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The 'Audi A6' is a mid-size luxury car / executive car produced by the German automaker Audi. It is available in sedan and station wagon (Avant) body styles. The second generation A6 was also used as the basis for the Allroad. Its primary competitors are the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5-Series, Alfa Romeo 166, Jaguar S-Type, Lexus GS and Volvo S80.

Contents

C4 (1994-1997)

C5 (1997-2004)

C6 (2005-present)

Awards

See also

References

External links

C4 (1994-1997)

Audi's mid-size car was named the Audi 100 (or Audi 5000 in the United States) and saw three generations (C1, C2 and C3). In 1994, the latest generation (C4) of the Audi 100 was facelifted and re-badged as the A6, to fit in with Audi's new alphanumeric nomenclature (as the full-size A8 had just been introduced). The exterior was largely left unchanged from the C4 100, the same happening with chassis and engine and transmission choices. It was originally comprossed as the best car of its time
The new engines for the A6 were 1.8 20V, 2.8 30V, 1.9 TDI, and the 2.5 R5 TDI (140 PS), with the 2.3 engine being dropped on most markets. The S6's 4.2 V8 was uprated to 290 PS and a new 326 PS version was added (S6+ made by quattro GmbH).
Up until 1997, the A6 came with several different engines, two of them Diesel, and most of them available with Audi's quattro all wheel drive system. The A6 was also available with sedan and Avant bodies.
The C4 design was available with the following engines:

Engine	Cyl.	Power (PS)
1.8 20V	S4	125
2.0 8V	S4	100
2.0 8V	S4	115
2.0 16V	S4	140
2.3 10V	S5	133
2.6 12V	V6	150
2.8 12v	V6	174
2.8 30V	V6	193
S6 2.2 20V T	S5	230
S6 4.2 32V	V8	280
S6 4.2 Plus	V8	326
1.9 8V TDI	S4	90
2.5 10V TDI	S5	115
2.5 10V TDI	S5	140

C5 (1997-2004)

In 1997 the scene changed strikingly for the A6. With the introduction of an ambitious new design (C5) and a new pack of engines, the A6 moved up a notch and was positioned alongside the hegemonic BMW 5-Series and the solid Mercedes E-Class. The Italian redesigned body presented a very modern design with a dramatic fastback styling that set the trend for the Audi lineup and gave the relatively large sedan a very aerodynamic shell with a low coefficient of drag of 0.28. In 2000 and 2001, the fifth-generation A6 was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list. This new A6 presented itself with a wide range of engines and configurations. The crisp 30-valve 2.4 and 2.8 V6 engines represented the bulk of the A6's development programme, with a multitude of other engine configurations available throughout the globe. As an alternative to the manual transmission, a 5-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission was also available.
The C5 Sedan body arrived in 1997, and the Avant body in 1998 in Europe. In the US, the C4 continued for 1997, with the C5 sedan appearing in 1998, and the C5 Avant appearing in 1999. In Canada, there was no Avant (wagon) available at all in 1998 -- Audi dropped the C4 Avant at the end of the 1997 model year, and jumped straight to the C5 Avant in 1999 in conjunction with its release in the US. As a result of complying with FMVSS the North American models were equipped with front and rear bumpers that protruded several inches further than their European counterparts, with modified brackets and bumper suspension assemblies as result and child-seat tethers for occupant safety. In compliance with Canadian law, Canadian models received daytime running lights as standard equipment. North American C5 A6 models received the 2.8 litre, 30-valve V6 engine, the 2.7 litre, bi-turbo V6 (also found in the B5 platform S4), and the 4.2 litre 40-valve V8. The V8 models arrived with significantly altered exterior body panels, with more aggressively flared wheel arches, revised headlamps and grill design (before being introduced in 2002 to all other A6 models), taller and wider wheels (17x8"), larger brakes and quattro as standard.
The Audi S6 was a high-powered variant of the A6 line, featuring a modified version of the 4.2 engine producing 340 bhp. It was available as a saloon (outside of North America) and Avant.
In 2002 the A6 received a facelift with revised headlight and grill design, exposed exhaust tips, and slight changes to accessory body moldings and tailight color from red to amber in North American models. A new host of engines were introduced as well. The 1.8 L engine was removed and replaced by a 2.0 L powerplant with 130 PS (96 kW). The 1.9 L TDI was tweaked into producing a maximum of 130 PS (96 kW) and 310 Nm (228 ft.lbf), receiving a 6-speed gearbox in the process. The 2.4 V6 gained 5 extra hp and better balancing and the 2.8 V6 was replaced by a 3.0 L engine boosting 220 PS (162 kW). The turbocharged 2.7 L was given a tweak on the turbo resulting in 250 PS (184 kW) and 330 Nm (244 ft.lbf), controlled by standard quattro. The V6 Diesel was also slightly modified resulting in 163 PS (120 kW) (after the second modification) and 350 Nm (258 ft.lbf). A new more powerful V6 diesel was also introduced presenting 180 bhp and 370 nm. The 4.2 V8 engine which arrived in 2001 remained unchanged.
Also new was the revolutionary Multitronic drive by wire continuously variable transmission, available in most front wheel drive models in the lineup. All models, except the 2.0 petrol and 1.9 TDI, were available with Audi's four wheel drive system, quattro. A four wheel drive version of the estate with raised ground clearance and slightly altered styling was sold as the Audi Allroad Quattro, Audi's first crossover SUV.
Regarding this C5 generation, Car and Driver magazine stated, "''It is one of the most winsome mid-sizers to meet pavement, with some of the nicest handling this side of a BMW. In 2000, the moderate performance of this otherwise excellent, 3.0-liter V-6-powered, sedan was improved by the addition of two higher-performance versions: the 250-hp, 2.7T bi-turbo V-6 and the 300-hp, 4.2 V-8, both with Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system. In mid-2003, major muscle came along in the limited-run RS 6-powered by a 450-hp, twin-turbo V-8-which immediately finished first in a C/D comparison test''" http://www.caranddriver.com/cartrims/2004-audi-a6/audi_a6.html.


