You are all aware of my passion for the Audi brand, and the relative lack of available ‘S’ and ‘RS’ models in 1:18 scale. Late in 2014 Minichamps released another dealer edition piece, the Audi RS6 Avant C7, which was released in Misano Red and Matt Black/Grey. The Red unfortunately for me sold out rather quickly, but fast forward to January 2015, I finally have one here to review. The Audi RS6 Avant C7 is fitted with an all-new 4.0 TFSI engine, developing 553 bhp and 516 lb/ft of torque. This enables the RS6 Avant to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 3.9 seconds. Quite impressive for a wagon!

I had high expectations for the Minichamps replica of the Audi RS6 Avant after recently reviewing the surprisingly good Audi TT Coupe MKIII, so how did the Minichamps do? At first glance, the ‘Audi Collection’ box is huge, measuring 14.5 inches in length, 3.5 inches longer than the MKIII Audi TT box. Model itself stretches just a hair short of 11 inches. The overall lines of the replica are very good. Add the stunning Misano Red exterior paint, which is rich and consistent throughout, and I’m in love.

Shutlines are decent for the most part. Doors and rear hatch are executed well, though the front hood could have used a little more finesse in the overall fit and finish. I should add that the photos do make it look worse than it really is in person. Front fascia execution is good. Nice details on the headlights, logos, and plate. The biggest miss, and one that has been a constant theme from the brand, is lack of perforated grilles top and bottom.

Rear is much like the front; all bits mimic the original nicely. No complaints from the peanut gallery here! Most of you already know only two of the four doors are accessible. Not a huge deal breaker, but in my opinion a model of this calibre and price point should have four operating doors. It was achieved for the recent 1:18 Minichamps Porsche Macan Turbo, why can’t it be done here?

The massive 21 inch Audi wheels are nicely executed as well, but the optional wave rotors are not. The look is little too “plastic” and toy-like for my taste. Though the massive callipers do elevate the package look some what.

Moving onto the motor, you’ll see Minichamps did manage to provide some above average detail – nicely layered and coloured bits add to the realism. It is not perfect as some of the front panel/covers are missing some detail and lack of engineered hinges (found in the recent Porsche 918 Spyder by Minichamps) don’t make an appearance here. For the most part though, it is very good.  Also note the poor placement of the RS6 lower door emblem/decal as shown below.

We all know Audi does some of the best interiors in the business today, though the Minichamps interior is somewhat lacking in depth and detail. Seats are slightly generic in appearance, with no RS6 logos. Also, no carpeting is found within the interior or rear storage section. Truly a shame, a cost cutting measure for sure. The saving grace here is the nicely detailed dash and centre console. The silver trim work and related bits are painted with precision.

What we have here is a decent effort. By no means are we seeing an AUTOart Signature piece, which is also reflected in the price. Model cost me $134 CND shipped, so we are talking about a $105 piece, exactly where this model should sit. Though because of feverish lust for the Audi brand, I for one would have loved the misses noted above to not be here, on the flip side I’m happy to add a good ‘RS’ badged model to my collection. Enjoy the pics!