Tuesday 21st October 2014

Audi S6 Avant 5.2 FSI: Spotted

Supercar engine yet indistinguishable from a 2.0 TDI - stealthy speed never looked so good

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To offset a weekend of racing Caterhams and bagging his first ever goes in Ferraris and old 911s we sent Matt on an Audi A6 facelift launch yesterday. Amid the rep spec 2.0 TDI Ultras (doubtless on 21-inch S Line wheels and coming to a rear bumper near you soon, according to our Audi stereotypes bingo card) he should hopefully have also sampled the revised S6. "They still make an S6?" you may be asking. Indeed they do.

Think Ronin but for the school run instead

History shows that while RS models can blow hot and cold the downplayed S versions are often the discerning hot Audi of choice. And never did the lines of aesthetic conservatism and mechanical loopiness intersect so spectacularly as they did with the C6 generation S6. Yep, the V10 'Lambo' engined one.

In the initial press release on the car's launch at Detroit in 2006 Audi did acknowledge the link with the Gallardo's powerplant, the S6 actually predating the R8 V10 and therefore officially the first V10 powered Audi sold. It had a "5.2-litre V10 FSI petrol engine developed using Lamborghini Gallardo's 5.0-litre unit as its technical basis" according to that first introduction. But in truth the engine's lineage can be traced back to the Audi 4.2-litre V8s used in the RS4 and R8 (in 32-valve form) and in the S4 and S8 (40-valve). It shares these engines' bore and stroke, the S6's V10 more closely related to the R8's V10 and unit in the later direct-injected Gallardo LP560-4. It may lack the blunderbuss power of the turbocharged RS6 but that direct supercar link arguably makes it more exotic, especially combined with the boggo looks.

Smart interior? Check...

Before we get lost in engine designations it's basically a hell of a motor to find in a dark blue Audi A6 Avant, this one benefitting from a Milltek exhaust and small bit of tweaking to bump power from the standard 435hp to more like 450hp. Compared with modern Audi engines it's a peaky unit too, topline horsepower at 6,800rpm and its 398lb ft of torque demanding 3,000rpm before it comes knocking. That and the two-tonne starting weight probably blunt the edge of that headline-grabbing engine and make it feel slower than 0-62 in 5.3 seconds suggests but it should at least sound good trying.

And an Audi wouldn't be an Audi without yer official 'class leading interior' and the S6 branded, leather clad Recaros and discreet carbon trim certainly tick those boxes. Being an Avant it obviously has a giant boot too and were it not for the quad exhausts and special wheels nobody would give it a second glance. Even then few people would clock what it is, given the aforementioned and omnipresent 2.0 TDI S Lines handily have 99 per cent of the look, with about 1 per cent of the appeal. Rendering this supercar engined family estate all but invisible, and therefore even cooler.

Absolute anonymity, ludicrous speed - we like!

It's at this point your correspondent has to admit to absolutely zero first-hand experience of the V10 S6, beyond idle speculation that it sounds like a rather appealingly low-key way to go very fast indeed. As a four-wheel drive all-weather weapon for the approaching wintergeddon it appeals rather more than the Q7s pushier brand fans now favour (house!), leaving the S6 to those who look back on a day when Audis were the German brand of choice for those who didn't feel the need to shout about it.

A Proper Audi then; aesthetically understated, mechanically esoteric and relatively cheap to buy, if quite possibly completely ruinous to run. Respect due to anyone willing to do so though.

And if anyone can tell us what they're like to drive now's your chance...

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AUDI S6 V10 TSI (C6)
Engine: 5,204cc V10
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power (hp): 435@6,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 398@3,000rpm
MPG: 21mpg (And that's the official NEDC combined figure...)
CO2: 319g/km
First registered: 2006
Recorded mileage: 95,000
Price new: £56,600 (before options)
Yours for: £12,750

Original ad here

 

[The Don of Croy]

Wow. Thinking sub 13 grand for 450bhp...estate...AWD...auto...£500 road tax

What's not to like?

[Fastchas]

Even I'm beginning to believe I could afford to run that...(man maths FULLY engaged).

[Dr G]

Actually they're not too bad on running costs (other than the headline one).

Benefit of relative simplicity and being based on a very, very well made car.

[barryrs]

3 years into mine and im struggling to find anything that really takes my fancy as a replacement.

Biggest running costs are obviously fuel as i average around 20mpg and tyres at £260 each (2 years for fronts and 3 for rears). Discs and pads are pretty reasonable at circa £450 plus fitting.

Reliability wise its been sound with just one failure relating to the oil separator incorporating two-stage regulator which took a little head scratching.

The carbon build up issue of the V8 direct injection seems to be less of an issue in the S6 which is a bonus.

[CDC]

It claims 398lb ft in the article, but in the stats section is lists 272lb ft. Surely the latter figure is wrong?

[Dan Trent]

CDC said:

It claims 398lb ft in the article, but in the stats section is lists 272lb ft. Surely the later figure is wrong?

Oops, well spotted - that was the figure from the spec box template and it is 398lb ft. Now updated.

Thanks!

Dan

[Pablo16v]

article said:

if quite possibly completely ruinous to run.

Having read a number of threads on these in the Audi forum they are supposedly very reliable and not all that expensive to maintain. Fuel costs are obviously high, but having recently reduced the annual mileage on our second car to less than 4K this is the sort of thing I'm looking at.

[toppstuff]

Interesting that the car has done 95000 miles.

