Leaked images reveal Audi's new super-wagon, and for once, they've remembered to make it interesting to look at. Right then. Something has happened in the world of sensible German estate cars. Audi's new A6 Avant has leaked onto the internet ahead of its official reveal, and in what must be a first for Audi, they appear to have designed it using curves instead of their usual ruler and set square approach. This is significant news because the A6 Avant has always been the thinking person's way of moving large objects at high speed while remaining completely invisible to the general public. It's the car chosen by people who need to transport an entire antiques shop but want to do it at autobahn speeds without anyone noticing. But this new one... this new one looks different. The front end features what Audi calls their "singleframe" grille, which is marketing speak for "massive front grille that's actually mostly plastic." But they've done something clever with it - they've made it lower, more menacing, like a marathon runner crouching at the starting line. The LED headlights have been reprofiled too, and they look angrier than a headmaster who's just found out someone's replaced all the chalk with cheese. The real party piece, though, is at the back. Audi has discovered that cars can have curves, and they've used this revolutionary knowledge to create a rear end that's actually rather beautiful. There's a full-width light bar that makes the car look wider than it probably is, and they've even remembered to put actual exhaust pipes on it instead of those fake plastic surrounds that fool absolutely nobody. But the really exciting news is what's coming later - the RS6 version. Test mules have already been spotted, and if the current RS6 is anything to go by, the new one will be what happens when German engineers decide to build a supercar but accidentally make it practical. It'll have wider wheel arches than a monster truck, enough power to restart a small power station, and the ability to carry five people and their luggage to the South of France without breaking a sweat. What's particularly interesting is Audi's decision to return to their old naming system for their cars. This means we won't have to deal with complicated badges that require a degree in advanced mathematics to understand. An A6 will be an A6, whether it's powered by petrol, diesel, electricity, or hopes and dreams. The official reveal is set for March 4th, which means we've got just enough time to prepare ourselves for what will undoubtedly be an extremely serious presentation about a very serious car that just happens to be able to outrun sports cars while carrying a wardrobe. And if you think I'm being overdramatic about a simple estate car, remember this: the current RS6 Avant has 621 horsepower. That's more than most supercars had not too long ago, all wrapped up in something that looks like it should be dropping the kids off at school. And that's why these cars are brilliant - they're stealth fighters disguised as cargo planes.And that... is what makes this leak so exciting. Because if this is what the standard A6 Avant looks like, just imagine what the RS version will be capable of. The Germans, it seems, have remembered that practical doesn't have to mean boring.
