First drive: Audi RS6 Avant

Bored of naysayers complaining that Audi's latest V8 engine isn't as potent or fiery as the previous V10 it replaces, the German firm has attempted to silence doubters by unveiling the fastest accelerating estate car on the market. Step forward the insane Audi RS6 Avant.

What is it?

It's every family man's fantasy, a 4-litre twin turbo V8 engine that produces a monstrous 552bhp all wrapped up in the exterior of a sensible estate car that can happily swallow 1,680 litres worth of luggage. The dog can get in the back, the wife won't sense anything is out of place (until she sees the fuel bills) and Mr Mid-life crisis gets to drag race Lamborghinis at the traffic lights. The concept may be difficult to fathom but demand for molten hot estate cars remains relatively strong, with Audi shifting around 700 of the outgoing model (saloon included) in the UK with relative ease over the last two years.