2004 Audi RS6 Avant Plus

Registration – CU54 OKT
Chassis No. – WUAZZZ4B45N999412
M.O.T. – May 2027
Odometer – 128,500 miles

rare RS6 Avant Plus – over a decade of current ownership with significant recent expenditure

• Rare and highly desirable 480PS RS6 Avant Plus
• In current ownership for over a decade and regularly enjoyed
• Major recent maintenance completed within the last 2,000 miles, including timing belt, water pump and gearbox service

Few performance estates have achieved the cult status of Audi's original C5-generation RS6. Combining understated executive-car styling with a formidable twin-turbocharged V8, quattro four-wheel drive and genuine family-car practicality, it established a formula which remains central to Audi Sport more than two decades later. The limited-production RS6 Plus took that already exceptional package a stage further and today represents one of the most desirable versions of the C5.

‘CU54 OKT’ is a particularly appealing 2004 RS6 Avant Plus which has remained in the current ownership for over a decade. Showing 128,500 miles, this is not an RS6 which has spent its life hidden away; the vendor informs us that it has been regularly enjoyed and remains in daily use.

Importantly, considerable expenditure has been lavished upon the Audi recently. Within the last 2,000 miles, the vendor informs us that the timing belt and water pump have been replaced together with the auxiliary belts. Further maintenance has included attention to the rocker covers and replacement spark plugs.

The gearbox has also received a recent service at a reported cost of approximately £750, while a CV boot was replaced at a cost of approximately £260. Such expenditure is particularly welcome on a sophisticated performance car of this generation and demonstrates continued investment during long-term ownership.

At the heart of the RS6 Plus is one of the great Audi powertrains of the period: the 4.2-litre twin-turbocharged V8. Developed in conjunction with Cosworth Technology, the engine in Plus specification produced approximately 480PS – an increase over the already formidable standard RS6 – with its considerable performance transmitted through Audi's quattro four-wheel-drive system.

The figures were extraordinary for an estate car when new and remain impressive today. More importantly, the manner in which the RS6 delivers that performance gives the car its enduring appeal. Enormous reserves of power are accompanied by four-wheel-drive traction, an automatic transmission and the ability to carry passengers and luggage in genuine comfort.

Visually, the C5 RS6 remains a masterclass in understatement. Finished in silver, ‘CU54 OKT’ carries the purposeful but restrained appearance for which the model has become renowned. Its deeper front bumper, honeycomb grilles, flared arches, substantial alloy wheels and discreet RS6 badging provide relatively subtle clues to the performance available beneath the surface.

That discreet appearance is a considerable part of the car's appeal. Unlike many modern performance cars, the C5 does not need exaggerated aerodynamic additions to announce its capabilities. To the casual observer it remains an elegant Audi estate; to the enthusiast, the RS6 details immediately identify something altogether more serious.

The Plus specification adds another level of rarity and desirability. Created as the ultimate development of the C5 RS6, it represents the final and most potent evolution of a model which has subsequently become regarded as an important part of Audi's performance-car history.

With 128,500 miles recorded, ‘CU54 OKT’ has clearly been used as its makers intended, while more than a decade in the current ownership provides a particularly appealing element of continuity. Rather than changing hands repeatedly, it has remained with one custodian for a substantial period and has continued to receive meaningful mechanical expenditure.

The car also benefits from an MOT extending until May 2027, while the substantial programme of maintenance reportedly undertaken within the last 2,000 miles – including the timing belt, water pump, auxiliary belts, spark plugs and gearbox service – should be of particular interest to prospective purchasers.

More than 20 years after its introduction, the C5 RS6 is increasingly recognised as a genuine modern classic. Its combination of a twin-turbocharged V8, quattro traction, understated styling and everyday estate-car practicality belongs to a particularly memorable era of high-performance German engineering.

Rare Plus specification, over a decade of current ownership, significant recent expenditure and 480PS twin-turbocharged V8 performance combine to make ‘CU54 OKT’ a compelling example of one of Audi's most significant modern performance estates.

• Rare and highly desirable 480PS RS6 Avant Plus
• In current ownership for over a decade and regularly enjoyed
• Major recent maintenance completed within the last 2,000 miles, including timing belt, water pump and gearbox service