A string of missed calls

For most people, getting off a long international flight and finding multiple missed calls when you turn your phone back on is reason enough to groan. But for Allen Man, touching down back in Australia brought with it an unexpected surprise. The missed calls were from the Audi Foundation and were backed up with SMS messages asking Allen to call back. The fact that the latest Audi Foundation fundraising raffle was being drawn while he was in the air gave hime pause for a pinch yourself moment – after all, why else would Audi’s philanthropic foundation be calling him?

“I felt excited,” Allen says, “like a dream come true,” when it was confirmed that he was indeed the lucky winner of the grand prize in the latest Audi Foundation fundraiser – an RS 6 Avant performance in Nardo grey, valued at $301,709.18* (drive away).

This was not the first time Allen had purchased multiple tickets in an Audi Foundation raffle, having been a staunch supporter of the brand’s not-for-profit foundation since he discovered it way back in 2018 after coming across it while browsing cars on the internet. Since then he has supported each successive raffle, but never really thought that the prize vehicle offered would ever end up in his garage.

Like most people, big wins of this type were not on the radar, with a few instant scratchie wins over the years not even coming close to something like this.

For Allen, a true car enthusiast, the prize in this case is particularly significant. The RS 6 Avant is one of Audi Sport’s great performance models, having built an enviable reputation since first being launched more than 20 years ago.

The RS 6 Avant performance represents a crowning achievement and the top of the food chain for the model with its 4.0-litre V8 producing an incredible 463W of power and 850Nm of torque to hit 100km/h from a standstill in just 3.4 seconds. 

Allen’s prize vehicle rides on enormous 22-inch Audi Sport wheels in a 5-Y-spoke design and finished in matt neodymium gold, while the Nardo grey body colour also features a matt carbon and black exterior package with the Audi rings and badging in gloss black. 

In addition to its incredible performance and handling, the RS 6 Avant performance is also the epitome of luxury, with its rich leather interior complete with Audi’s sensory package, state-of-the-art in-car technology and infotainment and an impressive suite of safety equipment and driver assistance systems.

While this raffle was completely sold out, just 12000 tickets were offered, giving each participant extremely good odds of ‘getting the call’ even if few ever believe it will be them.

Most importantly though, the funds raised by this raffle as always go to help to continue the Audi Foundation’s work with its partners across mental health, education and medical research as well as helping young people to reach their full potential.

Since its launch in 2017, the Audi Foundation has raised more than seven million dollars through the combination of two fundraising raffles each year and the ongoing funds contributed by the National Audi Dealer Network and donations from generous individuals.

By supporting the Audi Foundation raffles, much needed funds are raised to continue the ongoing programs of our the Foundation’s not-for-profit partners which have a proven track record of making a positive impact on countless people and communities across the country. The fact that each raffle carries with it the chance of winning an outstanding Audi model is simply the icing on the cake.

For Allen it is certainly a dream come true and one that now sees him faced with the dilemma of which car to drive each day. His current daily driver is also a performance model, his VW Golf GTi also enjoying a reputation for speed and handling, although not quite in the same rarified company as the RS 6 Avant performance.

Allen certainly won’t be replacing the GTi which delivers a great driving experience, particularly with its manual transmission which has its own special appeal. The only fair thing he thinks is to split the driving time ‘half and half’, with the RS getting the nod for the ‘long distance relaxed motorway munching’ and the Golf reserved for the shorter trips.

It’s a particularly attractive quandary to face and all because of Allen’s ongoing support of the Audi Foundation.