Fast four-doors have been around forever, but the Audi S6's mix of people-friendly room, class-leading speed, all-weather traction and brand-name cachet has yet to be matched. Three generations of S6 have graced our shores to date, though their sporadic appearances and truncated lifespans sure bring new meaning to the term "limited edition."
From the start, the S6's mission has been to be an extra-special version of Audi's already special A6 — an end usually achieved by means of more power, a sportier suspension and performance-biased wheels and brakes. The S6 has always been abundant with the luxury content expected of Audi, and its midsize dimensions make it one of the better Audis for seating multiple passengers. Just keep in mind that the S6 focuses on performance, and as such its ride quality is harder-edged than other Audi vehicles.
The Audi S6 is unique for skipping the evolutionary progress common to most cars, as its performance leaps by one league at a time. From a 227-horsepower five-cylinder in the first S6 to a 340-hp V8 in the next and finally to the 435-hp V10 of today, the S6 has been a reflection of Audi's rapidly rising performance aspirations.
Current Audi S6
The current Audi S6 debuted for 2007, following the latest-generation A6 by two years. Audi has turned more serious than ever about the S6's performance, this time setting up its all-wheel-drive system for a 60 percent rear-wheel bias and sourcing engines from none other than Lamborghini. While slightly revised and detuned, the fact that there's now a 5.2-liter V10 with 435 hp under the S6's hood means the list of cars it can burn in a race is plenty long.
Not included on that list, unfortunately, are its two primary competitors, the BMW M5 and the Mercedes E63. Because the S6's only transmission is a six-speed automatic (with Tiptronic manual shifting), because it weighs hundreds of pounds more and because it's the only one of the three under 500 hp, its performance ends up excellent in a class where awesome is the norm. Audi claims a 0-to-60-mph time in the low 5.0-second range, though in our testing we did no better than 5.7 seconds. Other problems include a nonlinear throttle response, a jarring ride quality and a feeling of heaviness from the front of the car in tight handling situations.
Yet, Audi's entry proves nearly as fun to drive as the Teutonic titans. The V10 has a guttural growl, braking is stellar, handling is reasonably grippy and well-balanced, and while its power is less prodigious, AWD allows the S6 driver to exploit it in all seasons.
Looking past performance, the Audi S6 also has thankfully grippy leather-Alcantara seats to complement its interior, which is the most stylish among the Germans. As expected, the S6 comes loaded with features like xenon headlights, Audi's Multi Media Interface (MMI), Bose Premium Sound, napa leather seats and full-length side curtain airbags. Among the options are navigation, a moonroof, rear side airbags, rear seat heaters, adaptive cruise control, and iPod and satellite audio upgrades.
For the driver interested in a high-performance sport sedan that does everything well, the S6 won't disapoint. Its all-wheel drive is certainly an advantage not to be overlooked and pricing is less than its main rivals'. Only those consumers who place the highest priority on performance are likely to find the Audi S6 lacking.
Past Audi S6 models
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. By any name, the original Audi S6 was the wildest and perhaps weirdest version of Audi's midsize sedan and wagon, with 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.
The S6 found more respect, if not recognition, after returning (briefly) for the new millennium. Available only for 2002-2003, it was made far more American-friendly with a torquey 4.2-liter V8 whose 340 horses were made more accessible by a five-speed tiptronic automatic transmission. Oddly, this edition of S6 came as an Avant (Audi-speak for "station wagon") only, which was partly responsible for its 2-ton curb weight.
Zero-to-60 mph acceleration was in the low 6.0-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. Though hard to find, a used second-generation Audi S6 wagon offers an intriguing blend of performance and utility.