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By
EWAN KENNEDY
19 February 2007
Audi's latest Audi S6 high-performance variant arrived in
Australia late in 2006, just in time to become a Christmas present for
well-heeled car enthusiasts who will settle for nothing but the best.
Using a V10 engine displacing 5.2-litre and producing a mighty
320 kW – or 430 horsepower in muscle-car language – the Audi
S6 is something that has to be felt to be believed.
Styling is less subtle than normal for an Audi, but the large
radiator grille with its polished aluminium highlights certainly
makes a statement. The rest of the exterior is pretty subdued by
Australian hot-car standards, but that’s the way the Germans do
it.
Inside, there are a lot more clues that you’re driving
something above the mainstream Audi A8. The combination of
aluminium, carbon-fibre and leather is used in a very positive
manner, indeed almost lairy by Audi's normally refined standards
– and we really like it.
The front seats are suited to large Aussie rear ends and have
side bolsters that support nicely without being overly intrusive.
The back seat doesn’t appear to lose any legroom because of the
sports front seats, it’s set out for three people but two adults
would be a lot more comfortable than three.
Response from the big-power V10 engine is close to
instantaneous and the sound it produces is magnificent. There's a
huge snarl as the engine gets the message that the driver wants
action. That’s followed by a big push in the back as all four
tyres bite into the bitumen to urge it forward with relentless
acceleration.
Yet the Audi S6 is docile in everyday driving situations. At
least in the standard Drive on the automatic transmission
selector, choose Sport and it can be on the over-eager side,
verging on being aggressive at times, particularly off the line.
Fuel consumption is low when you take the performance potential
into account. Indeed, superb engineering means that normal
day-to-day driving in this 430 horsepower car sees fuel figures
not a lot higher than those of the standard Audi A6 on which it is
based. Easy country and motorway driving will generally have the
consumption below 10 litres per hundred kilometres, whilst
suburban driving generally has it hovering in the 12 to 14 litres
per hundred range. Give it a hiding and the sky’s the limit…
Handling of the big Audi S6 is tenacious thanks to large 265 mm
tyres mounted on huge 19-inch wheels. Despite there being a lot of
engine mounted in ahead of the front wheels it generally feels
nicely balanced. We haven’t tried an Audi S6 at a racetrack, but
feel that understeer might start to come into the equation when it
reaches its (very high) limits.
This Audi hot rod provides reasonably good comfort despite the
orientation of the suspension being in the direction of sporting.
Rough roads can create a jiggly ride and some tyre noise does get
through. This will be more than acceptable to the driving
enthusiast, but passengers who think of the S6 as a smooth-riding
limousine may not be happy at times.
Smooth roads see the S6 settling down beautifully and it has
the ability to cover long distances fast and with a minimum of
effort.
I can already feel the letters-to-the-editor wowsers starting
to reach for their pens as they read this road test. They will
scream ‘anti-social’, call for cars like the S6 to be banned
from Australian roads, and probably come up with the hoary old
chestnut that all cars should be speed limited.
May I forestall them by pointing out that the Audi S6, and
other high-performance cars like it, are amongst the safest on the
road? The power the S6 produces makes for safer overtaking with
less time on the wrong side of the road. Any car designed to
cruise at 250 km/h (a speed that’s legal in some countries) is
crammed full of highly developed dynamic features that seemingly
anchor it to the road, no matter what the weather conditions and
condition of the surface beneath its tyres.
In the hands of competent, properly trained drivers more
powerful cars are significantly safer than a low-powered machine
built down to the minimum possible price.
But forget safety and practicality and other commonsense
arguments; the stunning new Audi S6 provides a huge amount of
enjoyment for its owner. Discerning car lovers need no more reason
to have an S6 taking pride of place in their garage.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
A6 2.0-litre TFSI four-door sedan - $75,900
A6 2.4-litre four-door sedan - $83,800
A6 Avant 2.0-litre FSI five-door wagon - $79,700
A6 3.2-litre FSI four-door sedan - $99,800
A6 3.0-litre diesel TDI quattro four-door sedan - $101,700
A6 Avant 3.2-litre quattro five-door wagon - $109,150
A6 3.2-litre FSI quattro four-door sedan - $104,800
A6 4.2-litre quattro four-door sedan - $146,800
S6 5.2-litre FSI four-door sedan - $195,900
FEATURES:
ABS Brakes: Standard
Air Conditioning: Standard
Automatic Transmission: Standard
CD Player: Standard
Central Locking: Standard
Cruise Control: Standard
Driver Airbag: Standard
Passenger Airbag: Standard
Front Side Airbags: Standard
SPECIFICATIONS (Audi S6 FSI 5.2-litre four-door sedan)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 5.204 litres
Configuration: V10
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 12.5:1
Bore/Stroke: 84.5 x 92.8mm
Maximum Power: 320 kW @ 6800 rpm
Maximum Torque: 540 Nm @ 3000-4000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: All-wheel drive
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed triptronic
Final Drive Ratio: 3.801:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4916mm
Wheelbase: 2847mm
Width: 1864mm
Height: 1449mm
Turning Circle: 11.9 metres
Kerb Mass: 1910kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 80 litres
Towing Ability: 750kg (up to 2100kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Four-link, upper and lower wishbones, anti-roll
bar, gas-filled shock absorbers
Rear Suspension: Trapezoidal-link, twin-tube gas-filled shock
absorbers
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 5.2 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 13.3 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Fuel Type: Petrol 98RON
Fuel Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 13.5 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/unlimited km
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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