The Audi S6 is a high-performance variant of the

Audi A6 The Audi A6 is an executive car manufactured by the German company Audi since 1994. Now in its fifth generation, the successor to the Audi 100 is manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany, and is available in saloon and estate configurations, the l ...

, an

executive car Executive car is a British term for a large car, and is considered equivalent to the European E-segment and American full-size classifications. Executive cars are larger than compact executive cars (and the non-luxury equivalent mid-size cars ...

produced by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

automaker The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, repairing, and modification of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries ...

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The origins of the compa ...

. It went on sale in 1994, shortly after the "A6" designation was introduced, replacing the "

100 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In mathematics 100 is the square of 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standard SI prefix for a hundred is " hecto-". 100 is the b ...

" nameplate. The original S6 was largely identical to the outgoing Audi S4 (C4) (Often referred to as the ''Ur-S4''), with the only visible differences being new body-cladding and badging. In certain markets where the even-higher performance RS6 (which is also based on the A6) is not sold, the S6 serves as the most powerful trim level for the A6 lineup. The S6, like all Audi "S" models, is fitted as standard with Audi's trademark quattro

four-wheel drive A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case pr ...

(4WD) system, using the

Torsen Torsen Torque-Sensing (full name Torsen traction) is a type of limited-slip differential used in automobiles. It was invented by American Vernon Gleasman and manufactured by the Gleason Corporation. Torsen is a portmanteau of Torque-Sensing. '' ...

-based permanent 4WD. __TOC__

C4 (''Typ'' 4A, 1994–1997)

Audi was restructuring their model lineup in early and mid-1990s, and in late 1994, began selling the fifth generation (C4)

Audi 100 The Audi 100 and Audi 200 (and sometimes called Audi 5000 in North America) are primarily mid-size/executive cars manufactured and marketed by the Audi division of the Volkswagen Group. The car was made from 1968 to 1997 across four generations (C ...

model, re-badged as the

. Wanting to keep a sports-saloon in their lineup, the company made small revisions to what was previously known as the

Audi S4 The Audi S4 is the high performance variant of Audi's compact executive car A4. The original Audi S4, built from 1991 until 1994, was a performance-oriented version of Audi's 100 saloon/sedan. All subsequent S4s since 1997 have been based on th ...

, renaming it the Audi S6; the S4 name would eventually be re-used for a completely different model derived from Audi's smaller

Volkswagen Group B platform The Volkswagen Group B platform is a mid-size automobile platform from the Volkswagen Group. It has been used for saloon cars/sedans, estate cars/station wagon, and coupés - under the Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT and Škoda marques ...

-based

Audi A4 The Audi A4 is a line of luxury compact executive cars produced from 1994 to 2025 by the German car manufacturer Audi, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. The A4 has been built in five generations and is based on the Volkswagen Group B platfor ...

. As this was the first S6 model from Audi, it is sometimes referred to as the ''Ur-S6'', derived from the German augmentive, "Ursprünglich" (meaning: original). It was available as both a saloon/sedan (''typ'' 4A5), and an "Avant" (''typ'' 4A9) ( estate/wagon) to European and United States customers, but only as a saloon in Canada, Asia and Australia. Audi's trademark "

procon-ten procon-ten (lower case initial ''"p"'') (an acronym for ''Programmed Contraction-Tension'') is a proprietary ''Safety Restraint System'' (SRS), used by German car manufacturer Audi from 1986 until the mid-1990s. Audi was one of the last Germ ...

" safety system was standard fitment.

C4 powertrain

From its launch in late 1994, the Audi S6 was powered by a

turbocharged In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into the ...

inline five-cylinder

petrol engine A petrol engine (gasoline engine in American and Canadian English) is an internal combustion engine designed to run on petrol (gasoline). Petrol engines can often be adapted to also run on fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas and ethanol blends ...

(parts code prefix: 034, identification code: AAN) with a Bosch

Motronic Motronic is the trade name given to a range of digital engine control units developed by Robert Bosch GmbH (commonly known as Bosch) which combined control of fuel injection and ignition in a single unit. By controlling both major systems in a s ...

electronic

engine control unit An engine control unit (ECU), also called an engine control module (ECM), is a device that controls various subsystems of an internal combustion engine. Systems commonly controlled by an ECU include the fuel injection and ignition systems. The ...

