Christmas Tree Hits 183 MPH Thanks To 800-Horsepower Audi RS6 Avant

Christmas came a little bit earlier this year for Hennessey as company founder John strapped on a tree onto his personal 750-horsepower Porsche 911 Turbo S about a week ago. The amped-up sports car from Zuffenhausen reached an impressive 175 mph (282 km/h), but the man behind the American tuner and hypercar manufacturer was not entirely satisfied.

That’s because the 181-mph record achieved a couple of years ago with a 1,000-horsepower Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk was still standing. He decided to redo the run, only this time with his wife’s Audi RS6 Avant. Even though the super wagon looks stock on the outside, it’s hiding an 800-horsepower secret under the hood where the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 has been massaged to extract an additional 209 hp. Prior to slapping the Christmas tree onto the long roof, the fast family hauler from Ingolstadt hit 205 mph (330 km/h).

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The RS6 Avant may have a 0.35 drag coefficient when it exits the gates of the Neckarsulm factory, but that’s no longer the case after you add a tree onto its roof. With airflow not being what it used to be, Audi’s supercar disguised as a midsize wagon “only” hit 183 mph (295 km/h). That’s still not too far off the 190-mph velocity quoted by the Four Rings for the version equipped with the optional Dynamic Plus package.

Thankfully, the Christmas tree managed to survive at those speeds, but we’re wondering what will happen once Hennessey will use the Venom F5 to beat its personal record. It’s a question of when rather than if, and our money is on Christmas 2022. The team behind the Venom GT’s successor has promised to smash the 300-mph barrier with its airbag-less machine, so we’re already feeling sorry for the poor tree.