For the longest time, we thought the Audi RS6 Avant was only ever going to be wishful thinking in the US. Audi has been building fast wagons for as long as we can remember in Europe and the RS6 specifically since 2002. Avant is Audi's name for a station wagon and RS stands for Rally Sport. The sedan RS6 was discontinued for the last generation, and most likely due to the new RS7 that just enjoyed its world debut in Germany. That leaves just the RS6 Avant model available, and we're happy with that as we'll finally be able to buy and drive them in the US.

Audi is usually the more aesthetically understated brand when compared to sporty offerings from Mercedes and BMW, but the RS6 Avant has a decidedly aggressive DTM race car vibe to it. We simply can't get enough of the huge flared wheel arches and bold silver accents across the bumpers along with the sharp metalwork creases in all the right places.

Under the hood is Audi's new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with mild-hybrid assist producing 591 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Audi is claiming it'll propel the RS6 Avant to 0-62 mph in just 3.6 seconds, which should probably be used sparingly so the dog isn't left pressed up against the rear window too often.

The RS6 Avant will also hit 124 mph in 12 seconds and the top speed is limited to 155 mph. However, like BMW, it's worth remembering Audi does have a habit of sandbagging with performance figures so it'll be interesting to see how it compares in the real world to the Mercedes-AMG E63's performance.

We're still waiting on US specs for cargo, but the European 20 cubic feet of storage or 59.3 cubic feet with the seats folded should be perfectly adequate for the American average of 1.9 children to a family. Add the space, style, speed, and handling together and hopefully the now 3-pronged push onto American soil from the German's will help push the wagon back into our automotive culture as a solid alternative to the crossover again.