Driving impressions: 2007 Audi S6 and S8

I made it back from my day of driving in one piece! No surprise, I suppose; both cars handled so well that they pretty much laughed off anything I had the cojones to try.

The S6 is the more raucous of the two; compared to the A6 on which it is based, it's much faster and has a lot more personality. While the A6's quiet demeanor belies its prodigious abilities, the S6 constantly tries to goad the driver into trying the next corner just a wee bit faster. The V10 engine is an absolute gem -- it delivers all the thrills one would expect from a 400-plus horsepower car.

The A8 is more subtle, but what's truly amazing is how precisely you can control this car. It's so nimble and small-car-like in its responses that it's easy to forget the Texas-sized back seat and trunk. Amazing.

Full reviews of the S6 and S8 will be coming soon; stay tuned. Tomorrow I'll sample the new A4 and S4 convertibles. There's also an RS4 floating around -- that's the small Audi sedan with a 420 horsepower V8, 6-speed manual transmission, and quattro all-wheel-drive. Not sure if I need to bribe or kill anybody to drive that one, but if my next blog entry comes from prison, you'll know why. -- Aaron Gold

Photo © Aaron Gold