A6 Eyewitness Report

[ScharfR@aol.com]

Just got back from Geneva yesterday and thought I'd pass on my impressions of
the new A6.

It's sensational.

It may not be for everybody (thank god), but it sure is an impressive piece
of design work when seen in the metal.  The car has very strong visual
character and it comes off as an integrated design.  It's distiinctive, yet
very recognizable as an Audi.  It's an emotional design.  The whole package
is very tight, and the _most_ impressive thing is the overall impression of
quality and solidity.  It reeks of refinement.  No doubt in my mind that the
car can stand every comparison with the BMW 5-Series and M-B E-Class cars.
 In fact, I'd wager that many will find the A6 to be the superior car,
piece-by-piece and as a whole.

The interiors (3 different tactile/color/trim packages) are all beautifully
executed and coordinate well with the exterior.  Many clever design details
show the depth of thinking that went into the car (flip-out door pockets, L/R
climate control settings, fluid damped lids on storage compartments and even
the grab handles...).  And you wouldn't believe the interior roomiiness.  The
back seat is remarkably spacious for a car of this overall size.

Throughout the press preview days, the Audi stand was heavily populated with
journalists and (more telling) executives and representative of competitive
brands.  Bottom line of a lot of overheard conversations: A courageous
design, and a winner.

Many of you, and many in the real car-buying world, may find it a bit too
avant-garde.  There were even some less flattering words chosen by on-lookers
who were _not_ enamored of the design.  I suspect that's just fine in Audi's
estimation.  What the world doesn't need is another look-alike car.  Anybody
who really would prefer a more incremental approach to Audi design would
likely be happy with the new Passat.  Styling and design are always very
personal decisions, but cars that don't polarize opinions are likely to end
up as good second choices for a majority of buyers and nobody's favorite (who
ever buys their second choice?).  Given Audi's place in the automotive world,
it's probably important to be a fervent first choice for a modest-sized
clientele rather than a "nice car" in the eyes of the majority.

(Warning: Blatant opinion follows)
This will become a benchmark car, much as the first aero C-Class car was.  It
will be a design point-of-reference on how to do things right.  Like most
every real design departure I've seen over the years, this one needs to be
viewed in the metal to really gain a true impression.  Before I saw a real
TT, the pictures gave me some some serious doubts about its proportions and
harmony.  In 1:1 scale it works fantastically well.  Same with the new A6.
 The pictures give only a hint that it is radically different.  Seen in
person, it is a very persuasive piece of work.

Here's a comparison that puts it in perspective for me.  I find the new
Taurus a triumph of styling over design.  Compared to its predecessor, it's
heavier, less space efficient, more costly and time-consuming to build
(therefore more expensive) and it suffers from gratuitous styling cues which
seem to indicate that somebody told the design department that the secret to
the future was in ellipses.  Will it's design endure?  Will it be imitated by
others?  Not if reports of a hurry-up redesign at Ford are any indication.

By comparison, the new A6 is lighter, more space efficient, reportedly less
complex to build (despite enhanced content), and - while controversial - it
is already winning a lot of respect from industry peers.  Will it endure?
 Will it be imitated by others?  My money is on a "yes" answer to both
questions.