By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent

If ever there was a car tailor-made for the working mother, the new Audi RS6 Avant would be it. It is extremely
quick, so she can meet corporate deadlines between household chores.

It is big enough for five family members and their weekend gear. It is imposing enough to keep road chauvinists at bay. And despite its enormous utility, it is elegant enough to park among models in the executive lots.

Yes, the RS6 is made for the working mum.

Or the Colombian drug lord. Because in reality, nobody really needs a car as insanely superlative as the RS6. It is the most powerful car Audi has made.

It is the fastest station wagon you can buy. It gives a Porsche 911 a hard fight on the tarmac and incidentally, costs more.

At the same time, it is as thirsty as a parched camel. In an urban setting, it consumes slightly more fuel than an Audi Q7 seven-seater SUV. That is largely on account of its enormous 5-litre engine and part-steel body, resulting in a curb weight of just over 2,000kg.

For folks who want a sports car in wagon form - which is essentially what the RS6 is - they will have to contend with its heft. And measuring nearly 5m tip to tip, its enormity as well.

Granted the car is endowed with a pretty long wheelbase and wide tracks, and that it has quattro permanent all-wheeldrive and electronic stability program, it can still be somewhat scary.Simply because there is so much power from its twin-turbocharged V10.

The sinister hum that permeates the cockpit, the exhaust boom of 580 horses slamming through a six-speed Tiptronic gearbox, the forceful changes in direction that the car's body - and its occupants - experience as its big wheels stick to the bitumen.

It is all quite dramatic. Nothing short of what an Audi R8 or Lamborghini Gallardo is capable of dishing out. All well and good,but not the kind of performance you want to subject the family or your groceries to.

By the same token, it would be best to select the Comfort suspension setting,which is firm enough for most cornering manoeuvres but less punishing than Sport. Which brings us to the question: Is this Audi an abomination?

And if so, what is the point of such a car?

After driving the RS6, it becomes clear that it is not so much for shredding tyres on the Nurburgring (which, in fact, it has done) as it is for effortless commuting. It whooshes past the bewinged dragsters with nonchalance, relegating them to mere specks on the rear-view mirror.

On long hauls, the RS6 would come into its own as the grand tourer with attitude. Here, perhaps a bit more refinement would be appreciated. After all, this is a functional vehicle first, and a weekend warrior second.The Avant also serves well as a wagon.

Its stowage area is wide, deep and flat.Even without folding the rear seats, it will swallow most flat-pack furniture you can pick up at Ikea. Its motorised tailgate is a real boon, too. As mentioned, the RS6 strikes quite a pose. It is both elegant and menacing. And check out those cross-drilled brake discs,the ones in front practically fill up the
space in the 20-inch wheels.

Incidentally, those brakes work like a charm, even when the 2,000kg beast is going like a runaway freight train. Only thing is, they tend to squeak when wet. On the whole, the car's build and material qualities are beyond reproach. However, the pleasure of ownership will cost you.

Prices start from $475,000, but you know there isn't another car quite like it.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Oct 25, 2008.

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