2004 AUDI RS6 SALOON (3)

A Matte-Grey Lexus GS-F with a delicious 5.0-litre V8 has come and gone, but not before it was parked parallel to the Atlas Grey Audi for a quick comparo.

The RS6 pre-dates not just the GS-F but also the decade-old Lexus F brand by several years. The two cars’ straight-line performance is not too dissimilar. Both are startlingly quick for bulky sports saloons with a luxury bent.

The contemporary Lexus feels very sophisticated on its nicely tuned suspension and with an eight-speed marshalling the power. You’re treated to linear power delivery, and plenty of it, with a gradual swelling of torque that peaks at 5600rpm. The engine loves to be revved and the tacho needle needs to soar to extract maximum entertainment.

You can drive the GS-F hard, with huge confidence, in the dry thanks to the torque vectoring and electronic aids. On a wet road, you suspect the RS6 quattro would be more than a match and, such is its low-down torque advantage, you’d only be massaging the Audi’s throttle to match the GSF’s pace. You’d have to be pretty reckless to provoke either car into becoming a handful.

A takeaway point is that there’s a lot to like about super-saloons of this type whether they're current generation cars or well-maintained teenagers.

We are buying similar cars in superior condition: keepers@kiwigarage.co.nz