1997-2005 Audi A6 review
In 1997 the scene changed strikingly for the A6. With the introduction of an ambitious new design (C5) and a new pack of engines, the A6 moved up a notch and was positioned alongside the hegemonic BMW 5-Series and the solid Mercedes E-Class. The Italian redesigned body presented a very modern design with a dramatic fastback styling that set the trend for the Audi lineup and gave the relatively large sedan a very aerodynamic shell with a low coefficient of drag of 0.28. In 2000 and 2001, the fifth-generation A6 was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list. This new A6 presented itself with a wide range of engines and configurations. The crisp 30-valve 2.4 and 2.8 V6 engines represented the bulk of the A6's development programme, with a multitude of other engine configurations available throughout the globe. As an alternative to the manual transmission, a 5-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission was also available.