The new 580 HP 2009 Audi RS6 Sedan is a very exciting proposition, but for the rest of us there's this, the 2009 Audi A6 Sedan and Avant. Perhaps the most relevant additions are the new TDIe models which squeeze maximum efficiency from the 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine via modified transmission ratios, a power steering pump which operates only on demand, and an alternator capable of regenerating energy during coasting. Combined with subtle aero tweaks and a slightly lower ride height which make for a drag coefficient of 0.28, the A6 2.0 TDIe returns about 44 MPG. It's no slouch eitherActually, it is pretty dang slow. With a 6-speed manual it accelerateslimps from 0-62 in 10.3 seconds and tops out at 129 MPH. More details and full release after the jump.
We were enamored with the 2007 Audi A6 and have been anxious to see how Audi would tweak the svelte sedan for its 2009 facelift. Though not a major mechanical overhaul, this latest A6 gets a revised front fascia that includes lower, flared intakes inspired by the sporty Audi A5. Don't let the lack of obvious, checkerboard camo confuse you. Audi is still hiding some of the good stuff. Thankfully, the folks at KGP were smart enough to grab a closer shot of the rear taillights, which are covered in tape around the trunk area. This makes us think there's a continuation of that light design, perhaps closer in style to the Audi R8. Full spy report below the jump.
Why you should buy this car:
Buy this car if you want a large luxury sedan with impeccable fit and finish, cool toys and one of the smoothest powertrains you'll ever have the pleasure of piloting. When you order one, be very careful picking your color and wheels. There's a tan A6 with the base model wheels around where I live and it looks terrible. It was hard to believe we were driving the same car at first. The phantom black pearl effect paint job is the cream of the crop. Silver and Night Blue Pearl effect work pretty well too. For wheels, make sure you cough up another grand or so for the optional 18, or 19, inchers.
Why you shouldn't buy this car:
If you want a big, luxury sedan that can do 155 MPH or more, this is not the car for you. If you want a car that looks like its going 155 MPH while sitting still, this is not the car for you. Buyers looking for those things would be settling for the V6 model. Don't settle. Just sell a few more shares of your Apple stock and get the S6 or the BMW M5.
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Exterior Design: ***
It works and it doesn't. While this luxury sedan has nice, though moderately conservative, styling on the front and rear end, the A6's profile is something Ingolstadt must fix. It is this car's Achilles heel.
Interior Design: ****
The spot you conduct your asphalt assault from is a really nice place to be. The leather interior in the amaretto-and-black color scheme is highly recommended. The seats have several power adjustments, and six levels of heating help you settle in for your drive. When the sun sets, the interior starts to feel a little like an ultra lounge. The controls glow red while white accent lighting comes on under the seats and on the door panels. The overall fit and finish is of a quality most other OEM's should strive to match.
Within the first five minutes of my week-long test-drive of the 3.2-liter 2007 Audi A6, I was pretty sure a speeding ticket was on the way. Turns out I was almost right. Tearing down a road at a rate somewhat above the posted limit, I came around a bend to see a sheriff approaching me in the other lane. I knew I was screwed. But rather than pulling me over, he just motioned out his window for me to slow down. If you're reading this Mr. Understanding Sheriff Guy, remind me to buy you a beer.
Will diesels ever fill the performance gap with gas burners in the car-buying marketplace (and not just the Le Mans track)? Perhaps. The Kempten tuners at Abt say they've tweaked 300 horsepower from Audi's 3.0 TDI. It's a 20 percent increase from stock, by way of a supercharger and ECU remapping. It can turn under sevens in the zero-to-60 sprint, which isn't bad for an oil burner. Of course, we're waiting until Audi's V12 TDI starts showing up in these things. And not via Ingolstadt, either.
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We waited so long for our take-out order this past weekend, we'd have gladly ponied up six figures to buy the delivery dude a V10-powered Audi RS6 Avant. Of course if we had that kind of money lying around, we'd just buy one for ourselves and pick our order up. That is, if we could. Audi's yet to announce plans for a new RS6 Avant. But if spies are correct, this specimen, in autofocus-thwarting garb, will be it. Unnamed sources say we'll see the RS6 sedan and possibly its BMW M5 Touring-beating sibling at the Frankfurt show next month, sporting between 550 and 600 horsepower. [World Car Fans]
Apparently crashing a "Touareg 2" isn't the only bit of automotive hoonage from the upcoming new Jason Bourne movie. There's also this great clip of Film Actors Guild name-chanter Matt Damon, taking an Audi A6 off the roof of a NYC parking garage — and he does it all backward. You know, because doing it going forward is just too easy. Enjoy. [via 29MotoGuide]
Those lovable scamps over at Fast Lane Daily plugged some spy footage of the upcoming Audi RS6 into their midday newscast. Gathered by Automedia at Germany's Nürburgring, the clip shows Audi's answer to the Mercedes E63 AMG and BMW M5 in effect, its larger air intakes, the wider fender flares and rear diffuser giving away the goods. It's reportedly powered by the same V10 as the S6, but turbocharged to produce between 520 and 550 hp. We'll see the finished product at the Frankfurt show — which is shaping up to be a killer — later this year. Whether or not it causes the death of the RS4 remains to be seen. – Mike SpinelliMore »
The next Jason Bourne movie's been filming in the town where it's time to be a part of it, and Audi fan forum-site Fourtitude's all over it like Matt Damon on Ben Affleck. Or would that be Ben Affleck on Matt Damon? Who really knows for sure — the point is they're pointing us to the folks at aLive from New York who've taken some screen caps of Matt getting jiggy with a topsy-turvy A6. Enjoy. It's not Matt on Ben, but whatevs, it's car porn. – Ray WertMore »
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