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About 2,200 years ago, on this very site in the french-italian Alps,
history took an important turn. The carthagian general Hannibal crossed the Alpes with his army,
to stab Rome in the back.
He used elephants, and I am doing his crossing today.
But since I could not find any elephants available,
I found some nice alternatives. The brand new Audi RS6,
and the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S.
Like elephants, they are huge, strong and the scare the sh*t out of locals.
Intimidating is just what this RS6 is good at.
Look at these agressive looks, the spoiler, the massive wheels, and the stealth painting.
Terrific!
The grille sais 'Quattro' and as you might know,
Quattro is italian for 'get the hell out of my way!'
The soundtrack is intimidating as well. It reflects on the mountains like a machinegun.
Impressive...
That's good, because there are a lot of cyclists here thinking that the road is all theirs.
I don't think so...
You might say that I'm rude, and you are right.
But let's face it, Hannibal didn't come here to pamper the sick and poor, either.
The interiour of the RS6 forfills all promises.
The finishing is marvellous, like the design.
A lot cleaner than we are used to at Audi.
RS6-badges all over, to make sure that this is not an ordinairy A6.
Aluminium, carbon fibre and stidged leather. All you could wish for.
If the RS6 is an elephant, the Porsche is a mammouth. It is steeper and more lightweight than the old Cayenne,
but it still is huge. The consumption is higher than the RS6, logically.
And it takes 98 octane, whereas the RS6 accepts 95. That's more expensive.
But if that bothers you, you should not consider these cars in the first place.
It swallows 100 liters, so it seems to be more economical on a long trip.
And isn't it all about perception?
This car demonstrates all the technical know how of Porsche.
Making a 911 or a Boxster a fine steering car is one thing..
but making a tank like this drive like this, that's another thing.
But they managed. And how!
Especially roads like this can show that.
I enter the curves at high speed,
but the body stays completely horizontal.
And of course, that's electronics and air suspension,
but they managed to tune it this way.
Also, I'm sitting high, but it doesn't feel that way at all.
It feels like I'm sitting 50 cm lower, strange.
The interiour of the Porsche is as fine as the Audi.
Great materials, but more buttons.
But that's a question of taste.
Everything is under your control, and that shows.
Not a car that you know from the first moment you step in, but once you know your way, it's paradise.
It's not only show, the Audi-engine is fantastic as well.
Even at low rev's it's alive, all the way up through 8 sequential speeds.
Normally it is limited at 250 km/h, this one at 280.
There's no way you even get close to that speed here.
But even on these short straights, you get amazing speeds here.
Even in the curves, thanks to 4WD and massive tires, it goes like mad.
Every time you believe losing control, but you don't.
In spite of 300 kg's more, the Porsche's performance is almost as good.
The power comes somewhat later, but once the engine is at speed, wow!
The sound is deeper, more discrete.
The RS6 is like a rattle, the Porsche sounds like through a low pass filter.
That makes it less agressive, less impressive.
But Porsche compensated that in the paint job.
Red body, black wheels and yellow brakes.
Whoever thought of that: I like it!
Making a choise is a mission impossible.
Both are close to perfection, except if you are a Greenpeace activist.
Here in the mountains I prefer the RS6, although the Porsche is great as well.
The Audi is slightly more agile.
But during the many miles on the motorway to get here, I prefered the Porsche.
It is incredibly comfortable, smooth like silk.
And that it all went that very, very fast,
is something you won't realise before the moment of arrival,
when you turn off the engine and a tiny voice comes from the rear seat:
Are we already home, daddy?