(ECU), producing a motive

power Power may refer to: Common meanings * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power, a type of energy * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events Math ...

output of at 5,900 rpm, and at around 1,950 rpm, whilst consuming high

octane Octane is a hydrocarbon and also an alkane with the chemical formula C8H18, and the condensed structural formula CH3(CH2)6CH3. Octane has many structural isomers that differ by the location of branching in the carbon chain. One of these isomers ...

"Super Plus" 98RON unleaded petrol. This engine gave the S6 a top speed of , and a 0 to of 6.7 seconds; with being reached in 17.5 seconds. The vehicle was available with a standard six-speed

manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...

(five-speed only in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

) and with the four-plus-one-speed automatic (the fifth "gear" called a 'lockup' gear, what reduced the RPM by ~400 at highway speed with cruise control on) as well, with the Audi's dynamic

T-1 quattro permanent

system. Audi made a high-performance, 4.2-litre

V8 engine A V8 engine is an eight- cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. Origins The first known V8 was the Antoinette, designed by Léon Levavasseur, a ...

(parts code prefix: 077, identification code: AEC) with a Bosch Motronic ECU available as an option in the original European S4s, and made the decision to continue to do so with the S6, making a version of the 4.2 available as an optional upgrade over the 2.2-litre inline five-cylinder turbo. Unlike the five-cylinder turbocharged version, the V8-powered S6 was supplied with a four-plus-one-speed

automatic transmission An automatic transmission (AT) or automatic gearbox is a multi-speed transmission (mechanics), transmission used in motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions. The 1904 ...

as standard, but kept the quattro four wheel drive. A six-speed manual gearbox was also available as an option.

C4 brakes, wheels and tyres

The C4 braking system included radially ventilated

disc brake A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the #Calipers, calipers to squeeze pairs of #Brake pads, pads against a disc (sometimes called a

rake Rake may refer to: Common meanings * Rake (tool), a horticultural implement, a long-handled tool with tines * Rake (stock character), a man habituated to immoral conduct * Rake (poker), the commission taken by the house when hosting a poker game ...

rotor) to create friction. There are two basic types of brake pad friction mechanisms: abrasive f ...

s front and rear; with diameter by thick discs, with two-piston floating Girling calipers bearing the interlocking four-ringed Audi logo, and four individual pads per caliper up front, and by discs with

Lucas Lucas or LUCAS may refer to: People * Lucas (surname) * Lucas (given name) Arts and entertainment * Luca Family Singers, or the Lucas, a 19th-century African-American singing group * Lucas, a 1960s Swedish pop group formed by Janne Lucas Perss ...

single-piston sliding calipers at the rear. Bosch

Anti-lock Braking System An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a Automotive safety, safety anti-Skid (automobile), skid Brake, braking system used on aircraft and on land motor vehicle, vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. ABS operates by preventing t ...

(ABS) with EDS was also standard. Standard wheels were 7½Jx16 "Avus" cast aluminium alloy wheels with 205/55 R16 tyres. An optional 7½Jx16 five-arm alloy wheel, with 205/55 R16 tyres, an 8Jx16 five double-spoke alloy, an 8Jx17 10-spoke alloys "Bolero" were also available with 225/45 R17 tyres.

Audi S6 Plus

As a

swan song The swan song (; ) is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful song just before their death while they have been ...

to the C4 platform, an even more powerful, and very limited-production Audi S6 Plus (Typ Q1) was briefly available to European customers. The S6 Plus, developed by Audi's wholly owned high performance subsidiary,

quattro GmbH Audi Sport GmbH, formerly known as quattro GmbH,Audi-Mediacenter ...

was available for sale during the 1997

model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated as MY) is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...

only (production from June 1996 to October 1997). A total of 952 cars were produced – 855 Avant, and 97 saloons. It was powered by another version of the 32-valve (four valves per cylinder) 4.2-litre

(parts code prefix: 077, identification code: AHK, later to be seen in the

Audi S8 The Audi S8 is a full-size luxury car of the Audi S models produced by the German automaker Audi AG, manufactured by Audi Sport GmbH at the Neckarsulm plant. The S8 is the mechanically-upgraded, high-performance version of the Audi A8, fitted s ...

as AKH). Audi's performance division reworked key parts of the

internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal comb ...

