Beneath the subtle chiselled looks of the Audi S6 beats an Italian heart.

AUDI has shoehorned a Lamborghini V10 engine under the bonnet of the A6 to create an astonishing super sedan.

 

The sound of the 10 cylinder alone is addictive. There's a deep, growling bark when you fire it up and around town it is deceptively quiet. However, it's like a dog straining at its leash.

Let go of the 320kW of power and 540Nm of torque and this German-Italian cultural mix goes ballistic.

The rev counter soars to 7200rpm and slurs through the gears to 100km/h and beyond ... if you are allowed to. The speed limit arrives in 5.2 seconds and it will thunder to 250km/h before the electronic big brother kicks in and restricts any further movement north. It is said unlimited the car will top 300km/h.

But it's the way the car achieves these phenomenal figures that astounds.

The V10 has an aural pleasure like no other. It's not as soothing as a V8, more gruff and metallic. Power is delivered in a big-chested sweep, backed up by a fantastically aggressive soundtrack.

It just hammers and surges ahead, yet its elastic tractability and hushed low-rev refinement do make it feel a little ho-hum in typical driving.

Around town you have to feather the throttle to make smooth progress and even on the highway it must be driven with restraint or else you will drive into the arms of law.

To many this car will seem to be politically incorrect in this day of high fuel prices, low emission demands and strict speed limits.

But if you can afford it, there's no harm in a bit of self indulgence.

The S6 is not cheap at $195,900 and certainly doesn't look the part of a heavy metal super sedan.

It's very subtle and not as brash as rivals BMW M5 ($231,500) and Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG ($234,800).

It blurs the lines between high speed sports sedan and luxury saloon.

The S6 costs a hefty $50,000 more than its 4.2 V8 FSI sibling. On the other hand, it's a good deal cheaper than the M5 and the E55 AMG 6.3.

For the price the Audi is packed full of gear. There are multiple airbags, stability and traction controls, a tyre pressure monitor, Bi-Xenon adaptive headlights, automatic headlights and rain sensors, an alarm, front and rear parking aids, Datadot security technology, fog lights, LED daytime running lights, glass sunroof, Bluetooth, Bose CD audio system with 13 speakers, cruise control, climate airconditioning, satellite navigation, TV, trip computer, power front seats, leather seats, gear lever and steering wheel, sunblinds, smart key and voice-activation system.

The short options list includes things like adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera, a solar sunroof and heated front seats.

The S6 is capable of reasonable economy on the highway, although you'll be looking at upwards of 16L/100km around town.

The six-speed auto is excellent, offering smooth shifts and handy manual shifting from the steering wheel-mounted paddles.

The S6 sticks to the road like the proverbial limpet on a rock, with little body roll, enormous grip and great traction in slippery conditions, thanks to the quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Despite this, the drive to Port Douglas was taken a little easy as the roads were very wet after early morning rain last Sunday.

This was brought home to me when I zipped through the roundabout at Smithfield to discover the greasy conditions sending the car a little sideways.

The Rex Range road was also slippery, so while the car could be driven quickly, I reigned in the S6, not wanting to have to explain expensive panel damage from the guard rails or the dirt hillsides.

From the top of the range to Mt Molloy the road was dryer and the S6 virtually skimmed across the undulating countryside.

It was windy on the road to Mt Carbine but the car tracked straight and true, demonstrating why these cars can be driven safely and securely on German autobahns in excess of 200km/h.

As the scenery blurs by, you're cossetted in a silent, stable and reassuring sense of calm. So, although it's virtually as quick as a Porsche 911, the S6 is the antithesis of a raw, brutal, racetrack-oriented muscle car.

The whole experience is one of sure-footed, confident firepower.

The steering is light and displays an almost lack of feel.

Not surprisingly, some comfort is lost compared to less sporty A6s.

The ride is tightly controlled and terse around town.

Tyre roar intrudes on coarse chip surfaces, but this is entirely acceptable given the sports focus.

Like all Audis the S6's excellent cabin is a wonderful place to be.

There are nicely supportive sports seats and some tasteful aluminium and carbon-fibre trim. The space, comfort, control layout and quality provide the class standard expected of Audis.

With eight airbags, anti-lock brakes and electronic trickery such as stability/traction control and brake assist, the S6 ticks all of the safety boxes. It is bestowed with the same five-star NCAP crash test rating as other A6s.

With its massively deep, 546-litre boot and split-fold rear seat, it's even practical.

The flagship for Audi's mid-size range isn't the maximum G-force, rocket-thrusting, thumping twin-turbo that was the previous RS6 sedan.

If you want more grunt and grip, then opt for the $260,000 RS6 Avant wagon with a twin turbo V10 (426 kW and 650 Nm, 0-100km/h in 4.6s).

The S6 is a deliciously accelerative car that's more a rapid luxury saloon than hardened sports sedan. With its more-than-subtle external changes, identification of the S6 is largely left to the 19in wheels and other embellishments such as the slightly flared wheel arches, wider side trim strips and small rear spoiler.

Of course, there are the V10 badges on the flanks, and the S6 badges set into the single-frame grille and on the boot, as well as LED daytime running lights sitting low in the front apron, along with the tell-tale quad exhausts.

If you're one of those drivers with no need to flaunt high performance, then nothing comes any more discreet than the Audi S6.

FAST FACTS:
Make: Audi
Model: S6
Body: Four door sedan
Price: From $195,900
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 320kW @ 6800rpm
Torque: 540Nm @ 3000-4000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed tiptronic
Fuel consumption: 13.5L/100km, premium unleaded, 80 litres
CO2 emissions: 319g/km
Performance: 0-100km/h in 5.2s, 250km/h top speed (limited)
Standard features: Multiple airbags, stability and traction controls, a tyre pressure monitor, Bi-Xenon adaptive headlights, automatic headlights and rain sensors, an alarm, front and rear parking aids, Datadot security technology, fog lights, LED daytime running lights, glass sunroof, Bluetooth, Bose CD audio system with 13 speakers, cruise control, climate airconditioning, satellite navigation, TV, trip computer, power front seats, leather seats, gear lever and steering wheel, sunblinds, smart key and voice-activation system
Availability: Check with dealer
Dealer: Honeycombes Prestige.

Mulgrave Rd

, Westcourt, ph: 4051 9211
Website: www.honeycombescars.com.au

 

 

 

Share this article