Power is there. Quick business in an Audi S6

Once upon a time, acceleration to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds was available only to Ferrari. Today, my car can boast such a figure — a huge business-class sedan Audi S6. Externally, it's an ordinary solid car, a typical resident of parking lots near modern business centers. Officials and entrepreneurs are usually driven in the back seat of such cars. I've confirmed — it's really comfortable in the back, but the main feature of the car is not that at all. The differences from the regular A6 are only in details, the most noticeable of which is the LED lights at the front. But just press the gas pedal harder — and you arrive at work 20 minutes earlier. Provided there are no traffic jams. However, unlike the first crazy Audi "projectiles" like the RS2 or RS4, the S6 doesn't try to pretend to be a modest family car bought on a five-year loan. You can't call this appearance modest — it's not like that at all. But still, the S6 is very similar to the standard "sixes": it looks expensive, but without much sporty flair. And that's rather a plus. Colleagues I met in the morning at the airport didn't notice anything special about my car. While we were loading suitcases into the trunk, they weren't bothered by the large wheels or the four exhaust pipes (some tuned VAZ can boast even more impressive ones). The seats with pronounced lateral support and carbon fiber inserts in the cabin also didn't raise suspicion. But when they saw the speedometer marked up to 300 km/h, they got suspicious — everyone quickly buckled up and started bombarding me with questions. I don't know which Audi engineer came up with the idea to put a Lamborghini V10 engine under the hood of the S6, albeit reworked — with an increased displacement to 5.2 liters and detuned to 435 horsepower. Previously, when people far from cars asked me what the S6 and RS6 were (which also had plenty of power), I had to explain for a long time. Now it's simpler: just say "Lamborghini engine" — and it's clear. Or you can just show how it accelerates. If you floor the gas, a chorus of screaming passengers adds to the roar of the engine. The main thing is not to go gray yourself when you glance at the speedometer after a couple of seconds. The acceleration is fantastic! But acceleration to 100 km/h, no matter how impressive, isn't the main thing. When you're driving on the highway at about 160 km/h, press the pedal, and you're pressed into the seat as if the speedometer showed 60 — that's truly something. The car accelerates equally briskly from almost any speed. Passengers just can't believe what's happening. And not only because they're not used to such fast cars. The Audi S6 performs all these tricks with almost exemplary comfort. The stiff short-travel suspension and low-profile tires surprisingly calmly handle our roads, smoothing out all bumps, and inside the cabin almost nothing is heard. An ordinary business-class sedan, in general. Throughout the trip, no one complained about discomfort, no one asked to "get out for some air." The only thing I heard was a quiet "wow, that's power" from the back seat. In the normal mode of the automatic transmission, the Audi S6 is indeed a normal business-class sedan. Well, maybe not entirely normal. After all, no gearbox, even the most "dull," can hide the temperament of the 435-horsepower monster under the hood. Although it tries — it shifts gears softly, caring for passengers. If you drive in this mode and don't race, the S6 won't differ from the regular A6, which costs almost half as much. But the car will show its true character as soon as you push the gear lever into the lower corner — where the letter "S" is drawn in blood-red. Before doing that, make sure there's no one in the car. Otherwise, the ride will become a serious ordeal for passengers. The slightest touch of the gas pedal — and the car jerks sharply; release it — and it engine-brakes. This makes passengers either bang their heads on the headrest or hang on the seat belts. And so — with the slightest, I emphasize, slightest press on the gas. The enraged gearbox responds to any touch of the accelerator with an instant downshift of a couple of gears, and all the power of the V10 engine is immediately transferred to the wheels. Without delays, with a huge and incredibly powerful jerk. No, this is not a well-mannered Mercedes-Benz CL500, which with similar dynamics would never hurt its occupants. The Audi S6 with the gearbox in sport mode is a real barbarian. But only for passengers. And for the driver, all these jerks are not discomfort, but part of a subtle, almost intimate communication with the car. The roaring beast Audi S6 literally anticipates my desires. The gearbox, it seems, shifts not in time with the movements of the feet — it feels like it reads my thoughts! The "automatic" doesn't restrict me in anything — responses are simply instantaneous, and there's no barrier between the engine and speed. And there's also a manual mode with paddle shifters... The S6 dives into corners so eagerly that at first you can't believe you're driving a heavy sedan with an engine hanging over the front axle. The tires cling to the surface to the last, and the quattro all-wheel drive system allows you to open the throttle fully even before the apex. By the way, the "charged" version of the Audi underwent serious changes — in the normal state, the torque between the front and rear axles is distributed not symmetrically, but with a rearward bias of 60%. This partly helps to overcome the understeer inevitable with such a layout as the S6's. And to what accompaniment all this happens! If you rev the engine to the limit, it seems like the apocalypse has come. The powerful roar coming out of the S6's four exhaust pipes shakes the ground and makes house windows tremble. And when an unstoppable flow of 540 Newton-meters of torque hits the flywheel, the cabin fills with rumble and vibrations, and the car squats on its side. But you're not afraid of this crazy orchestra; on the contrary, you want to listen to it again and again. So, if someone asks me if there are times when I want to drive the S6 calmly, I'll answer — no! Even in a dead traffic jam, I constantly put the gearbox in neutral and pressed the gas to once again listen to this devilishly beautiful ensemble of ten cylinders and four wind instruments. And, may the readers forgive me, this time I won't be able to say how the Bose audio system plays in the Audi S6 — I don't know! And why would you need it when there's this? And tell me, how, after the sound of this engine, after this acceleration, can you resist the temptation to slam the gas pedal to the floor as soon as even a small gap appears in the traffic? It's impossible. And as a last resort, there's also the stability control system. Moving around the city in this car is comparable to high-speed slalom — all other cars seem almost motionless, like cones between which you need to weave. But don't play around with this beast. At speeds this car provokes, a mistake can be fatal. And no airbags or EuroNCAP stars will work here anymore. Moreover, you don't feel the speed at all. BOSE audio system Advanced key keyless entry system — allows starting the engine with a button on the center console Electric sunroof made of tinted glass with sliding and lifting mechanism, automatic position adjustment, sun protection with smooth adjustment and closing via central locking Preparation for connecting a phone via Bluetooth, with hands-free function, base located in the center armrest TV tuner Folding hatch in the rear seat backrest with a bag-cover for long cargo Rearview mirrors with electric adjustment, heating, and folding Tire pressure monitoring sensor Adaptive cruise control: maintains set speed from 30 km/h and keeps distance to the vehicle ahead
Car provided for the test by
Audi of Russia.