, increasing the motive

to . It was only available with a revised six-speed

(parts code prefix: 01E, identification code: DGU) (

gear ratio A gear train or gear set is a machine element of a mechanical system formed by mounting two or more gears on a frame such that the teeth of the gears engage. Gear teeth are designed to ensure the Pitch circle diameter (gears), pitch circles of e ...

s - 1st: 3.500, 2nd: 1.889, 3rd: 1.320, 4th: 1.034, 5th: 0.857, 6th: 0.730), with a final drive ratio of 4.111. Further revisions were made to the suspension, brakes and wheels. The front brake discs were enlarged to in diameter by thick. Standard wheels were 8Jx17 6-spoke "Avus" cast aluminium alloy wheels with 255/40 R17 tyres on them, with an optional 7Jx16 alloy wheel for use with winter tyres was also available. The S6 Plus saloon could reach from a standstill in 5.6 seconds, with the Avant a tenth of a second slower at 5.7 seconds. Hella

xenon Xenon is a chemical element; it has symbol Xe and atomic number 54. It is a dense, colorless, odorless noble gas found in Earth's atmosphere in trace amounts. Although generally unreactive, it can undergo a few chemical reactions such as the ...

high intensity discharge High-intensity discharge lamps (HID lamps) are a type of electrical gas-discharge lamp which produces light by means of an electric arc between tungsten electrodes housed inside a translucent or transparent fused quartz or fused alumina arc tub ...

(HID) headlamps (still with the C4s triple bulb design, only low beam) were available as serial equipment.

C5 (''Typ'' 4B, 1999–2003)

In late 1997, Audi introduced an all-new range of

models, based on the Volkswagen Group C5 platform. A new Audi S6, now officially known as the Audi S6 quattro appeared in 1999, to complement its A6 platform-mate. It was available in a four-

door A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide securit ...

saloon/sedan and a five-door Avant ( estate/wagon). In North America, the Avant bodystyle was the only version available. The vehicle could accelerate from standstill to in 5.7 seconds, and from 0 to in 21.7 seconds. The top speed was electronically governed to . This generation of S6 went out of production in 2003.

C5 powertrain

The engine was a new rubber-hydro mounted all-aluminium alloy 4.2-litre 40-valve (five valves per cylinder) 90° V8 (parts code: 077, identification codes: AQJ ept 99-May 1 ANK ept 00-onwards. It had

double overhead camshaft An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combus ...

s on each

cylinder bank The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categoriz ...

and

solenoid upright=1.20, An illustration of a solenoid upright=1.20, Magnetic field created by a seven-loop solenoid (cross-sectional view) described using field lines A solenoid () is a type of electromagnet formed by a helix, helical coil of wire whos ...

-operated

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 ...

two-stage variable intake manifold. It displaced , and was rated at at 6,600 rpm, producing of

torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational analogue of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). The symbol for torque is typically \boldsymbol\tau, the lowercase Greek letter ''tau''. Wh ...

at 3,400 rpm. It satisfied the European Union EU3 emissions standard, and was managed by a Bosch Motronic ME 7.1.1 electronic engine control unit (ECU) with manifold-sited sequential

fuel injection Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of a fuel injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines. All c ...

, mapped direct ignition with eight individual spark coils, Bosch longlife

spark plug A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...

s, four heated

lambda Lambda (; uppercase , lowercase ; , ''lám(b)da'') is the eleventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiced alveolar lateral approximant . In the system of Greek numerals, lambda has a value of 30. Lambda is derived from the Phoen ...

sensors and two

catalytic converter A catalytic converter part is an vehicle emissions control, exhaust emission control device which converts toxic gases and pollutants in exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine into less-toxic pollutants by catalysis, catalyzing a redox ...

s, cylinder-selective knock control and a Bosch "E-Gas"

drive by wire Drive by wire or DbW in the automotive industry is the technology that uses electronics or electro-mechanical systems in place of mechanical linkages to control driving functions. The concept is similar to fly-by-wire in the aviation industry. D ...

throttle. The engine was cooled with the aid of two electric cooling fans, replacing the single

viscous Viscosity is a measure of a fluid's rate-dependent resistance to a change in shape or to movement of its neighboring portions relative to one another. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal concept of ''thickness''; for example, syrup h ...

