Audi A6: how the Audi 100 became an executive car

The Audi A6 is an executive car that Audi has made since 1994 and that is now in its sixth generation. It is the successor to the Audi 100, and Audi’s internal numbering treats the A6 as a continuation of that lineage, from the C4 of 1994 through the C5, C6, C7 and C8 to the coming C9.

Audi A6 at a glance

Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Audi A6.

History of the Audi A6

From the Audi 100 to the A6

Audi’s executive car had been called the Audi 100, or the Audi 5000 in the United States, and was released in three generations known as the C1, C2 and C3. In 1994 the latest of them, the C4, received a facelift and was renamed the Audi A6, to fit Audi’s new alphanumeric naming scheme after the A8 had just been introduced. The exterior changed only slightly compared with the C4 Audi 100: there were new front and rear lights and a new radiator grille, while the chassis and engine and transmission choices were carried over. The United Kingdom was the first market to receive the A6, because stocks of right-hand-drive Audi 100s had run out there before the rest of mainland Europe.

The new engines for the C4 A6 were a 1.8-litre 20-valve four, a 2.0-litre eight-valve four, a 2.6-litre 12-valve V6 and a 2.8-litre 30-valve V6, and the 2.3-litre five-cylinder unit was dropped in most markets. Diesel buyers could choose a 1.9 TDI four or a 2.5 TDI five with 103 kW. Most of these engines were also available with Audi’s Torsen-based quattro permanent four-wheel drive, which enthusiasts regarded as the better choice for handling and consistent all-wheel drive. The A6 came as a saloon and as an Avant estate.

The first S6

With the C4 A6, Audi revised the car previously known as the Audi S4 and renamed it the Audi S6; the S4 name was later reused for a different model based on the smaller A4. Because this was the first S6, it is often called the Ur-S6, from the German word ursprünglich, meaning original. It was sold as a saloon and as an Avant in Europe and the United States, and as a saloon only in Canada, Asia and Australia.

From its launch in late 1994 the S6 was powered by a 2,226 cc turbocharged inline five-cylinder petrol engine with Bosch Motronic engine management, producing 169 kW at 5,900 rpm and 350 N·m from about 1,950 rpm. That gave the car a top speed of 241 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds. Audi also offered a 4.2-litre V8 with 213 kW as an option over the five-cylinder turbo, and the V8 cars came with a four-speed automatic as standard while keeping quattro four-wheel drive; a six-speed manual was available as an option.

The S6 Plus

As a farewell to the C4 platform, Audi’s performance subsidiary quattro GmbH built the S6 Plus for the 1997 model year only, with production running from June 1996 to October 1997. A total of 952 cars were made, 855 of them Avants and 97 saloons. The engine was a 32-valve 4.2-litre V8 reworked to produce 240 kW, and the only gearbox was a revised six-speed manual with a final drive ratio of 4.111. The suspension, brakes and wheels were revised too, with larger front discs of 323 mm and standard 8Jx17 Avus alloy wheels. The S6 Plus saloon reached 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds, and the Avant a tenth of a second later.

Design and features

• Quattro four-wheel drive: Torsen-based permanent all-wheel drive was available on most engines.
• Two bodies: the A6 was sold as a saloon and as the Avant estate from the start.
• Executive positioning: the A6 replaced the Audi 100 above the A4 in the range.
• Performance versions: the S6 name replaced the S4 on the C4 and brought a turbo five and an optional V8.

Audi A6 versions

• A6 C4 (1994): the renamed Audi 100 with new lights and grille.
• S6 (1994): the first S6, with a 2,226 cc turbocharged five.
• S6 V8: an optional 4.2-litre V8 with 213 kW and a four-speed automatic.
• S6 Plus (1996–1997): a 240 kW V8 limited to 952 cars.
• Avant: the estate version offered alongside the saloon.

The A6 is the model behind the Audi pages of the FAW collection, where the Chinese-built cars appear next to the Volkswagen Jetta and the FAW Vita.

Sources

• Audi A6, English Wikipedia: C4 generation, S6, S6 Plus