Audi S6: the fast A6 from the C4 to the C8

The Audi S6 is the high-performance version of the Audi A6 executive car. It went on sale in 1994, shortly after the A6 name replaced the Audi 100, and every generation has had quattro four-wheel drive as standard.

Audi S6 at a glance

History of the Audi S6

C4 (1994–1997)

The first S6 was the old S4 renamed. When Audi turned the Audi 100 C4 into the A6 in 1994, the sports version changed its name from S4 to S6 with only new body cladding and badges. It came as a saloon and an Avant, and the procon-ten safety system was standard. The main engine was the 2,226 cc turbocharged five-cylinder AAN with 230 PS at 5,900 rpm and 350 Nm at about 1,950 rpm, good for 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds and 241 km/h. A 4.2-litre V8 with 290 PS and 400 Nm was optional, with a four-speed automatic and a six-speed manual. For its last year Audi built the S6 Plus at quattro GmbH: 326 PS, a six-speed manual and only 952 cars, 855 of them Avants.

C5 (1999–2005)

The second S6 arrived with the new A6 C5 in 1999. It had only one engine, the 4.2-litre V8 of 340 PS and 420 Nm, and it was sold as a saloon and an Avant; in North America only the Avant was available. A six-speed manual was standard and a five-speed tiptronic automatic optional. Compared with the A6 the springs and dampers were 30 per cent stiffer, the car sat 10 mm lower, the front overhang was 37 mm longer, and the bonnet and front wings were aluminium. Audi claimed 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds with the automatic; the manual car was quicker at 5.7 seconds, and the top speed was limited to 250 km/h.

C6 (2006–2011)

The C6 S6 was introduced at the Detroit show in January 2006, and production began in June. Under the bonnet was a 5,204 cc V10 with FSI direct injection, 435 PS at 6,800 rpm and 540 Nm from 3,000 to 4,000 rpm. It was the only engine, and the only gearbox was a six-speed tiptronic. The saloon reached 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and was limited to 250 km/h. Visually the V10 was marked by two rows of five LED daytime running lights on each side of the front bumper. A facelift followed in late 2008 for the 2009 model year.

C7 and C8 (2012–2025)

The C7 S6 arrived a year after the C7 A6, as a 2013 model. Its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 produced 420 PS with a seven-speed S tronic and cylinder-on-demand, and in 2016 the output rose to 450 PS. The C8 S6 of 2019 used a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 of 450 PS and 600 Nm with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system; in Europe Audi also offered a 3.0-litre V6 TDI of 344 PS and 700 Nm. The C8 generation ended in 2025.

Design and features

• quattro as standard: every S6 has permanent four-wheel drive, traditionally with a Torsen centre differential.
• Understated body: flared wheel arches, S badging and aluminium-look mirror housings separate the S6 from the A6.
• Ever larger engines: the range went from a turbo five-cylinder to a V8, then a V10 and back to a twin-turbo V8.
• Avant: the estate version was part of the range from the first generation.

Audi S6 versions

• S6 C4: 2.2 turbo five-cylinder of 230 PS, or 4.2 V8 of 290 PS.
• S6 Plus: the 1996–1997 model from quattro GmbH with 326 PS, 952 cars.
• S6 C5: 4.2 V8 of 340 PS in saloon and Avant form.
• S6 C6: 5.2 V10 FSI of 435 PS.
• S6 C7 and C8: 4.0 twin-turbo V8 of 420–450 PS, then 2.9 V6 twin-turbo of 450 PS.

The S6 is based on the Audi A6, and its smaller brother is the Audi S4. The even faster version of the same car is the Audi RS 6; more models are in our Audi collection.

Video: Audi S6, S7 – Audi mit Bentley-Motor

Video by AUTO BILD on YouTube.

Sources

• Audi S6, English Wikipedia: C4, C5, C6, C7 and C8 generations, engines and equipment
• Audi S6, German Wikipedia: C4 and C5 details, the S6 Plus and production figures