fan of earlier models. An oil-cooled six-speed

(parts code: 01E, identification code: EEY) was standard, with

s as follows: 1st: 3.500, 2nd: 1.889, 3rd: 1.320, 4th: 1.034, 5th: 0.857, 6th: 0.730; final drive: 4.111. An optional ZF 5HP24A five-speed

tiptronic The modern usage of the automotive term manumatic denotes an automatic transmission that allows the driver to select a specific gear, typically using paddle-shifters, steering wheel-mounted push-buttons, or "+" and "-" controls on the gear sele ...

automatic transmission was also available (parts code: 01L, identification codes: EFN ept 99-May 1 FBD une 00-onwards with gear ratios as follows: 1st: 3.571, 2nd: 2.200, 3rd: 1.508, 4th: 1.000, 5th: 0.803; and final drive ratio: 2.909). The automatic included steering wheel mounted paddle shifters, and a "Dynamic Shift Program" (DSP) for improved gear selection based on driving conditions.(paddle shift optional)

T-1 based dynamic quattro permanent

was also standard. Both front and rear axles utilised " Electronic Differential Lock" (EDL), which is a function of the Bosch ESP 5.7 Electronic Stability Programme.

C5 suspension and steering

Compared to its A6 sibling, the suspension on the S6 was stiffened and lowered by , and utilised gas-pressurised

shock absorber A shock absorber or damper is a mechanical or hydraulics, hydraulic device designed to absorb and Damping ratio, damp shock (mechanics), shock impulses. It does this by converting the kinetic energy of the shock into another form of energy (typic ...

s. ZF rack and pinion " servotronic" speed-sensitive

power steering Power steering is a system for reducing a driver's effort to turn a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, by using a power source to assist steering. Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver can ...

was standard.

C5 brakes, wheels and tyres

Brakes consisted of radially vented brake discs front and rear. The fronts are sized at diameter by thick, and are clamped by

HP2 two-piston

calipers Calipers or callipers are an instrument used to measure the linear dimensions of an object or hole; namely, the length, width, thickness, diameter or depth of an object or hole. The word "caliper" comes from a corrupt form of caliber. Many ty ...

. At the rear, the discs are by , and use a Lucas single-piston sliding caliper. Bosch ESP 5.7 Electronic Stability Programme, with

(ABS),

Brake Assist Brake assist (BA or BAS) or emergency brake assist (EBA) is a term for an automobile braking technology that increases braking pressure in an emergency. The first application was developed jointly by Daimler-Benz and TRW/ LucasVarity. Research c ...

, and

Electronic Brakeforce Distribution Electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD or EBFD) or electronic brakeforce limitation (EBL) is an automobile brake technology that automatically varies the amount of force applied to each of a vehicle's wheels, based on road conditions, speed, lo ...

(EBD) completed the brake system. Wheels are 8Jx17" cast alloy "Avus" 6-spoke alloy wheels, with 255/40 ZR17 tyres. Audi S6 4B Interieur

C5 body and interior

The body panels were largely based on the

4.2 model, with slightly flared wheel arches and door sills, with the bonnet (hood) and front wings being constructed from aluminium. Other features included S6 badging, bolstered seats (optional

Recaro Recaro Holding, as the parent company of the Recaro Group, owns the Recaro brand and the independently operating companies Recaro Aircraft Seating (aircraft seats) based in Schwäbisch Hall and Recaro eGaming (gaming seats) based in Stuttgart, Ge ...

seats), polished aluminium exterior door mirror housings, unique front grille, and rear bootlid/tailgate spoiler.

Audi RS 6 (C5)

A higher performance Audi RS 6 was also available from 2002 to 2004. It was built by Audi's high performance private subsidiary quattro GmbH. It used a

twin-turbo Twin-turbo is a type of turbo layout in which two turbochargers are used to compress the intake fuel/air mixture (or intake air, in the case of a direct-injection engine). The most common layout features two identical or mirrored turbochargers in ...

(" biturbo") version of the 4.2-litre V8 engine (identification code: BCY). Power output was at 5,700 to 6,400 rpm, and torque was from 1,950 to 5,600 rpm. The only transmission was a five-speed tiptronic automatic. Wheels and tyres were upgraded to , or (5/15 arm design), and there was the " Dynamic Ride Control" (DRC) system available for the suspension, which featured diagonally interlinked shock absorbers to give better body control during extreme cornering, acceleration and braking. Compared to the standard S6, the suspension was lowered by . The brake discs were ventilated and upgraded to at the front and at the rear. It can accelerate from 0- in 4.6 seconds. 0- times are 16.6 seconds for the saloon and 16.8 seconds for the Avant.

