Audi RS6 Avant C5 for sale
None in stock at the moment. We buy to order across Europe: tell us the specification and the build months you want, and we find the car, have it inspected where it is, and deliver it to a US port with a US title. Start a custom search or get an alert when one comes in.
The C5 RS6 was the first Audi RS sold in North America. Americans got it for one model year, 2003, and only as a sedan. The Avant — the 450 hp twin-turbo V8 wagon that the RS6 is famous for — was never sold new in the United States, and neither was the 480 hp RS6 Plus, which was Avant-only and European-market-only, 999 built.
This is the most searched European wagon in America, and almost every one in the country arrived by import.
When you can import one
Production ran July 2002 to September 2004, so the C5 RS6 Avant is not yet eligible. The 25-year rule runs month by month from the build date:
- A car built in July 2002 becomes legal in July 2027.
- A car built in December 2003 becomes legal in December 2028.
- The RS6 Plus, built April to September 2004, becomes legal from April 2029.
This is the point of buying now rather than later. We buy the car in Europe before it qualifies, keep it, and ship it the month it becomes legal — ahead of the price rise that tends to arrive with a model’s 25th birthday, and ahead of everyone else looking for the same thing. See the European cars turning 25 in 2027.
Cars already in the US were brought in before the 25-year route existed, by a far more expensive path. Be careful with any car offered as road-legal today: ask how it was imported and what paperwork came with it.
What the US never got
- RS6 Avant (2002–2004), 450 PS, 4.2 twin-turbo V8, quattro.
- RS6 Plus (April–September 2004), 480 PS, Avant only, Europe only, 999 built, with Dynamic Ride Control as standard.
- European equipment — US cars were limited to the 18-inch wheel package.
What to look for
- The turbos. The 4.2 biturbo is the expensive part of this car. A documented turbo and service history decides the price.
- Dynamic Ride Control. The DRC hydraulic damping system leaks with age and the parts are RS6-specific. Check for sagging corners and oil around the dampers; a conversion to conventional dampers is common and affects value.
- Tiptronic only. There is no manual C5 RS6. If someone offers you one, it is not a C5 RS6.
- Brakes. The original carbon-ceramic-equipped cars are rare; standard brakes are expensive enough.
- Plus or not. The RS6 Plus has its own build records. Verify rather than pay for a badge.
- Running costs. This is a 450 hp German wagon from 2003. The purchase price is the small number.
Typical landed price
European prices move with condition and documentation, and will move again as the eligibility date approaches. We price each car individually, landed at a US port with the import paperwork done. Tell us the specification and the build month you want and we will quote it.
Registration notes
- California: built after 1967, gasoline; CARB lab certification applies, not guaranteed.
- Fuel: gasoline.
- Title: 17-character VIN that decodes as an Audi. Registration depends on the state where you register the car: California requires CARB laboratory certification for gasoline cars built after 1967 and cannot register diesels, and the CBP package establishes the car as an import.
Our take
Reserve one now and ship it the month it turns 25. Buying an RS6 Avant in 2027, when every American who wants one is looking at the same handful of cars, is the expensive way to do this. See how we prove the build month before anything is bought.
FAQ
Was the Audi RS6 Avant sold in the United States?
No. The C5 RS6 was sold in the US for model year 2003 only, and only as a sedan. The Avant was never sold new in America, and the 480 hp RS6 Plus was Avant-only and European-market-only.
When does the C5 RS6 Avant become legal to import?
Month by month from July 2027, counted from each car’s build month. A late-2003 car qualifies in late 2028, and the RS6 Plus from April 2029.
Can I reserve one before it is eligible?
Yes. We buy the car in Europe, keep it, and ship it the month it becomes legal — which also means buying ahead of the price rise that comes with eligibility.
Is there a manual RS6 C5?
No. The C5 RS6 was Tiptronic only.