Still, the S6 has a healthy 429bhp, almost as much as the last RS6, and will cost �55,330 (�1270 more for the Avant) when UK deliveries begin in July. That price is not a lot more than the �50K for the RS4, which has marginally less power - 414bhp from its high-revving V8 - and there's arguably more kudos to driving a fast Audi with the Gallardo engine under its bonnet.
That's not quite what you're getting, though. Audi describes the 5.2-litre V10 as a 'derivative' of the Lamborghini's V10, and in fact the 5.2 shares very few components with the 5-litre Lamborghini unit, the only significant shared parts being the drivetrain for the four camshafts. The reason is that the Audi V10s are built at the same factory as every other Audi engine, which, for economies of scale, has been configured to produce engines with a common 90mm bore spacing. The bore spacing of the Gallardo engine is 88mm. This is how the Audi V10 ends up with a different cylinder block, a new crankshaft, different pistons and new camshafts, while the more restricted engine bay, plus Audi's desire to give the engine its FSI direct injection, result in bespoke induction and exhaust systems and a new sump.
It's a new engine, then, and a marvel of packaging. Lift the S6's bonnet, walk to one side and stand level with the centre cap of a front wheel. From here you can see that the whole of the V10 is ahead of the front axle line. Having 220kg of engine hanging out beyond the front axle isn't the best starting point for a dynamic drive. The problem with adding more cylinders isn't simply the weight, it's that the further forward the weight is, the greater its effect on weight distribution.