In the late years of the A6 C5 design, a monstrous limited-run Audi RS6 model was presented. Weighing 4229 pounds and producing a staggering 450 PS (331 kW) and 560 Nm (415 ft.lbf), it propels the A6 from 0-100 km/h in 4.8 sec and on to 200 km/h in under 17 seconds. In 2003, it was priced at $82,000 for the U.S. market. This model saw the end of the C5 design which was replaced in 2004 by a new model.
The C5 design was available with the following engines:

Engine	Cyl.	Power (PS)
1.8 20V	S4	125
2.0 20V	S4	130
1.8 20V T	S4	150
2.4 30V	V6	165
2.4 30V	V6	170
2.8 30V	V6	193
3.0 30V	V6	220
2.7 30V T	V6	230
2.7 30V T	V6	250
4.2 40V	V8	300
S6 4.2 40V	V8	340
RS6 4.2 40V T	V8	450
RS6 4.2 40V T	V8	480
1.9 8V TDI	S4	110
1.9 8V TDI	S4	115
1.9 8V TDI	S4	130
2.5 24V TDI	V6	150
2.5 24V TDI	V6	155
2.5 24V TDI	V6	163
2.5 24V TDI	V6	180

C6 (2005-present)

The new A6 (C6) was released in 2005. Designed by Walter De Silva, the new model is visually an evolution of the C5, but is longer (492 cm), incorporates the new Audi trademark grille and features more sophisticated technology. Most notable is the MMI (Multi Media Interface) which is a system controlling in-car entertainment, satellite navigation, climate control, car settings such as suspension configuration and optional electronic accessories through a central screen interface. This has the advantage of minimizing the wealth of buttons normally found on a dashboard by replacing them with controls which operate multiple devices using the integrated display. On the engine side the new FSI direct injection technology was introduced for the first time outside the race track. Although the line of engines represents the same progression as the former model, all engines were new. The Multitronic automatic transmission continues as an alternative alongside a new 6-speed Tiptronic gearbox available in the high end models. Quattro four wheel drive is available in most of the lineup, and standard in the most powerful models. Quattro is 'not' available on the Multitronic variants of the A6 but is available on the manual and Tiptronic gear systems. Conversely the Tiptronic system is only available on the Quattro variants of the car.
In 2005, the new Audi A6 won the World Car of the Year award.
Like the previous model, the A6 is available with other body options. The Avant arrived during the course of 2005, while in China, a longer version was introduced in the same year, named A6 L. The Allroad model made its debut in 2006 and as before is an off-road ready version of the Avant available with either a 2.7 or 3.0 diesel or a 3.2 or 4.2 petrol. The sporting S6 was introduced in the Frankfurt Motor Show, with sales beginning in early 2006. It is powered by a Lamborghini-derived 5.2 L V10 producing 435 PS (320 kW).
The C6 design was available with the following engines:

Engine	Cyl.	Power (PS)
2.0 16V TFSI	S4	170
2.4 24V	V6	177
2.8 24V FSI	V6	210
3.0 30V	V6	218
3.2 24V FSI	V6	255
4.2 40V/32V FSI	V8	335/350
S6 5.2 40V	V10	435
2.0 16V TDI	S4	140
2.7 24V TDI	V6	180
3.0 24V TDI	V6	225/233

Awards

The fifth-generation A6 was on ''Car and Driver'' magazine's Ten Best list for 2000 and 2001. The updated 2005 A6 won the ''World Car of the Year'' award for 2005.

See also

★ Audi S6

★ Audi RS6

★ Audi Allroad Quattro

References

★ "Audi's A6 4.2 'S-line' Breaks Cover", a VWVortex news story

★ "Paris Auto Show: New Engines for the Audi A6", an Audi AG news story
The following is a series, listed in order, of detailed information on various aspects of the sixth-generation A6 (the "C6") from VWVortex.

★ At a Glance

★ Design & Performance

★ Drivetrain

★ Audi Dynamic Suspension

★ Body Structure

★ Lighting

★ Comfort and Communications Electronics

★ Predecessors & Current Market

External links

★ Official A6 Microsite

★ Audi New Zealand: 100 and A6 official history