AUDI A6 OK it’s a Wrap Amidst scenes reminiscent of the Eurovision Song Contest, Audi gave journalists around Europe a sneak preview of the brand new A6 due to be unveiled to the public at the Geneva Motor Show on 2 March. At 7.20pm on 16 February chairman of Audi AG, Dr Martin Winterkorn, pulled the wraps off the car in Berlin whilst a satellite link-up saw a co-ordinated unveiling in London, Stockholm, Milan, Paris and Madrid. Family Auto ReUnion The London premiere took place at the Audi Forum, the brand’s central London showroom in Piccadilly where various Audi personnel led by Ralph Weyler (Board Member for Sales & Marketing) and including departmental heads Claus Potthof (Exterior Design) and Dr Horst Glaser (Suspension & Drivetrain Development) took part. However it was Johnny Herbert at the wheel of the sleek blue machine when the curtains were pulled back. Both he and Audi returnee Alan McNish were in town for the event before jetting off to Atlanta the next morning in order to put in some pre-Sebring testing with Audi UK’s R8. McNish, incidentally, is delighted to be back in the Audi fold likening it to a family re-union. Bells & Whistles The new A6 follows the theme shown with the recent new A8 that has been accepted as the sportiest car in its class – this is very much the way Audi want their cars to be seen. It comes with quite a choice of petrol and diesel engines, the range topped by a 335bhp 4.2-litre V8. Transmission is via a choice of six-speed manual, six-speed tiptronic or variable mulitronic automatic transmission. Needless to say, quattro permanent four-wheel drive is on offer too. The driving experience is intended to be sporty too, via the well laid-out cockpit, with a lot of effort going into the suspension design whilst stiffness of the bodyshell has been further increase. |
John Elwin |
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