Tidefan73

Hi, all!!
New guy to the forum and to the world of Audi!

I'm looking at getting an S6 and was thinking of waiting until the 2018 came out, until I read a rumor that it might be a V6.

I know any answer would be speculation, but could there be any truth to it?

Wondering if I want to wait and see or drop the hammer and get the 2017 now. Decisions, decisions, decisions!

T-

Tinbad

I was in the same spot and it's not unlikely next gen S6 will get a V6 with all the downsizing. Audi did announce they've stopped development of their V8 engine and will source any from Porsche going forward. To me, it says they will narrow down the amount of models with 8 cylinders and that may mean it will be axed from the S6 also (RS5 is already confirmed to have a turbo 6). Hence I decided to pull the trigger on a leftover '16 S6. We, in the US, probably won't get the C8 until MY19 or 20 so I'll see what happens and until then pull a huge grim every time I drive it

the_duke

I agree with Tinbad. Going forward I suspect the V8 motor will be limited to the RS6, RS7, and S8. Might be an option on the A8. But I also agree we probably won't see it until 2019 but it could possibly happen in 2018 model year. Worst case you'll have to buy a leftover but still brand new 2017 if the 2018 is a V6.

Tidefan73

Thanks!! I'm leaning towards getting the 17 and not taking the risk.

Tinbad

Right, my reasoning behind MY19/20 is that the S will probably lag behind the A so depending if we get the A6 for MY18 or 19, the S will likely follow a year later.

Glisse

Your reasoning seems pretty sound to me.

As far as engines go, in 2015 Audi and Porsche entered an agreement to jointly develop Vee engines, with the new group arrangement called Konzern Vee Otto Motoren, or KoVoMo. Which simply translates to group vee gasoline engines.

The DNA of these engines is Audi, but the two power-train engineering departments have worked together (it should be said, forced to work together) to develop the latest evolutions that are now appearing. On top of the basic template, each marque then develops it own sauce - type of forced induction, tuning, etc to provide differentiation and model needs.The basic engine architecture had to work across both the MLB2 and MSB platforms (the two groups argued over the platform architecture as well, and Porsche's MSB on the new Panamera doesn't seem to have saved the promised weight).

So whilst a lot of the press, in Panamera reviews, are referring to the V6 TT as an Audi engine, and the V8 TT as a Porsche engine (the diesel V8 TT is just presented as the Audi engine with the EDC removed), the reality is that they are personalised versions of jointly developed engines.

What I had read is that these engine developments are the last discrete designs for stand-alone IC Vee engines. Not just Audi as you suggested, but across the whole group, the bulk of powertrain engineering resources and budgets are being moved to hybrid and electric.

But these new V6/V8 engines have substantial power potential. So they will be around for a while. It is looking increasingly likely that the V6 in at least TT guise will be used for the C8 S6 - I doubt whether they would introduce it in the C7. Producing about 440hp in the 4S, I would read a few of the Panamera reviews/first drives. More than one has commented that the V6 is a better drive than the V8.

And the V6 TT will appear first in the RS4, shortly followed by the RS5. These cars aren't due to appear until mid next year earliest, from what I understand.

Still, I'm a bit partial to the sound and feel of a V8 myself, so understand the attraction, even if a new C8 S6 V6TT is actually a quicker and better handling car, which I expect it will be. Although I have to say I think the sound and feel of the NA 4.2 V8 now sadly departed is better than the 4.0 TT, so its all relative.

For the OP, if by 2018 you mean the S6 going on sale in the US in April/May next year, I doubt whether it will be much different from the one going down the production line this week. The biggest change is that they are likely to replace the supercharged engine in the A6 with the (single, twin scroll) turbocharged KoVoMo engine that is being used in the S4/S5. The 3.0TFSI version of the A6 has already ended in many markets around the world other than the US.

gk1

I'd have to try the new 4S to see what the 440HP 2.9TT is really like but keeping power nearly the same as the current 4.0T for the S6/S7 seems weak unless they have something else up their sleeve to increase acceleration like a different gearbox.

m444

If the next gen S6/S7 gets a V6 TT, then it may also have the 48v mild hybrid auxillary electric power system with Valeo electric supercharger (cuts turbo lag).

DD1546

The Eurospec RS7 (RS6 also?) produces ~600 hp so reducing the displacement by 25% would produce ~450 hp. Makes sense. Putting in a V6 would allow the engine to be further back on the chassis, in principle. Is that likely? That would improve handling along with reduced engine weight. I really want to keep my V8 because it has to work less hard than a comparable V6 and, as an North American, I have a lifelong love affair with the V8. However, I really want the autonomous driving features likely to appear in the C8. Do you think the S8 sport will continue the V8? That's an alternative, though costlier.

Glisse

The C8 platform will be lighter. It has also been announced today that Audi will be using the V6 TT in the base model version of the R8. The article also mentioned the RS4, RS5, and an RS Q5 (which is a first) would be using this engine.

There was no mention of the S6 or S7 receiving this engine.

Audi R8 to gain 2.9-litre V6 entry model | Autocar

500hp and 500lb-ft is not too shabby for a relatively lightweight engine. But those sort of outputs are for the RS vehicles, they won't go silly on S vehicles. You can see with the B9 S4, performance improvement over the B8 was incremental.

I'd say the S tronic likely to be replaced by ZF8HP or similar when there is an engine change to the S6.