AUDI S6 What was that?

And history will not forgive me - I had the wonderful chance to become the first Russian journalist to write about the Audi S6. This is really not a drop of cheap posturing - to dig extensive editorial archive, which collects nearly all Russian (and many of the world) automotive publication, but for loyalty and search sites on the Internet, has not detected any full-fledged story about this car, only scant novostiynye information - they say that there is such, completed a series of sporty Audi (S3, S4, S8) and was first presented last fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Even the "auto-review", which is known to his love-charged engines and extreme test conditions, was unable to get this car to your test. Well, get ready for the last time his thoughts and see what happens. Are you ready to meet one of the fastest cars in our region? Monolith, licked up the ideal of impinging jets of air, without a single unnecessary line. This left the impression of the appearance of the S6. Simple A6, which was also given a "favorite" to "contrast" does not look so unapproachable. Amazed at the sleight of some journalists central avtoizdany writing about such "metamorfoznyh 'cars - they say, can be beguiled by chance and some regular Subaru Impreza Turbo with its version of the same or Audi A4 with the RS4. Just say - by a wide low-profile tires on cast for two or three sizes larger than usual and to some spoiler only seasoned eye can tell the difference from the original source. But this is like a parachute dragging behind him a spy behind enemy lines. S6 vs. A6, it seems, in general, has changed only the most necessary for the smallness of his temperament - 255/40 ZR17 tires on five-spoke cast instead of 205/60 R15, increased for this reason that the arches and radiator grille for a more powerful engine twice. What little things, but good-natured business sedan took the form fighting dogs. Flea strokes and also gave a more determined expression of the muzzle. Stockade of vertical grille bars, chrome enclosed in a "frame" in the bumper - now there is an impression that something is missing, as in "normal" A6. Chrome-plated mirror housings (right and left are equal in size, while, as in A6 - right lower) and the spoiler-skirts on the bottom of the door, two exhaust pipes - this concludes visible from outside the list of differences from the "base". Back as "escalator" to perfidy is modest - not a single plate, revealing the essence of her brutal, and two pipes and can not be overlooked (because not four yet?). So it may happen that riding behind the driver for the Audi seem that his car stopped at a time when the driver steps on the accelerator S6, leaving the pursuer in complete bewilderment. Scarcely examined S6 outside, I first looked through a window in the cabin and frowned - "automatic". Arrogant fool! I do not think there is much we have these knowledgeable drivers who can manage such a machine, if it is equipped with a 6-speed manual, using more than half of the building. V-shaped "figure eight" in volume of 4.2 liters, stuffed with five valves per cylinder, produces at around 7000 rpm 340 horsepower. And the fact that some part of the population of the herd eats the "machine", just good. In addition, this automatic deserves special attention - it is firm with the ability Tiptronic sequential manual shift, which Audi has developed in collaboration with Porsche in the early 90's, thus becoming a pioneer of fashion now kind of like "machines". The same thing happened a decade earlier with the transmission Quattro. With this one can argue, but it was Audi is the first company who used four-wheel drive passenger car on a massive scale. Audi S6, equipped with Quattro, a whole ton of one-third heavier than the front-wheel drive Audi A6 with a 2.4-liter V-shaped "six" with the same Tiptronic, which served us a "starting point". In addition, rear-wheel drive consumed more than 100 liters of luggage volume useful, but it already seems overwhelming. In addition, the right sidewall trunk fit subwoofer, part of high-end sound system Audi Symphony, and the left-hand CD-changer for 6 CDs and a block of satellite navigation systems GPS, knobble antenna which settled down on the trunk lid. Well - Let's go to the salon. Of course, more than twice as expensive S6 packed thoroughly than the A6, where the fabric upholstery in the cell seems to contrast with noble leather frivolous. Nevertheless, both Audi Interior strict, just in S6 it richer. Both are full of console buttons, especially once they understand. Succeeded only in passing, to understand that one or the other split air condition system, audio system with simpler A6 - Audi Chorus with no CD. Incidentally, the unwitting pun audio - Audi is explained as follows - in the Auto Union (Auto Union) was once a member Horch (who owns one of the four rings emblem) that is consonant with the German horen - listen. For euphony that word later translated into Latin, came here and Audi. But back to the cars. Both have a switchable button electronic systems: the A6 - ASR ASR, at S6 - stabilization system ESP. Seats in the first, electrically in the longitudinal direction, the slope of the back - by hand, in S6, of course, all electric, the shape of the front seats comfortable rather than sporty. Business card of a sports car was tempered three-spoke steering wheel. In S6 it molded into the center of psevdostupitsa, as if bolted by bolts, and on the horizontal spokes of the buttons, "rocker", "plus-minus" to control the tiptronic, without removing your hands from the steering wheel. In a small steering wheel mounted airbag. In general, labels are dumb Airbag warning about how serious the car stumbles and look at them throughout the cabin - they are on the middle rack and even on the side of the rear seats. But this is cold comfort - at speeds of settlement of this machine, which can be seen in the marked-up the speedometer to 300, it is unlikely that even helps. Well, we got to the self ICDO exciting time in one hundred tick - run 8 cylinders and 40 valves in action. On turning the key on the display appears the German gibberish, derived alarming red, are reported either that everything is in order, or else nothing. Complete rotation of the key - highlighted the scale of the selector and sea temperature is -1 | C, a