The Audi S6 is a high-performance version of the A6 sedan powered by a Lamborghini-sourced 5. 2-liter V10. While slightly revised and detuned, it still produces 425 hp and 398 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic and a 40/60 rear-biased Quattro all-wheel-drive system are standard. Despite this impressive-sounding pedigree, the S6 is unfortunately disappointing. Audi claims a 0-60-mph time in the low 5-second range, though in our testing we did no better than 5. 7 seconds. That's slower than the supercharged V6-powered A6 3. 0T, let alone its hard-core competitors from
BMW,
Jaguar and
Mercedes-Benz.
Used Audi S6 Models
The present-generation Audi S6 debuted for 2007. Few changes have occurred since then. There were slight styling tweaks for '09, while the MMI electronics interface and navigation system were given a welcome upgrade for 2010.
Available only for 2002-'03, the previous, second-generation S6 featured a torquey 4. 2-liter V8 whose 340 horses were made more accessible by a five-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. Oddly, this edition of the S6 came as an Avant (
Audi-speak for "station wagon") only, which was partly responsible for its 2-ton curb weight and scarce availability.
Zero-to-60-mph acceleration was in the low 6-second range, and the car's lowered and stiffened suspension and 17-inch wheels and tires made it a potent handler, with grip similar to that of the current S6. Other pluses included its opulent
interior and ample standard features list; the wagon's big drawback was its unimpressive gas mileage. Though hard to find, a used second-generation Audi S6 wagon offers an intriguing blend of performance and utility.
Born at a time when Audi's model-naming system was in flux, the first-generation S6 officially came to life (and death) in 1995, though essentially the same car had been sold for a few years previous as the S4. Available as both a sedan and a wagon, the original
Audi S6 offered an eccentric turbocharged, 227-hp five-cylinder engine, working through a manual transmission to drive all four wheels. While performance was decent for the day, this iteration of the S6 never made much of a mark on the history books.
