ALWAYS MEET YOUR HEROES
He’s owned some exotic metal in his time, but the C7 RS6 has always been at the top of Matt Meyler’s dream car list. Eventually lucky enough to snap up this stealthy Daytona Grey stunner recently, we’re pleased to report it’s exceeded all his expectations… Words Sam Preston. Photography Adam Walker.
Remember the lead singer of that synth pop band you had a soft spot for back in the Eighties? Given the chance to meet him or her in the flesh now, would you still take it?
We’re often advised to never come face-to-face with people or things that we’ve idolised over the years or potentially face our rose-tinted mental versions of them being permanently shattered in the process. And while we can appreciate that meeting an ageing rock star whose heyday was almost 40 years ago might not quite be as rock ‘n’ as it once would’ve been, should we really always follow this well-known adage?
Sales manager Matt here doesn’t think so. Finally in the fortunate position a year or so ago where he could realistically justify buying and running his ultimate dream car, he ignored the advice and did just that. Thankfully, then, he hasn’t looked back…Our Preston-based protagonist hasn’t been shy of a sporty German car in the past, with the likes of a B7 RS4 Cabriolet, an S3 and a Mk7 Golf R all taking pride of place on his driveway in recent years, before a spell of AMG-badged Mercedes took over and opened his eyes to the world of hilariously fast saloons and estates in the process. Even these Stuttgart-built rockets weren’t enough to take his mind off that long-term dream, though…
“The C7 RS6 has always been the car I’ve wanted but could never quite stretch to,” he admits with a glimmer in his eye. “It’s when I started my new job that owning one actually became achievable, so I went out and bought one straight away.” Confident the Audi Sport-built hyper-Avant that seems to be the ultimate car for a surprisingly broad span of enthusiasts the world over would live up to his high expectations, Matt made a beeline to his local Bolton Audi dealership to see what all the fuss was about. Because what else could promise such manic performance on the scenic Lake District roads his morning commute spanned, whilst comfortably accommodating his two large dogs and kids, after all?
Soon proudly getting his name stamped on the logbook of this box-fresh and supremely suave Performance-pack Daytona Grey example, Matt admits there was no desire to do anything too drastic to alter this car’s aesthetics or 190mph, 600bhp performance credentials. To start with, at least… “I was going to leave it standard, but my wife’s used to me saying that and then doing the opposite!” he laughs as he explains how the car was initially sensibly sent off to get a full ceramic coating from local detailing shop Pride & Performance, before its luxurious paint was treated to an XPEL protection film to really quash any OCD-related angst he might have about using it properly.
Now fully prepared to take on the elements, how did the car fare on the open road? “It was a huge upgrade from the E63 AMG I had before it,” Matt reveals as he recalls his first proper blast in this two-tonne brute. “It was so different to pilot; almost like learning to drive all over again in some aspects! I soon got to grips with it though, and it’s so easy to drive day-to-day now. And still makes me grin when I open it up…”While over the moon with the RS6’s infamous do-anything capabilities, it didn’t take long for Matt’s desire to add his own personal stamp to make itself known. “I started to eye up one mod after the other, until I’m where we’re at today,” he explains. “It’s been a pretty smooth journey so far as I’m only willing to entrust the car with garages that have the best reputations.” Pretty smooth apart from a slight hurdle around 6000 miles into ownership, that is…
“My front discs warped early on, and weren’t replaced under warranty because I had aftermarket wheels on,” Matt painfully tells us. Heading straight to the gurus at ADS Automotive for a solution, a performance-focused set of Vagbremtechnic discs with that tasty J-hook pattern as well as some Ferodo pads soon found their way onto the car’s front hubs to replace the original steel offerings, which seems to have made all the difference. “My first thought was ‘wow!’– I’ve got much more confidence in braking now.” They say everything happens for a reason, after all.
Speaking of those aftermarket alloy wheels, these tasty Miami-built forged offerings from Vossen were one of the first bits to make their way onto the car almost immediately after it was purchased. “I’ve always been a fan of Vossens, and these concave VSF-2s seem to retain that classy OEM look nicely,” Matt lays out his thought process behind the 21in beauties. “I went for black to complement the stealthy look of the car.” The colour choice sets an all-black precedent for the rest of the mods to follow, such as the exterior badging and that subtle Maxton Design splitter kit which subtly gives off even more aggression to the car’s boxy dimensions.
