Quote Originally Posted by kismetcapitan View Post
I use a different calculus. $25K for an RS6. Let's say you have to dump an additional $20K into it. That's $45K minus fuel and normal running costs. You STILL have a wicked fast car that beats the pants off of anything you can get for that kind of money new.

Buying a new $45K car? You're going to take a $20K depreciation hit anyways. And there's NOTHING on the market at that price point that's as good as a well sorted and mildly tuned RS6; $20K worth of depreciation happens no matter what you do, and the car just gets older and worse. Throw $20K into an RS6 and you've got a monster. And while a 2002 7-series may not "buy prestige" (if that's actually something you care about, and a true car lover tends not to), the USDM RS6 is and will always be a limited club of around 800 owners, and will always be an Audi that never saw a production line, but was assembled in Neckarsulm in a special production run. Does it matter? Yes, it does. Our RS badges may look like a Hungarian-built RS3, but it's very much the same as the M badge on a 1988 M6. Looks the same, but for those who know the difference, it's a significant one.
I like your approach to math better, and I agree with your analysis. It may be an older car with older technology, but it still takes alot more money to get anything close to this performance capabilities.