Given the original purpose of the engine was to power relatively low mileage-use super cars, is the engine OK for long mileages without a mahoosive rebuild needed at some stage?

[Dan Trent]

Pablo16v said:

article said:

if quite possibly completely ruinous to run.

Having read a number of threads on these in the Audi forum they are supposedly very reliable and not all that expensive to maintain. Fuel costs are obviously high, but having recently reduced the annual mileage on our second car to less than 4K this is the sort of thing I'm looking at.

Happy to stand corrected if you're willing to take the plunge - I was working on the daily costs rather than any implication they're not reliable to be fair. Buy it and we'll have you as a Carpool six months down the line and you can let us all know - deal?

Official NEDC mpg of 21 is pretty burly but then with big engines it's often more accurate than it is with superminis and last time we had an R8 V10 in I actually got 26.5mpg out of it bimbling around the M25 in 50mph traffic!

Cheers,

Dan

[Lee540]

toppstuff said:

Interesting that the car has done 95000 miles.

Given the original purpose of the engine was to power relatively low mileage-use super cars, is the engine OK for long mileages without a mahoosive rebuild needed at some stage?

It isn't, read the whole article

[Blown2CV]

Great Q-car and values will drop far faster than the RS6. However, this 'lambo engine' myth, I guess it has just too much momentum to stop! As I understand it, and this has probably been done over a hundred times on PH, was that Audi didn't use the Lambo engine, but they do share some development DNA?

wikipedia said:

There was also some speculation that the engine block of the original 5.0 litre Lamborghini V10 is closely based on the Audi 4.2 FSI V8, which Audi produces for their luxury cars. However, this was denied by AUDI AG, in their official documentation for their 5.2 FSI V10 engine, as used in the Audi S6 and Audi S8 - the Lamborghini 5.0 V10 has a cylinder bore spacing of 88 millimetres (3.46 in) between centres, whereas the Audi 5.2 V10 cylinder bore spacing is 90 millimetres (3.54 in). The cylinder heads use the four valves per cylinder layout favoured by the Italian firm, rather than the five valve per cylinder variation formerly favoured by the German members of Volkswagen Group - including Audi and Volkswagen Passenger Cars. It was later confirmed by Stefan Reil of Audi's quattro GmbH subsidiary that the new 5.2 litre Lamborghini V10 does share technologies with the Audi 5.2 V10 engine, as is evident by Lamborghini's usage of Audi's Fuel Stratified Injection, and 90 mm cylinder spacing.

[ESDavey]

Same vintage / mileage as my 2.7tdi .... It's getting old BUT still good for another 5yrs+

[P4ROT]

Glug, glug, glug...

[JulianHJ]

I was looking at these earlier in the year but ruled them out purely due to running costs.

Mustn't look at them again...

Edited by JulianHJ on Tuesday 21st October 12:25

[Dan Trent]

Blown2CV said:

Great Q-car and values will drop far faster than the RS6. However, this 'lambo engine' myth, I guess it has just too much momentum to stop! As I understand it, and this has probably been done over a hundred times on PH, was that Audi didn't use the Lambo engine, but they do share some development DNA?

article said:

But in truth the engine's lineage can be traced back to the Audi 4.2-litre V8s used in the RS4 and R8 (in 32-valve form) and in the S4 and S8 (40-valve). It shares these engines' bore and stroke, the S6's V10 more closely related to the R8's V10 and unit in the later direct-injected Gallardo LP560-4.

I tried but situation not helped by Audi initially trumpeting the supposed Lambo link. In fact it's of course the other way around - both the R8 V10 and the LP560-4 use the S6 engine! But that's probably not quite the marketing friendly version, eh.

Cheers,

Dan

[rodericb]

I was obsessing over one of those a few months ago and headed over to the US forums as they're usually a reasonable source of info as they do seem to find issues with cars quite easily. If i remember correctly they can have issues. I cant't remember what exactly but it's worth it to do your own research. The engine is a Audi v8 with an extra bank (which in turn evolved into what went into the Gallardo in later years) and the V10's have ten LED's in the daytime running lamps (5 each side)!

A nice machine and a i don't think we'll see a V10 in a sedan (or estate) for a while....

[r7ehw]

Liking this car a lot. I've just bought a 2.7 Bi Turbo Allroad as my budget doesn't stretch to the £12,500 more like £2,500 which is what I paid for it. Loving the power and smoothness of the Audi even if not loving the near 20mpg's I get around town. My car came with a full history and a folder full of receipts (All Audi!) and I have to say the servicing costs on these more top end cars can be fairly ruinous. Not to be undertaken likely, although if like me you don't mind spending on the inevitable big bills and fuel, then they make a fabulous way to travel.

I'll be looking for one of these in 4 years time when the price has tumbled to near banger money

[Fetchez la vache]

This *really* does float my boat. Haven't voted in ages, but it's a 10 from me.
I only wish I had the disposable to be able to run one, that being the reason I sold my last thirsty car...

[gumsie]

The Don of Croy said:

Wow. Thinking sub 13 grand for 450bhp...estate...AWD...auto…£500 road tax

What's not to like?

The emboldened bit is what I find hardest to stomach about nice cars these days. It’s the biggest single thing that puts me off a possible 6 year old CL63 a few years from now.

[Motorrad]

I had one over a weekend in the lakes. It was very deceptive, didn't really seem to do much but next thing you know it was prison grade speeds and you could see the fuel gauge start to drop.

I like them but I can't help feeling that most of the time you'd just lope along in it like I did at which point you may as well be sat in a dismal diesel.