snowflake, apparently warned of the possibility of ice. Under the hood is barely audible zaklokotalo, but not threatening. At this point, I was still full of confidence and seemed ready to ride at once at once 340 horses, but the director of "favorites" was a more sensible and he took the place of the test driver, giving me a "navigational": "First withstand this test, we'll see on your condition. " Rolled out in conjunction with the A6 (that, of course, was a "slave") of the gates salon, choose the direction - toward the construction site of a new bridge. Focusing on the second ("Ready?"), "Test" makes barely perceptible motion foot, right foot. The engine roared, and a moment later, his power, passing through the stratagem of the transmission, where the mechanical locking Torsen interaxle makes sure that it was used with maximum efficiency is on all four wheels. I'm afraid I can not find strong enough words to convey what happened, and is unlikely to be able to play with confidence, because if it was. In any case, any attempt to describe what happened to me it seems verbiage - all this adrenaline, indentation in the seat and so on. Most appropriate, I think, to express the fragmentary phrases in the spirit of Japanese poetry awkward. Paralyzed for a second body, coldness in the legs, ears to the back tightens; reality somewhere outside the car, a hole in space ... But back to at least clumsy prose. Land to the turn, fortunately, was short, much shorter than it seemed before. Carefully so as not to ruffle the wrong movement unbroken beast rolled into the turn and dive back into the passing acceleration, compounded by the fact that this area is longer and with a gentle lingering left corner. No, this is beyond me, I'm not ready for such loads. And someone that is not enough - in fact in the department of sports cars, Audi RS6 model matures with the same engine, but turbocharged, whose power is far beyond the 400 power. Why? This can be endlessly and inconclusively argue. I just realized that control the dynamics of S6 with the manual gearbox lever podsilno drivers aerobatics and how much I am helpless with his wealth of practical driving even before the "automatic" option. And more reasonable than is fashionable, what is transferred to the steering wheel buttons that duplicate the manual shifting Tiptronic. Do I want to drive? Not sure. Upon arrival in the opposite direction decided to notch a stopwatch to clock hand to disperse the "hundreds." The pilot, since he has more experience, peripheral vision watching the speedometer - and report on them - 60, 80, 100 at about the speed with which you read these numbers consistently, 120, 140 - almost dropping the pace. Before the bridge was almost 160 - and this is the area only one-third mile, and not direct, but with rounding. The stopwatch shows - 5.9 seconds up to a hundred. Quite reliable results, according to factory data for S6 with ... manual, 98-m gasoline in the tank and, accordingly, an ace at the wheel. Tiptronic is according to the characteristics of eating a full second - 6.7 vs. 5.7 in the "mechanics". So for this method of measurement should be treated like a mathematics teacher in Georgia's schools, "Vano, as budet two plus two?" - "Fr." - "Yes, gde something like that, four-foot, but ne odynnadtsat." I can imagine what a stunning effect should produce a larger acceleration Audi S8, which is the "mechanics" accelerated by 3 tenth faster. Given that she is only 20 horses more, but weight, thanks to the aluminum body (here it is - truly a winged metal), even lower. So what, I repeat the question to myself - if I want to drive? Do you want to - or not, you should. Maybe, just first on the A6? Since then, and we had to start. And I realized what a mistake made by starting "with the sweet." After "eski" simple "six", it seemed, was not going quite as well if rolled down the hill, although the "measurements" have shown a good result - 9.5 seconds up to a hundred (at 10.4 through the factory data). I only left to establish itself in the view that the crackdown - by the impression value is nonlinear, and the body shiver ran only on the representation of what sensations at the start of some Lamborghini Diablo or a motorbike Honda Superblackbird or, God forbid, "Formula 1" . They write that in the first second in this case "goes out" vision due to impaired circulation. General impressions of A6 - no. What else can see, driving in two kilometer "end" of almost ideal pavement? On the gravel road owner decided not to go - the car must sell, and suddenly a stone will fly away or something worse? Well, how to work in such conditions? Well, at least warmed up - is now behind the wheel in the S6 with the excitement when you come into the office to the dentist or climb the ladder to the aircraft. Well, bless sinful ... Jim-jams suddenly walked quickly. And then I remembered that once even went to the Subaru Impreza Turbo, just ten minutes, but there is also a fact. More recently, allowed himself some liberties in the new Mercedes S500. And then it's time to peresevshemu jittery passenger seat director "Favorita." "Quiet, please." - "But I'm so not very." - "Yet, after thousands after all." But apparently, these disturbances were caused more by other considerations. With the passage of the same smooth rotation, I still feel about an episode - at some point force on the steering wheel as if turned off, as happens when the front wheels hit the ice. But for small deviations from a straight line of serious resistance was felt, apparently, created a wide wheels, the more I have A6 or a sensor failure or resistance is not observed. I'm not going to do about any conclusions - in the unenviable position of my best at all to keep quiet and think about, not whether to change jobs. But perhaps the greater difference between the A6 and S6, than acceleration, was the impression of inhibition. Brakes S6 devour speed with undisguised pleasure - just recalled how on television saw when I brake cables aircraft, sitting down on the deck of an aircraft carrier. I think if you push the pedal at full speed, the effect would be the same, but we were not wearing seat belts and check in practice this assumption, given the high status of the navigator, did not dare. On the A6 brakes are weak, but to compare them simply do not feel like, and correctly.