C6 (''Typ'' 4F, 2006–2011)

The Audi S6 5.2 FSI quattro (''Typ'' 4F) was introduced at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January. The performance version of the C6 Audi A6, the S6 uses the Volkswagen Group C6 platform, and is available in saloon/sedan and Avant ( estate/wagon) bodystyles. Factory production started in June 2006. A facelifted version of the S6 was released in late 2008 for the 2009 model year. In 2010, the S6 gained Audi's third-generation MMI electronics controller and real-time traffic information.

C6 powertrain

The engine in the C6 S6 is an even firing all-aluminium alloy

Fuel Stratified Injection Gasoline direct injection (GDI), also known as petrol direct injection (PDI), is a fuel injection system for internal combustion engines that run on gasoline (petrol) which injects fuel directly into the combustion chamber. This is distinct fro ...

(FSI) 40-valve (four valves per cylinder) 90° V10 (parts code: 07L, identification code: BXA). This engine is often referred to as a derivative of Lamborghini's 5.0-litre V10, but with longer stroke and wider bore to provide additional low end torque for use in the heavier sedan. The cylinder spacing is 90mm compared to 88mm for the Lamborghini engine. The V10 is based on the Audi 4.2-litre V8 engine. It produces at 6,800 rpm and of torque from 3,000 to 4,000 rpm. It uses twin chain-driven double overhead camshafts with

variable valve timing Variable valve timing (VVT) is the process of altering the timing of a Poppet valve, valve lift event in an internal combustion engine, and is often used to improve performance, fuel economy or emissions. It is increasingly being used in combina ...

for both intake and exhaust valves. The engine is managed by a Bosch Motronic MED 9.1 electronic engine control unit (ECU), which controls the mapped direct ignition, ten individual spark coils, common rail cylinder-direct sequential multi-point fuel injection, and drive-by-wire throttle. 2007 Audi S6 Avant Interior

A ZF 6HP26 six-speed tiptronic automatic transmission (parts code: 09E, identification codes: JBW, JMS, KHD, JLL) (

s - 1st: 4.171, 2nd: 2.340, 3rd: 1.521, 4th: 1.143, 5th: 0.867, 6th: 0.691), with steering wheel-mounted "paddle-shifters" is the only transmission available.

-based quattro permanent four-wheel drive - initially with the T-1 symmetrical differential, and from 2007

with the latest 40:60 front:rear asymmetric/dynamic Torsen T-3 differential, is standard. The final drive ratio is 3.801. Traction is assisted "Electronic Differential Lock" (EDL) and "Anti-Slip Regulation" (ASR) (commonly known as

traction control system A traction control system (TCS), is typically (but not necessarily) a secondary function of the electronic stability control (ESC) on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction (i.e., wheelspin) of the driven road wheels. TC ...

) - both functions of the Bosch ESP 8.0 Electronic Stability Programme. The same engine is used in the Audi D3 S8, but in a higher state of tune where it develops , as the S6 is not to be positioned above the S8 in output. With the discontinuation of the S8 5.2 FSI after the 2009 model year and the RS 6 5.0 TFSI in late 2010, the S6 5.2 FSI and R8 5.2 FSI were the remaining Audi vehicles that have V10 engines. The S6 5.2 FSI was discontinued after the 2011 model year, shortly before the release of the 2012 Audi A6 (C7). For the sprint from rest to , the S6 saloon takes 5.2 seconds, with the quarter mile passing in 13.5 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to . However a test by Edmunds found that the S6 takes 5.7-seconds to reach , a full second or so behind the

BMW M5 The BMW M5 is a super high-performance variant of the BMW 5 Series marketed under the BMW M sub-brand. It is considered an iconic vehicle in the sports saloon category. The M5 has always been produced in the saloon (sedan, US English) body s ...

and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG (which are the S6's closest competitors in North America, since the RS6 is not sold there), and that the 2009 Audi A6 3.0 TFSI (a supercharged 3.0L V6) has almost equivalent performance to the S6 5.2 FSI. Yet, in a 2007 track test b
''Road & Track''
the C6 S6 went from in 5.1 seconds, while it covered the quarter-mile in 13.5 seconds. Despite its heft at 4,500 pounds, the S6 has quick reflexes and agility, with the assistance of Audi's quattro system.

