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After the legendary run of turbocharged inline-5 motors ended for U.S. customers in 1995, Audi would not deliver another S6 to these shores until 2002. When it arrived, it came in only one form – the popular Avant package. While many rejoiced that this was at the very least an option, it was still pretty expensive and not everyone loves the fast five doors (crazy though it may seem!). But Audi came very close to offering S performance in the special package which was the A6 4.2 quattro. There were many variants of the C5, and ostensibly the 6-speed manual 2.7T was the “sport” option for the chassis. But the top of the heap 4.2 40V offered you the ART/AWN V8’s torque and 300 horsepower with instant throttle response starting in 2000. Underneath the 4.2 carried a special aluminum subframe. Additionally, the all-aluminum engine was joined by specially flared fenders and hood in aluminum, “door blades” that would later be seen on S models, plus optional 17″ x 8″ Speedline (later changed to forged and polished “Fat Fives”) wheels and upgraded brakes and pads. Suspension was lowered and stiffened with the 1BE sport springs and struts in the optional Sport Package; a 20mm drop was accompanied by 30% stiffer springs, 40% stiffer shocks and larger sway bars. The combination gave a menacing appearance to the C5 that wasn’t really present in the narrow-body 2.7T. Today, the argument over which is the better chassis still rages in multiple fora, and while tuners usually love the twin turbo manual option, many others prefer the velvet hammer 4.2 which really was a defacto S6 sedan Audi never brought here:
Yesterday on our Facebook page, I asked whether Craig’s 500E was more desirable than the S4 I wrote up earlier in the day. The response was pretty overwhelmingly in favor of the W124, even though the S4 undoubtedly represented a better condition car for less money. Well, the C4 isn’t going to give up without a fight, because there was one pretty serious trump card that the platform offered compared to its Stuttgart-based rival; you could get a wagon:
The Audi C5 chassis was a unique time when the American market got virtually all of the options that were available in other parts of the world. There were many different engine configurations; starting with 2.8 liters and working its way to 3 liters was the naturally aspirated V6 in either sedan or wagon form. Stepping up a notch got you twin turbos on the V6, which could be had with either a manual or automatic gearbox, again in either sedan or wagon form (albeit only in Allroad configuration). The Allroad introduced a concept pioneered by Volvo and Subaru and was hugely successful if hugely complicated, with an adjustable air suspension meeting a host of other electronic gizmos. V8s were optional as well, in the widened and lightened near-S-specification A6 4.2 sedan, or as we see here the full fat S6 Avant. Turn it up a notch further and you could twin turbocharge the V8 and get your 450 horsepower jollies in a RS6, though we only received the 4-door. Granted, we did miss out on some great TDi configurations and the V8s came as automatic only, but simply the option to have the 340 horsepower wagon was a novelty at the time. I, like most die-hard Audi fans, was both mystified and disappointed by the C5 S6 Avant. With no manual option and the much hotter RS6 only coming in a sedan, it felt like even with the plethora of options available that the top-of-the-heap Avant wasn’t really all that could be offered. Expensive and overshadowed by options cheaper that were nearly as quick but more gimmicky (and basically looked the same), they didn’t sell particularly well – but most were coveted by those that bought them, and when they do arrive to market they’re usually a far cry from the tired look most C5 Avants have assumed:
One of the more amazing custom vehicles I’ve come across in my time writing here is also one of the most discrete. Upon seeing this Volcano Mica Audi Avant, most would probably dismiss it as just another S6 – but the secret identity of this wünderwagon lies beneath the subtle exterior upgrades. Not only did it start life as a mild-mannered A6, but the conversion to an S car went one step farther than normal in mimicing the European-market S6 Plus. The creation is unique, impressive, and semi-inexplicably still for sale today, some 6 months after I originally looked at it:
The below post originally appeared on our site December 15, 2015:
Though they may not generate the gasps and pleasure groans of the RS models Craig and Andrew wrote up last week among enthusiasts outside of the brand, classic Audi fans in the U.S. still regard the original S4 and S6 one of the best models produced by the company. Indeed the S6 Avant has gained notoriety as a “Holy Grail” for fans of the marque here, as it offered the ultimate development of the C4 chassis and inline-5 coupled to analogue all-wheel drive offered in this market. Only a few hundred of these wagons made it here, increasing the mystique and desirability of the package. Both of today’s examples are presented in the defacto signature color of the C4, Emerald Green Mica (Smaragdgruen Pearl) with Ecru leather and both have been turned up a notch from stock. The first example has all the wizz-bang completed, while the second has been maintained and is ready for further upgrades. Which is the one you’d like?
