The Sport Wagon Enthusiast

 

If there was one car that could be credited for beginning the wagon renaissance in America, it’s the Audi Ur S6 Avant*. Sure BMW brought their E34 525i Touring here in 1992, but 189 horsepower is hardly inspirational. The S6, in stark contrast, was beyond inspirational, it was aspirational (figuratively and literally). Featuring a 227 horsepower turchocharged and intercooled inline-five cylinder (yes, of the ilk as the WRC-tested I5 used in the revolutionary Audi Quattro), the S6 was unlike any wagon ever seen on American shores. Of course the power is transferred to all four wheels via Audi’s Quattro system, but purists will be pleased to learn that a 5-speed manual was the only transmission option (tuners often swap this out for the Euro-only 6-speed manual). With it’s essential 258 lb-ft of low-end torque, the S6 Avant could scream (especially with a blow-off valve) to a top speed of 146 mph.

Audi only imported 300 of these uber-wagons to North America, so finding one isn’t always the easiest task, but we’ve been assured its quite worth it. UrS6 Avant owner Rob was adamant that Audi’s legendary I5 is “the only RELIABLE, EASY TO WORK ON high performance engine Audi has ever made.” Countless Audi fanatics have purchased newer B5 S4s and C5 S6 Avants, only to “go back” to the Ur S6 because of its accessibly reliability. One only has to take a cursory look at the 2003 4.2L V8-powered S6 Avant to realize why the Ur S6 Avant is so sought-after by enthusiasts.