2016 Audi S6

When the current generation of the swift, sexy Audi S6 was first launched for 2013, it and the A6 sedan on which it’s based secured a spot on our 10Best Cars list. Then they did it again the next year. While other, newer vehicles have supplanted the mid-size Audis on our 10Best list, the S6 nevertheless has improved for 2016, with a styling update shared by all A6 derivatives and the addition of another 30 horsepower under the hood.

That brings the pony count of its twin-turbocharged, direct-injected 4.0-liter V-8 to 450, available from 5800 to 6400 rpm. (This means the S6 now officially outmuscles the previous-generation S6, which was motivated by a Lamborghini-derived 5.2-liter V-10 with 435 horsepower on tap.) Torque, however, remains pat at 406 lb-ft from 1400 rpm. The extra muscle didn’t seem to make a difference when we took the 2016 S6 to the track, though. In fact, this car was a touch slower than the last S6 to which we strapped our measuring devices, with the zero-to-60-mph run taking 3.9 seconds, versus the previous car’s 3.7. Blame the additional weight that has piled on since 2013—this particular test car carried 134 more pounds than the last one. Still, these are damned impressive numbers for a car that weighs nearly 4400 pounds.

On the road, the S6 is more than just fast in a straight line. Equipped as ours was with the optional S6 Sport package—which brings adjustable steering effort, a reprogrammed rear-axle torque-vectoring system, and a sport exhaust (which we’d love to be even louder)—nothing seemed to upset the S6. It is brisk, precise, and solid in sweepers, while the standard adaptive air suspension affords it a calm and supple freeway ride in its Comfort setting. Auto and Dynamic modes are notably firmer. Fortunately, the standard Drive Select system allows for the individual tailoring of powertrain, steering effort, and ride characteristics. Even in the chassis’s firmest settings, however, tighter corners serve as a reminder that the S6 is no dainty petunia—and that a fair chunk (57 percent) of its weight sits atop the front axle. We noted moderate understeer while pulling an impressive 0.92 g on the skidpad (with the optional summer rubber).

The S6’s styling updates are fairly minor, basically involving reconfiguring the head- and taillamp innards with nifty jet-age cues but nothing to make the car stand out any more than before. Our test example featured Audi’s optional 20-inch wheels—a $1000 upgrade—but even that doesn’t elevate the car to head-turner status. And we suspect that might be fine with a good many S6 drivers, once they realize how fast this car is. Some attention is fun, after all, but not all attention is desirable.

As with most Audis, the exquisitely assembled interior of the S6 is as antiseptic as an operating table, especially at night when cold white LED lighting blankets the cabin. Yet its premium feel is beyond reproach, and special S6-specific touches like the firm yet supremely comfortable diamond-quilted seats and racy carbon-look dash trim afford it a sense of occasion that helps to justify the price. The MMI system remains one of the best infotainment setups in the business, and for 2016 it is enhanced with 4G LTE data streaming, INRIX online traffic information, Apple Siri Eyes Free integration, and internet-radio streaming.

At $80,775 as tested­—hardly chump change, but still fairly reasonable compared to a BMW M5 or a Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG—the S6’s value in the segment is matched only by Cadillac’s similarly priced, 640-hp CTS-V. If there’s anything missing here, it’s character. This is the kind of performance sedan that wins more minds—and yes, comparison tests—than hearts. It will be interesting to see how the S6 fares over time, however, as it eventually faces off against the Caddy and upcoming stormers like the 505-hp 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and the 2017 Mercedes-AMG E63, both of which we expect to be rich not only in power but in character, too.