Audi S6: Lamborghini in Sheep's Clothing

Audi S6: Lamborghini in Sheep’s Clothing
Price as tested: $83,265

How do you address your need for speed when you have a family and a mortgage? Consider the Audi S6 sedan, which combines the brute force and neck-snapping speed of the $225,000 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggerawith a relatively stealthy, family-friendly package.

Audi owns Lamborghini, and the S6 – the performance-enhanced version of Audi’s mainstay A6 sedan – comes with a version of the 5.2 liter V10 monster that rumbles inside the Gallardo. The Audi version brings 435 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque to the party, couples it with a six-speed Tiptronic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive, and dresses it so discreetly that only teenage boys will know you’re packing heat.

That big V10 jets the nearly 4,500 pound S6 from zero to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, and purportedly cruises to an electronically limited 155 mph. I drove the S6 at about half that speed through the Berkshires of western Massachusetts on challenging roads with steep grades and hairpin turns. Most cars can’t handle those roads at 50 mph, let alone 80 mph, but the S6 climbed like a monkey on steroids and hung on for dear life. The S6 handled dry pavement as well as my favorite sedan in this class, the $119,000 Maserati Quattroporte.

Inside, the S6 was serene. All Audis feature superior cabin aesthetics, but the S6 ups the ante with Nappa leather seats, the same steering wheel you get in the Lamborghini, and a beautifully stitched dashboard. There was virtually no outside noise, save for the satisfyingly throaty exhaust note.

Outside, brushed aluminum trim, 19-inch wheels, and “S6” badging identify the car’s enhanced capabilities to those in the know. The bold sky blue paint job on my test car was probably another giveaway to the cognoscenti, but I didn’t attract any undue attention from law enforcement.

Not surprisingly, the S6 is easier to get into and out of than the low-slung Lamborghini, and one suffers no ill effects from a long day of high-speed cruising. Back seat room is ample for two adults, and the trunk is huge and flat.

The Verdict: If you’re a performance driver looking for a weekday commuter and weekend beast with real room for passengers and their stuff, you can’t beat the Audi S6 at anywhere near its price.