In the mid-’90s, Audi started to rename its cars from the former 80, 100 or 200 into A4, A6 or A8.
In 1994, the top performance model for the newly A6 range was named S6.

The first generation of the A6 was, actually, a facelift for the last generation of the Audi 100. It was already a modern car for its times, and one of the few vehicles on the market to offer permanent all-wheel-drive in a sedan. But the German car-maker pushed the things further and added a sport version: the S6.

There was the same base from the Audi 100, but there were plenty of upgrades to be done to the car. The S6 was available as a sedan or as a station-wagon. From the outside, there were minor changes when compared to the standard Audi A6 Only a few badges on the front grille and in the rear would tell the difference.

Inside, the car featured sport seats and leather upholstery. The standard features also included electronic climate control, on-board computer and a premium sound system. It offered enough room for the passengers, but the center tunnel needed for the all-wheel-drive transmission limited the leg-room for the passenger in the middle in the rear bench seat.

Under the hood, there was an inline-five engine, the same as the original Audi S1 rally-car. The turbocharged gasoline unit was replaced later with a naturally aspirated 4.2-liter V8 unit. While the 2.2-liter was available with a 6-speed manual (5-speed for the U.S. market) only, the V8 was fitted as standard with a four-speed automatic, and a 6-speed manual was offered as an option.