AUDI S6 and S7 CARS

Audi has a new mission for its S-series of performance cars: Instead of competing directly against high-enders like BMW's M-series, the S cars are aiming a bit lower. So how well do the S6 and S7 fulfill their objectives? Not well, as it turns out -- and that's a good thing.

The first thing the Audi folks told us at the press launch for the S6 and S7 was that they are dialing back the S-series. New S models, they said, would essentially be A models with big engines -- in other words, the S6 would compete with the BMW 550i and Mercedes-Benz E550 rather than the M5 and E63 AMG, while the big performance guns would be reserved for the RS models, only a couple of which (RS5, TT-RS) are available in the States.

Then they let us drive the cars, and I immediately realized that they had lied. They lied! Attention Pants Control, we have ignition.

If the S6 (or S7) is no more than an A6 (or A7) with a bigger engine, then I'm the King of Sweden*. Okay, it's true they could have turned the power up; the 4-liter twin-turbo V8 produces 420 horsepower -- a mere twenty more than BMW's 550i -- and 406 lb-ft of torque, and yet this same engine is set up for 520 horsepower in the bigger S8. But the connecting hardware is serious: The engine drives all four wheels through Audi's 7-speed "S-Tronic" twin-clutch automatic transmission, which delivers snappy shifts and instant power without the slushy feel of a traditional torque-converter automatic. And out back is Audi's torque vectoring rear axle, which shifts power to the outside rear wheel when the driver gets on the gas coming out of a turn.

Big power, big fun
All-wheel-drive grip adds a layer of safety
Reasonable pricing compared to the compeitiion
S6 and S7 are the new hot-rod versions of the A6 and A7
Price range: $72,795 - $98,120
EPA fuel economy estimates: 17 MPG city/27 MPG highway
Where built: Germany
Best rivals: Cadillac CTS-V, BMW M5, Mercedes E63 AMG