In last week’s 10K Practical Performance Edition, a question arose of what was the best ‘Bahn burner for under $15,000. My immediate answer was the Audi S8. It might not be as powerful as the E39 M5 or a slew of Mercs that are available for around the same amount, but the combination of the all-aluminum engine and space frame gives the large executive a smaller feel on the road – and with 360 horsepower, it’s no slouch. It’s also got a great all-wheel drive system; quattro purists don’t love the electronic differentials, but truth told on the fly they work reasonably well and you don’t have to muss and fuss. This isn’t a rally car, anyway. But it is a great looker – the interior and exterior are a beautiful combination of style and presence that few others match. There just aren’t any awkward angles on the D2 in my mind. So, today I’ve rounded up a few examples with the help of our reader, John. Ranging from a first run 6-speed through a last of the D2 2003 model, which would be your color?
Tag: Avus
Recently I’ve several times bemoaned the death of the fast Audi Avant on U.S. shores; one of the culprits that helped to hasten that demise was unfortunately this car. It’s not really that it’s consumer’s fault that this occurred; after all, Audi did offer a manual, twin turbocharged fast version of the Allroad alongside the S6 that made the lack of inclusion of a manual an odd choice. Plus, out of the box, the Allroad arguably had more bling with the air suspension and nifty color contrasting trim that was all the rage amongst wagon manufacturers in the late 90s/early 2000s. We’ll blame Volvo for starting that popular trend, though. Regardless, the Allroad was substantially more successful in regards to market share than the S6 Avant; no surprise, then, that it was killed off to the U.S. market after a shockingly short run with not many sold. A decade on, though, the S6 offers a rare opportunity to get into a fast Audi wagon on a budget. Many of the pitfalls of the Allroad and other period Audi wagons didn’t appear in the S6; the neat but fragile air suspension was replaced by steel springs, and unlike the Allroad and A6 4.2s, the engine in the S6 was a cambelt driven V8. Long term, they’ve proven to be more reliable than the rest of the 2000s Audi V8s that have chains instead. The S6 got some unique features too, such as the grill, 8″ wheels and door blades that gave it a slightly more stately and classic appearance than the rest of the A6 lineup. The result is that you can grab one of these fast and unappreciated Audis for a song today:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2002 Audi S6 Avant on eBay
14 CommentsThe C4 Audi S6 Avant is certainly one of the best packages Audi has ever produced as an all-around car; legendary reliability, tuning potential, all-wheel drive, go anywhere ability coupled with good classic looks in a versatile 5-door configuration. While I’d argue we didn’t get the best of the bunch with the S6+ Avant, most fans of the C4 love the AAN turbocharged inline-5 for its Group B soundtrack and grunt. Today, thanks to contributions from our readers Daniel and John, I’ve got a lineup of 5 different colored Avants; ranging not only the spectrum of color but also price. Which is the winner? Let’s start with the Emerald Green Mica example:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 Audi S6 Avant on Craigslist
12 CommentsYesterday, Adam at Fast In Fast Out posted an article covering some of the best vintage racing wheels. I love wheels, and it was fun to see Adam’s article – plus, it also got me thinking about another wheel roundup. Adam asked in his article what was missing – so I found a few that I thought where absent from the lineup but are always fun to see. There’s a set of mega-rare and mega-expensive Campagnolo racing wheels for early BMWs; boy, do they look impressive though! Then there were some great Audi S6 Speedline-made “Avus” wheels. Later models were made by Ronal, but the originals came from the Italian manufacturer. Speaking of, there are a set of the infamous and often-sought Pirelli P-slots for Volkswagens below. Then there is a wild set of Gotti wheels – in some cases, these were raced on factory Porsches as an alternative to BBSs. Check out the width on those rear tires!!! Rota has made some replica wheels recently of some great designs; these both copy the BBS race wheels but also mimic some MSW and OZ designs as well – and boy, are they affordable! Then there are a great set of Ronal R9s that mimic the ATS-made “Penta” AMG wheels; the ATSs are usually more valuable but harder to find. And finally, another set of Speedlines – this time a Techart set for Porsches that just look incredible (and, oddly tasteful for Techart designs). Which is your favorite?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: Campagnolo BMW 13×7, 4×100 Wheels on eBay
3 CommentsA few weeks ago I wrote up three rare-to-see colored S8s. If the S8 wasn’t already a bit of a special item to spot, seeing them in shades outside of the normal black or bright silver is a real treat. While I know that not all enthusiasts feel that the Audis of this generation are the most reliable or fastest cars (they’re not, I agree), the combination of the 360 horsepower V8 and that silky-smooth exterior create a really desirable package. The D2 is just right; well proportioned, a perfect stance, some great and unique properties like the Aluminum Space Frame design to keep weight down, and a luxurious and well appointed interior. The result? One heck of a well rounded packaged that is very affordable. Missing from the last roundup was one color that our reader John and I had been exchanging – the 2002-only color “Espresso Brown” – while we found two examples, both advertisements had disappeared by the time of writing. Well, today one is back with some new photos: