First A6 Sighting - Brief Critique

[Pete Kraus <Pete_Kraus@Emory.Org>]

I saw my first A6 in the flesh this past weekend.  Dealer had only one, a
Quattro.  It attracted a crowd the entire time I was there.  

What a fine-looking car!  Not as radical as expected from the photos. 
Maybe the A4 paved the way.  This one had a stunning leather interior
in a hard-to-describe color, terra cotta maybe, that was a refreshing
change from the more usual grays or tans found in dark green cars. 
The A6 upholds Audi's tradition of sweating the visual details.  
Aesthetically, we have a winner.   

Dynamically, in current U.S. spec it seems something of a let down. 
The road tests I've read reveal sub-par acceleration and suspension
calibrated toward the luxury end of the spectrum.  Definitely not aimed
at the hard-core enthusiast (of course, neither was the '84 5000 when it
was introduced with front wheel drive and, what, 110 hp?).  Probably
nothing a V-8 engine and concurrent suspension tweaks won't cure. 
Still, I can't help wondering why Audi doesn't follow BMW's example of
releasing enthusiast-oriented models at the same time as its more
sedate offerings.

Pete
Pete_Kraus@emory.org
Stone Mountain, GA
'85 4KSQ
'89 F250 4x4 diesel pickup
'95 Z28