In pursuit of a passion that defies ordinary ownership
In Singapore, where car ownership comes with a premium and the local road network is as curated as a gallery, one man’s love affair with a 17-year-old cherry-red Audi RS6 estate stands out. Brian Tan, 43, a former wealth manager who co-founded the kids’ tech startup myFirst, looks at his high-powered wagon not just as transport but as a moving laboratory for engineering passion, a practical delivery van for his business, and a keepsake of automotive engineering that keeps delivering surprises after a decade and a half.
The car that sparked the obsession
The RS6 in question is powered by a 5-litre twin-turbocharged V10 borrowed from the Lamborghini Gallardo lineage. With 580 horsepower under the hood, it’s a beast in a family estate’s clothing. For Mr. Tan, the appeal lies not merely in straight-line speed but in the engineering elegance and the nuanced driving experience that a wagon of this caliber provides—a rare combination that only a handful of cars can claim.
Costs that tell the full story
Owning a near-larger-than-life performance wagon in Singapore is as much about budgeting as about driving. The annual road tax for this 17-year-old RS6 sits around S$8,000 due to the surcharges on older high-performance cars. The fuel economy is another talking point: expect roughly one litre of premium unleaded per 5 km, underscoring the car’s dual nature as both luxury and a performance machine.
Maintenance, especially for a tech-laden and complex vehicle, is where the realities begin to bite. Parts can be scarce as the decades pass, and when something breaks, the repair timelines can stretch into weeks. Mr. Tan has faced this reality head-on: a radiator fan failure once left the car sidelined for six weeks, with coolant spilling and fragments of plastic everywhere. The financial outlay over nine years has included a replacement electronic control unit (~S$7,750), an alternator (~S$5,600), and front suspension components (~S$5,400), illustrating how a dream car can become a conscientious budget conversation.
Why keep the RS6 in the garage—and drive it daily
Despite the ongoing costs and the occasional mechanical drama, Mr. Tan describes the RS6 as “not temperamental, but when stuff breaks, it does so spectacularly.” He approached ownership as a long-term, value-driven project, a belief that has kept him committed even as the car has aged. The RS6 shares space in the family garage with a 2011 Audi A6, which now serves his wife, a doctor, while a family life with a seven-year-old daughter adds a practical layer to the vehicle’s role.
A heritage of Audi loyalty and a practical, peculiar choice
Growing up with Audis and Volvos, Mr. Tan credits his early driving experiences as catalysts for his unwavering brand loyalty. He first encountered the RS6 around 2011 and, despite its high price tag at the time, remained drawn to its engineering prowess and the understated stateliness of the car’s appearance. The RS6 is a rare beast—the kind of high-performance wagon that blends supercar performance with daily usability. Tan first spotted the car in 2011, later reacquired it in 2016 at a price around S$140,000, and has been nurturing the relationship ever since.
A family life, a business, and a vehicle with personality
Beyond horsepower and hero status, the RS6 has an unexpectedly practical role. It’s used for daily errands when Tan is not overseas on business and doubles as a delivery van for myFirst’s devices—from cameras to tablets to 3D pens. Even the doggies approve, with the large boot offering ample space for a comfy ride and cargo. In a world where many tech founders chase the newest gadget, Mr. Tan’s story is a reminder that sometimes the best tech passion is not just cutting-edge hardware—it’s a car that combines performance with practicality, a family-friendly machine that still stirs the heart of an enthusiast.
What’s in the boot?
With such a capable boot, the RS6 behaves like a surprisingly efficient tool for a startup’s logistics. The space is more than just an accessory; it’s a mobile storage and transport solution that scales with a growing product portfolio, proving that passion can align with entrepreneurship in unexpected ways.
In Singapore’s automotive landscape, the tale of a technopreneur and his V10 wagon is both a love letter to engineering and a practical case study in balancing dream-car ownership with a demanding business and a busy family life. For Brian Tan, the RS6 is more than a status symbol—it’s a trusted partner in a life built on innovation, risk, and a dash of indulgence.
