Audi A6 Designer Lessons

The next morning, we test-drove the A6 through the coastal redwoods north of San Francisco. As for performance, the powerful V–8 felt strong and sure-footed, but I was more impressed with the new V–6, a 3.2-liter jewel with cutting-edge direct-injection technology and 255 horsepower—less than the V–8’s, but thirty-five more than the previous V–6’s. The V–6 feels more agile and lighter up front than the V–8, and its base price is $41,900, or $10,000 below the V–8. The new body, 34 percent more rigid yet lighter, and a new six-speed automatic transmission, equip the A6 for battle in the hotly contested mid-luxury category against BMW, Mercedes, Acura, Lexus, Cadillac, Volvo, Infiniti, and Jaguar.

We stopped at a coffee shop, and I overheard Badstuebner talking to a woman with whom he had been riding. “Step back,” he said, as he gestured toward the space between the right front fender and the top of the arching wheel opening. “You see here, in certain light, how the reflection forms a Z? I worked for weeks to get that reflection exactly as I wanted it.”

It was as if I was hearing Picasso fully explain his reasons for each brushstroke of a painting. It is impossible to not be impressed when you learn of the emotion and energy the designer put into every line.

Every time I see a new A6, I admire those contours anew. And from the side, I no longer see any resemblance to the first Saturn. No, it definitely is the cross-section of a wing.

Reach John Gilbert at jwgilbert.com. He talks new cars with Charlie Boone on WCCO AM–830 Saturdays at 7 a.m.