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.
The A6 I drove had the 255HP, 3.2-liter V6. Sure, it's the low-end engine, but don't be fooled. It certainly feels like more. Hitting red lights became one of my favorite things to do. It meant I got to blow everyone off the line, repeatedly. It also meant I got to hear the sweet reverberations of the engine as slipped through the gearshifts, repeatedly. Mmm-mmm good.
The power generated by this little V6 can be a little deceiving. You'll be cruising along at what must surely be 50 mph only to look down and see you're going 75 mph. Everyone who rode in the car during the week told me it didn't seem like we were going as fast as we actually were. A lot of that can probably be attributed to how smoothly the motor churns out that 255HP. It almost makes you wonder if your Mobile 1 has been secretly replaced with cream cheese. What's more impressive is that it's smooth through the entire range, not just modest cruising speeds. If 75 mph seems like 50 mph, triple digits feel like...uh, nevermind.
One person in particular was awfully impressed with how suave the power train was. I don't want to get anyone in trouble, but let's just say this passenger was a higher-up at a certain local agency whose mission is to protect and serve. I figured I wouldn't push the car very hard. Then this guy turned to me and said something along the lines of "Well come on man, do it." Oh. Allll-righty then. That was all I needed to put the windows up and drop the hammer down. Within a few seconds, the scenery was flashing by at an alarming rate and the car didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat. In the back of my head, I was secretly hoping we'd get pulled over just to see what would happen when my passenger got out. Assuming anyone could've caught up to us.
Of course, power is useless unless you can direct it. And God, can you ever. One night a neighbor of mine asked if he could take a ride in the Wünderkar. We zipped down a few roads that both of us drive on a fairly regular basis. The speed at which I was able to corner caused his voice to go up an octave or three. That is until he realized the car was handling it with great ease. At the end of the night he told me, "Oh man, I'll never forget that. I've never driven that road like that before. That was like riding in a slot car!"