Getting those new wheels sitting just right, Matt next opted for one of KW’s trick height-adjustable spring kits to help get the perfect ride height dialled in on his hot Avant. It may have look like a fixed lowering spring setup, but this clever package comes with its own adjustable spring seats which can offer up a drop of anywhere between 5mm and 40mm on each corner, all whilst retaining vital factory damper functions such as the Dynamic Ride Control. Another quick trip down to ADS Automotive and Matt’s ideal stance was set up first time around, the car now sitting perfectly over those rare wheels, we think you’ll agree.
Having daringly agreed to take the RS6 down to the Nürburgring with a group of mates only a few months after picking it up, Matt next focused on making that biturbo V8 a little more vocal by adding a new exhaust system into the equation. “The first system I went for was a little too loud for daily use,” he’s happy to admit. “This Akrapovič setup is a lot more refined while still offering a lovely noise, too.” The new premium pipes are optimised with a Stage 1 REVO tune performed by the guys at Unit 20, which has seen the car’s power output upped by around 100bhp to reach the fabled 700bhp figure, which unsurprisingly made for a whole lot of fun at the ‘Ring a few weeks later. “I took it steady on the corners but saw 167mph on my speedo on the Döttinger Höhe main straight…”
He’s used it for plenty of work commutes and taken it to the world’s most formidable race circuit, so how exactly has 12 months of C7 RS6 ownership gone down for Matt after all those years of dreaming? “It really is the perfect all-rounder in my eyes; it laps up the dogs and kids in comfort, then when I’m alone on an open road I can really enjoy those 700 horses…” Clearly very proud of his new toy, he can be seen washing it regularly in all weather, with plans for 2018 involving more show attendance, as well as another ‘Ring trip, of course. Not one to keep still, he’s also booked it into the legendary MRC Tuning for the next stage of modifications within the next few months. Who says you should never meet your heroes?!
Owner profile: Name: Matt Meyler
Age: 36
First car? Austin Maestro
Dream car? McLaren 720S (once my kids have grown up maybe…)
Are you a member of any club? Not at the moment
“The C7 RS6 has always been the car I’ve wanted but could never quite stretch to,”
CLASSY COCKPIT The murdered-out aesthetic continues into the interior of Matt’s more-door monster with swathes of black leather opted from the factory. The only alteration so far inside are those RS6-branded floor mats which were designed to perfectly match the rest of the trim. Above: perfect ride hide dialed in with KW Suspensions height adjustable sprint kit. Right: First stop was to have a full ceramic coating then treated to an EXPEL protection film. Left: Revo Stage 1 Software upgrade pushing out approx 700bhp Below: Akrapovič cat-back exhaust system. Above: 11x21in Vossen VSF-2 forged multi-spoke alloy wheels, 285/30/21 Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, KW wheel spacers (12mm front; 15mm rear). Right: 8-speed tiptronic semi-automatic.
SPECIFICATION 2017 C7 Audi RS6 Avant Performance
ENGINE 4.0 DOHC V8 FSI biturbo, REVO Stage 1 tune by Unit 20, Akrapovič cat-back exhaust system
POWER 700bhp (approx.)
TRANSMISSION 8-speed tiptronic semi-automatic
BRAKES Vagbremtechnic 390mm two-piece steel discs with J-hook pattern and Ferodo pads (front)
SUSPENSION KW height-adjustable spring kit
WHEELS & TYRES 11x21in Vossen VSF-2 forged multi-spoke alloy wheels, 285/30/21 Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, KW wheel spacers (12mm front; 15mm rear)
INTERIOR Factory black leather interior, custom RS6 floor mats
EXTERIOR Factory Daytona Grey body, ceramic coated by Pride & Performance Detailing, XPEL paint protection film, black badges, Maxton Design splitter kit
TUNING CONTACTS ADS Automotive, MRC Tuning, Unit 20
THANKS Wraps & Tints Ltd in Buckshaw Village, Pride & Performance
