1995 Audi S6

I’ve made only one New Year’s Resolution this year – I resolved to listen to my gut instinct more. Typically, I scoff at such tomfoolery; if you can’t get it done the other 364 days, a little champagne and a dropping ball isn’t going to change your life suddenly. But a few weeks back I made a poor decision that I immediately regretted. On my normal perusing of the local Craigslist advertisements, I came across a 1993 Audi S4. It was Pearlesant white with black leather – not my favorite combination admittedly, but a classic ’90s Audi hue. It was a bit lowered but not overly so, riding on 18″ BBS VZ wheels. The miles were in check and overall condition appeared to be very good, with a short list of needs. But the kicker was that it was only 2 miles from my house; even better yet, the asking price was below $3,000. I stared at the ad for some time, and multiple times later in the day I went back to look at it. “I shouldn’t do it” I said, “I don’t need another car.” It’s true, I don’t – but there was just something about this that made me think I was going to regret not at least driving by to see it.

I was right. On Monday, driving my son to school, I spotted the immediately recognizably silhouette of a C4 Audi up ahead. Now, C4s around me – especially sedans – are becoming rare sights, since most are at least 20 years old. Even with legendary longevity, the crumbling residual values have meant that many have disappeared into junk and scrap yards. But here was a pristine looking Pearlesant White example ahead of me. Despite the several hundred yards in between us, I also noted instantly that it was lowered and had large wheels. Getting closer, my eyes darted to the discrete S4 badge adorning the trunk, with an even more discrete “quattro” badge to the right. Like Ahab navigating a sea of mediocrity, the subtle S4 stuck out like a brilliant white star on the horizon. I let that car slip through my hands, and I immediately regretted it:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 Audi S6 on eBay

Year: 1995
Model: S6
Engine: 2.2 liter turbocharged inline-5
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 187,000 mi
Price: Reserve Auction

Original silver paint is in great condition overall. It has normal blemishes that come with a 19 year old car. A few small door dings and touch up spots, paint has swirls on hood/trunk.
Black Recaro leather interior is in excellent condition, no rips in seat bolsters. Floormat’s and headliner are perfect.

Engine
-Full RS2 euro spec ~375HP
-RS2 turbo/manifold/cams/injectors/MAF/pressure regulator
-Apikol 2.0 ignition coils
-Samco Boost Hoses/Vanjen clamps
-Stage 3+ ECU chip upgrade ~25# of boost

Exhaust
-3″ Stromung Turbo-back Exhaust

Drivetrain
-5-speed transmission
-Ceramic clutch, forgot brand
-Apikol Short Shifter
-Apikol Rear Diff mount
-Apikol Poly snub mount/crossmember mounts/etc

Suspension
-Custom Eibach coilovers
-Revalved Bilstein sports (+10% compression, +30% rebound)
-Have Apikol/Hap big rear sway bar

Brakes
-Bira/Porsche stage 1 red front brakes w/ceramic pads
-Stainless brake lines

Lighting
-Euro spec headlights H1 bulbs
-Hella Clear Corners

Interior
Stock Bose stereo w/10 disc changer, 3 extra magazines

Wheels/Tires
-Porsche cup wheels 17×7.5 et35 wheels
-Continental DWS tires 235/45/17
-Original Audi 16×6.5 wheels with Dunlop Wintersports

Misc
-Apikol billet rear sway bar brackets included (not installed)
-New OEM lower door trim
-Have some original parts from change over
-All heated seats work
-Have all work/parts receipts
-Steering rack replaced
-New A/C-heater blower motor

The list of upgrades to this 1995 S6 is certainly impressive, and if you’ve never been behind the wheel of one it’s easy to underestimate how the inline-5 delivers that power. Memorably, my wife drove my cousin’s MTM-chipped S6 home from a ski trip and we drove the sag-wagon full of skis and injured souls in a Suburban. I told her “watch your throttle input” as we left; in typical fashion, she laughed at my paternalistic statement considering she is admittedly quite a good driver. A bit later on when the road from the ski resort hit two lanes, in also typical fashion she sped by – later at the gas station filling up, she confessed that the boost came on so strong that she had nearly rear-ended us and described full-throttle as “violent”. This car has a host of suspension and brake upgrades to help deal with the additional power, along with maintenance items that are usual Audi problems like the heater core motor that squeaks and the steering racks that leak. The seller list the Porsche Cup wheels – which are actually likely Mille Miglia copies or the like, since no adapters are mentioned and the Porsche wheels run a different bolt pattern, but also mentions the 16″x6.5″ wheels – which I presume are the pictured Speedline-made Avus wheels, actually 16″x7.5″ in size. Otherwise, this car looks like a really strong C4 example that is likely to make the next owner very happy. Unsurprisingly, given the list of work completed the bidding is already higher than the S4 I mentioned earlier; but still, this car will remain a bargain compared to a typical M5 or 500E. If you’re in the market and like the silver/black combination, don’t do what I did – don’t let examples like this slip through your fingers.

-Carter