markcincinnati

Well, I went to my long-term Audi dealer this morning and asked what "for inventory" S6's were on order. I was surprised that they "hadn't gotten around to that" yet. So, with the Sales Manager's (who has the password to the early ordering system, apparently) help I put on order:

2020 S6 - Prestige
Brushed Aluminum interior finish
Artic White
Arrus Red
Sport Package
- end.

The system produced a Comm# and marked the car as "sold order" with my name associated with it.

If the thing is "worthy" of being called an S6, my plan is to order a second car, similarly/identically configured in January, anticipating an early spring delivery -- due to the fact that you can't order one with UHP A/S tires (like the Mich Pilot Sport 3 A/S UHP tire.) I can enjoy the car with the summer only shoes for almost 9-months here in SW Ohio.

Of course, it may be love at first sight.

But, there's the chance the e-tron SB could be a better lover.

Who knows?

My dealer seemed genuinely pleased to have an actual configuration for their first S6 order for inventory. SM said, "if you want it, it's yours, if not, we'll sell it to 'whoever' wants it, this config looks like it will be beautiful."

I don't get enough sucking up from these guys.

We'll see -- day one: September 27th, 2019.

Corgiman

What did the wheels look like?

markcincinnati

I have no idea. I made certain, though, that the car would come with the "Standard Equipment" wheels and tires due to the aspect ratio (40) I was looking for in the tires. The optional wheels, also no photo, reduce the tires to a 35% sidewall, which would be "suicide" here in SW OH. I've bent wheels, blown tires, forked-up the wheel alignments, etc., so many times over the years, that I just don't go below a 40 aspect ratio. So, unless the wheels are hideous, I'll take the OEM standard S6 wheels. The last few wheels of the last few S6's have been acceptable to me, I'm "hoping" the trend continues.

I guess you could "estimate" what the wheels might look like if you go to youtube and see the pics of the new diesel S6 available in several videos. Perhaps AoA will select from the current Audi wheel program for the S6.

Wish I knew.

Corgiman

Looked on the UK website and S6 wheels look nice.

markcincinnati

I went to the UK site and the "5-arm" wheels are fine. If you live somewhere that has smooooooooth roads, go for the upsized wheels/tires if you like.

Our highways and roads are slowly improving, but it is just not worth the risk for a 1" larger wheel and a 35 series vs a 40 series tire. Our Q8 has 22" wheels with 285 x 40 series tires -- for some reason, the wizards at Audi can't (won't, actually) offer up a 21" wheel with a 40 series aspect ratio. I always figure when things are done that don't make all that much sense, well, it has to be because of the almighty "dollar." And, if that is the way they want to play it -- I'm just not going to lose any sleep over it.

I'm not going to go with AM wheels; it's bad enough that Audi won't permit those of us in extreme SW Ohio to order UHP A/S tires -- like the Pilot Sport AS+ 3's.

I do wish, too, that we could order factory tinted glass -- but, even so, it's just not bothersome enough to make me NOT get the windows tinted.

CHIO

ALSO no one makes A 21 inch all season tire in the correct size yet

markcincinnati

Well then, there you go.

CHIO

HAHA

markcincinnati

The OEM summer tires, my bet is, will have an effective lifespan of less than 15,000 miles. So, having said that, my approach would be as follows:

1. Put a car on order that represents my desired configuration (minus the UHP A/S tires) now.
2. Wait 90-100 days for the thing to come in.
3. Test drive the car -- better still, take it for a couple of days (unless we have a very early winter)
4. Assuming the car meets or exceeds my expectations, order another one just like it and wait another 90-100 days
5. Drive the "newer" S6 for 8-9 months into 2020 on the OEM summer-only tires
6. Shod the car with the UHP A/S tires from Michelin (and pay the $1,000+ to do so)
7. Enjoy the car for at least 50,000 miles.

The only thing that could change this approach, OK, the only TWO things that could change this approach:

1. The e-tron Sportback comes out with a BEV-ranage (EPA) of north of 250.
2. Some kind of "deal" could be constructed wherein I got to keep the first NEW S6 with the A/S shoes on day one.

Number 2 is an approach we've actually found workable previously. There are customers who, for whatever reason, will take (they want) the summer-only tires (with 'zero' miles on them) -- this would come with some negotiation (provided by the dealership) that would reduce the cost (for both parties) of getting exactly what they want. We did something like this with our first SQ5 (a 2014) -- we didn't want the OEM tires and another customer did, so, we ordered (from Tire Rack) the tires we wanted when we learned of our new SQ5's imminent arrival, then, when the car came in the dealer took its tires off and put on our new UHP Extreme Contact A/S tires -- handshake, tire swap, wham bam thank you sir (it wasn't a m'am).

Otherwise, see #4 above.

The dealer wants a couple of S6's on order, and my configuration was as good as any. In the Audi configurators it strikes me as "odd" that you can -- in many cases -- order a new Audi product with "HP" (not UHP) A/S tires with the car's top speed electronically limited to 130MPH. I know of no FACTORY authorized tire choice that would allow (US) customers to order the best possible UHP A/S tires (per Tire Rack), even though Continental, Michelin and Pirelli (and others) offer highly rated UHP all-seaons for Americans who live in the "deepest southern part of the north" where A/S tires, despite the fact that even though they are UHP are somewhat of a compromise, actually work as advertised.

I bought an S4 (not the one I currently have) with the all-season option and it came with Pirelli GT HP rated tires -- and a speed limiter. The speed limiter wasn't really an issue (I mean where, in greater Cincinnati, Columbus, Indianapolis or Louisville can you ever safely explore speeds like that?), but the tires were built for comfort NOT performance. Audi USA might make its customers "more satisfied" if they would go ahead and offer summer-pnly, HP and UHP A/S tires as a "configurable" choice. As I look on the showroom floor, probably 80% of the cars say "all-season tires" have been optioned on the car. Dealership says this makes for happier customers. There are two complaints that come to the service department from customers who (unwittingly) buy a car with summer-only tires: 1. Winter handling performance with their new all-wheel-drive vehicles; and 2. Tires that don't survive to the second oil change.

You and I know these "issues" are covered in the marketing literature and that the dealership makes an effort to INFORM the customers that summer-only means swapping tires (and wheels, too, perhaps) for the winter months, but the Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and Volvo dealerships generally make sure their cars are shod with A/S rubber to reduce customer complaints.

We, here on AW, may be -- and probably most of us are -- very cognizant of the impact of summer-only, HP, UHP A/S and winter tires. Perhaps, the "customers in general" are not aware of this and being Americans, most of us don't change tires twice per year (or at least we don't like the idea), unless we live in areas where there is virtually no choice. We here in flyover country Ohio (Columbus and south) are used to one, maybe two "snow days" annually. But, we do have a good bit of "cold" (days below 40F). Since summer-only tires give up the ghost at 45F, summer-only tires suck about 10-weeks of the year, here.

Perhaps with the flight south and to states like Texas and Florida, folks CAN and DO fine with summer-only tires. Those of us still willing to pay state income taxes (like we have here in Ohio), are A/S tire customers.

Computerized bills-of-materials would allow the customization of cars like S4s and S6s to include UHP A/S tires -- and, if they wanted, Audi could write some warning messages to the effect that MAXIMUM performance will only be obtained with summer-only tires.

I leave you knowing that I am often wrong but never uncertain.

amikep1@verizon.net

Order guide shows sport exhaust as part of the sport package. Any idea what that is?