Popping the hood of the 2013 Audi S6

stuffedbackseat

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The term “sleeper” used to be quite prevalent in the automotive industry to describe a car that packed surprising performance underneath a pedestrian exterior design.

Other cars in its same class, including the BMW M5, the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, and the Cadillac CTS-V, which are all a bit more flashy than the S6 greatly overpower it. The S6 has a mere 420 hp compared to the other 3 cars. The 2013 S6 is a perfect example of a sleeper though. However casual and conservative the car looks though, it packs quite a punch, boasting a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds, which none of those other three cars can do.

Here are some specs for how Audi managed to do this.
The 4.0L TFSI V8, codenamed the EA824 within Audi, is an extremely versatile powerplant that can be found making 520 hp in the Audi S8 or 500 hp in the Bentley Continental GT. In the brand new S6, its 420 horsepower is actually a step down from the previous generation S6, which used a sonorous but thirsty 435 hp 5.2L V10. Even with the extra heft and grunt, that previous-gen S6 could only pull off 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds. So here’s how Audi managed to drop 15 horsepower and 1.5 seconds.

While the AE824 lost 15 horsepower, it gained torque, from 398 lb.-ft in the 2007 S6 to 406 lb.-ft in the 2013 S6. Torque is what provides most of the initial lurch, and not only is there more of it in the 2013 Audi S6, but it’s also much more readily available. Peak torque is available from 1,400-5,300 rpm, meaning that the S6 can produce full strength very quickly and sustain it through the power band. That power comes even quicker when Launch Control is activated, as it was during the 3.7 second run.

So, what are your opinions on this new and improved 2013 S6?
I'm very impressed by what they've done to enhance their vehicle as much as they did.
 
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I think it's been on a pretty strict diet too, which has contributed to the faster acceleration time.
 
By diet I suspect you mean that it uses less petrol due to cylinder deactivation because it is a heavy car at 4400 lbs.
 
It's still much lighter than that old V10 isn't it? I know the extra intercoolers, turbo's etc probably add as much weight as the smaller, newer alloy engine will save, but the comparative C7 3.0TDI is a fair bit lighter than the C6 equivalent due to the extra aluminium used.

It seems pretty awesome, but I was more impressed with the potential of the A6 3.0TFSI... a mild tweak (pulley and intercooler) and it'll generate 420PS (and weigh even less).... and with a complete supercharger upgrade will be 500+PS :)