C6 brakes, wheels and tyres

The brakes consist of radially ventilated discs front and rear. The fronts are sized at in diameter by thick, and are clamped by gloss black painted Continental Teves two-piston sliding calipers. The rear discs are by thick, and use gloss black Girling- TRW single piston sliding calipers with an integrated electro-mechanical parking brake. A Bosch ESP 8.0 Electronic Stability Programme, with

(ABS),

, and

(EBD) completed the brake system. Standard

alloy wheel In the automotive industry, alloy wheels are wheels that are made from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium. Alloys are mixtures of a metal and other elements. They generally provide greater strength over pure metals, which are usually much soft ...

s consist of 9Jx19" cast aluminium alloy "5-arm wing design", fitted with

Continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne * Continen ...

SportContact2 265/35 ZR19

tyres A tire (North American English) or tyre (Commonwealth English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over w ...

. An optional 8½Jx18" cast alloy "S design" with 255/40 ZR18 tyres (either Continental SportContact2 or

Bridgestone is a Japanese multinational manufacturing company founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (18891976) in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of (), meaning ...

Potenza RE050A) are also available. A direct-acting Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) is also standard.

C6 other features

The S6 features two rows of five distinctive

LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (corresp ...

daytime running lamp A daytime running lamp (DRL, also daytime running light) is an automotive lighting and bicycle lighting device on the front of a road going motor vehicle or bicycle. It is automatically switched on when the vehicle's handbrake has been pulled d ...

s (DRLs) along each side of the front bumper air intakes which indicates the 10-cylinder engine as a point of differentiation from other A6 models. Bi-Xenon

high-intensity discharge High-intensity discharge lamps (HID lamps) are a type of Electric light, electrical gas-discharge lamp which produces light by means of an electric arc between tungsten electrodes housed inside a translucent or transparent fused quartz or fused ...

(HID) adaptive headlights which swivel around corners complement the LED DRLs.

Audi RS 6 (C6)

As with the previous generation, this C6 platform also generated an RS 6 version available for the model years 2008 to 2010, again developed and produced by quattro GmbH. This version of the RS6 included a 5.0-litre () even firing 90° V10

charged ("biturbo"), Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) V10 engine, which produced and . Available in both Avant and saloon bodystyles, it was Audi's single most powerful car. Official performance figures for acceleration from 0- are 4.6 seconds for the Avant and 4.5 seconds for the saloon.

C7 (''Typ'' 4G, 2012–2018)

The Audi S6 4.0 TFSI quattro and its mechanical twin S7 were launched as a 2013 models, a year after the C7 Audi A6 and

Audi A7 The Audi A7 is an executive five-door liftback produced by Audi since 2010. The coupé variant of the Audi A6 saloon/estate, the Audi A7 features a sloping roofline with a steeply raked rear window and integrated boot lid (forming the Sportback ...

were released. The Audi S6 and S7 are powered by a 4.0L DOHC twin-turbo V8 engine mated to a 7-speed S-tronic Double Clutch Gearbox. This engine makes and of torque, plus there is a cylinder-on-demand system and a stop-start system for improved fuel economy. This was later upgraded to for 2016. The 2013 Audi A8 shares the same engine, while the 2012

has a variant of the powerplant in a higher state of tune making and of torque, both mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Higher output versions of this 4.0L DOHC twin-turbo V8 engine are found in the 2013 Audi RS6, 2013 Audi RS7, and 2016 Audi S8 Plus. The V8 performance option for the regular Audi A6, found in the 2004-11 Audi A6 4.2 FSI, was discontinued and the S6 took over as the engine upgrad

The S6 thus compared more closely with the BMW 5 Series (F10), BMW 550i and Mercedes-Benz E550, which also used twin-turbo V8 engines and had available all-wheel drive. UK sales began in May, with a starting price of £53,995 for the saloon, and £56,050 for the Avant. File:Audi S6, IAA 2011, Frankfurt am Main (DSC03308).jpg, Audi S6 (C7) Front File:Silver Audi S6 C7 rr IAA 2011 (DSC03304).jpg, Audi S6 (C7) Rear File:2014 Audi S6 Avant C7 Typ 4G V8 4.0 TFSI S tronic quattro Facelift Cockpit Interieur Innenraum Arrasrot.jpg, Interior File:2014 Audi S6 Avant C7 Typ 4G V8 4.0 TFSI S tronic quattro Facelift Motorraum.jpg, Engine bay File:2013 Audi S6 (8404415948).jpg, S6 with

Adaptive cruise control Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is a type of advanced driver-assistance system for road vehicles that automatically adjusts the vehicle speed to maintain a safe distance from vehicles ahead. As of 2019, it is also called by 20 unique names that ...

radars File:Audi S6 Avant (C7) – Heckansicht, 7. September 2013, Münster.jpg, Audi S6 Avant (C7)

C7.5 (2015 facelift)

Audi unveiled the 2015 S6 facelift in November 2014. Changes include: * Styling tweaks to the car's exterior, engine line-up, transmission. * Latest Multi Media Interface modular infotainment platform (faster

Nvidia Nvidia Corporation ( ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and incorporated in Delaware. Founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang (president and CEO), Chris Malachowsky, and Curti ...

Tegra 3 Tegra is a system on a chip (SoC) series developed by Nvidia for mobile devices such as smartphones, personal digital assistants, and mobile Internet devices. The Tegra integrates an ARM architecture central processing unit (CPU), graphics pr ...

processor, improved graphics) including

handwriting recognition Handwriting recognition (HWR), also known as handwritten text recognition (HTR), is the ability of a computer to receive and interpret intelligible handwriting, handwritten input from sources such as paper documents, photographs, touch-screens ...

. * Audi connect

telematics Telematics is an interdisciplinary field encompassing telecommunications, vehicular technologies (road transport, road safety, etc.), electrical engineering (sensors, instrumentation, wireless communications, etc.), and computer science (multimedia ...

with 4G

mobile internet The mobile web comprises mobile browser-based World Wide Web services accessed from handheld mobile devices, such as smartphones or feature phones, through a mobile or other wireless network. History and development Traditionally, the World ...

(and mobile updates for the navigation map). * Adaptive glare-free

Matrix LED A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the device itself and ''headlight'' is the term for t ...

headlights. * Improved

Night Vision Assistant An automotive night vision system uses a thermographic camera to increase a driver's perception and seeing distance in darkness or poor weather beyond the reach of the vehicle's headlights. Such systems are offered as optional equipment on certa ...

can now recognize animals. * Both TFSI and all three TDI engines now meet the

Euro 6 The European emission standards are vehicle emission standards that regulate pollution from the use of new land surface vehicles sold in the European Union and European Economic Area member states and the United Kingdom, and ships in European ...

emission standard.

C8 (''Typ'' 4K, 2019–)

The Audi S6 C8 is powered by a 2.9 litre twin-turbo V6 TFSI gasoline engine, producing and of torque, allowing the car to reach 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. The engine is boosted by a 48V belt alternator/starter mild-

hybrid system A hybrid system is a dynamical system that exhibits both continuous and discrete dynamic behavior – a system that can both ''flow'' (described by a differential equation) and ''jump'' (described by a state machine, automaton, or a differ ...

, which can recover up to 9.4 bhp (7 kW). European models went on sale in summer 2019 and feature a 3.0 litre turbo-diesel V6 producing and of torque, accelerating the car to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. The car has a drag coefficient of 0.29. Both engines feature an electric supercharger or compressor, originally debuted on a diesel powered V8 in 2016 Audi SQ7 TDI. The 2.9 TFSI is the only Audi AG petrol engine known to have an electric supercharger. File:Audi S6 C8 at IAA 2019 IMG 0305.jpg, Audi S6 front File:Audi S6 C8 at IAA 2019 IMG 0302.jpg, Audi S6 rear File:Audi S6 Avant Monrepos 2019 IMG 1874.jpg, Audi S6 Avant front File:Audi S6 Avant Monrepos 2019 IMG 1881.jpg, Audi S6 Avant rear

References

External links

Audi UK S6 official websiteAudi S6 Avant dimensions
{{Audi vehicles timeline (North America) Cars introduced in 1994 2000s cars 2010s cars S6 All-wheel-drive vehicles Euro NCAP executive cars Executive cars Mid-size cars Sports sedans Station wagons Diesel hybrid vehicles