2002 Audi S6 Avant; Mom never had it so good.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)

Audi's S6 Avant doesn't make bones about being a crossover this or sport/utility that. It's a station wagon, straight up. Even if you feel compelled to stereotype, don't count out this utilitarian mommy-mobile's rubber-burning potential. The S6 Avant screams.

Consider: eight cylinders, 4.2 liters, 6.5 seconds. We'll wait to fully test the car for ourselves, but Audi's claim of 6.5 seconds from 0 to 60 mph would make the 4024-pound S6 Avant quicker than the BMW 540i Sport Wagon we tested in 1999. Only 32 pounds heavier than the Audi, the Sport Wagon turned in a best 6.61 seconds.

The secret to the S6's speed lies with Audi's 4.2-liter V8, its dohc and five valves per cylinder pumping out 340 hp at 7000 rpm. The V8 turns out plenty of low-end grunt, too, with 310 lb-ft of torque peaking at 3400 rpm. This engine makes getting up to speed and cruising in the left lane equally pleasing propositions.

Several modern-tech touches coax 81 hp/liter output from this engine. The magnesium intake manifold uses variable intake paths to broaden the torque curve, boosting the low end without sacrificing high-speed performance. Variable intake timing adjusts valve overlap to further optimize torque delivery. Cramming 20 valves onto each head helps the engine breathe deeply, while roller cam followers reduce frictional losses.

All that power gets shuttled through a Tiptronic five-speed. It upshifts smoothly, almost invisibly, even at high revs, but downshifts could be more responsive.

Power makes up only part of the S6 Avant experience. As an ``S'' performance car, handling also gets a decent makeover. Its all-aluminum front and rear suspension-four links with upper and lower control arms, struts and antiroll bar up front and upper and lower control arms with coil-over-shocks and antiroll bar in back-erases 24 pounds of ...