Audi's A6 muscles up

By Alastair Sloane

Audi has beefed up its luxury A6 lineup by adding a V8 engine. The 4.2-litre powerplant is the same unit used under the bonnet of Audi's flagship A8 model.

Obvious telltale signs that there is more muscle in the car include flared wheel arches and side skirts, which give the vehicle a more aggressive appearance.

The use of 16-inch wheels, wider front and rear tracks and revised suspension settings, which lowers the V8 by 10mm in the front and 5mm in the rear, adds to the squat stance.

Less obvious is the redesigned front grille, bonnet and bumpers. The air inlets have also been reworked.

The V8 model uses aluminium running gear, which reduces the vehicle's unsprung weight by 10 per cent. The Avant variant also has self-levelling air suspension.

The current A6 range is powered by 2.4- and 2.8-litre V6s. The only models to get the V8 will be four-wheel-drive quattro sedans and Avant wagons. An optional 3.7-litre V8 for front-drive A6 models is available only in Europe.

The 4.2-litre unit uses five valves a cylinder and a three-stage variable-length intake system made of magnesium and designed to best utilise the engine's pulling power.

The engine produces 220kW pf power at 6200 rpm and 400Nm of torque between 3000 and 4000 rpm. Top speed is an electronically governed 250 km/h. The brakes, designed to match the car's higher performance, are ventilated discs on all four wheels.

Electronic backup systems, which should prevent the careless driver from going backwards through a hedge, include a stability programme (ESP), traction control (ASR), braking pressure device (EBD) and differential lock (EDL).

Passive safety devices include dual front airbags, side airbags in the backs of the front seats, and airbags mounted in the roof lining which, when triggered, inflate to cover the entire side windows of the car. As with all top-end luxury cars, the V8 Audi A6 comes with all the bells and whistles. Price of the sedan will be about $150,000. The Avant will be about $6000 more.