is valid until September 2021, was gained with only one advisory point for thin rear brake pads – and these have been replaced by the car’s fastidious owner. Other than that, it’s been clear since 2015. (We get the impression that he was irritated to have the car’s record blemished by such a minor issue…)

It also has a number of expired MOT certificates plus some old invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

It still has the book pack and wallet plus two sets of 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 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.

This is not a car that will have your non-car mates swooning but, frankly, who gives a damn about them because what it does is to tell those in the know that you are a serious enthusiast, someone who values ultra-high performance yet is secure enough to have it in a sensible family estate.

It’s a car, in other words, that says all the right things and none of the wrong – and how often does a chance like that come up? It’s also modestly tweaked, beautifully fettled, and looks stunning.

And, it’s not even as if it’s going to bankrupt you to buy it because we don’t think it’s going to sell for more than low twenties, with a guide range of between £19,000 and £24,000.

So, with the coming unpleasantness, we don’t think there’s ever been a better time to buy the sort of seriously quick car we’ve all promised ourselves and while the mid-life crisis guys with their skinny jeans an inappropriately young girlfriends might buy a Gallardo Spyder, the smart money goes on buying cars like these. That the winning bidder will achieve legend status when the virtual hammer falls is nothing more than a welcome bonus.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Newbury in Berkshire; 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’

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.