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Audi A6 spy shot


The A8 flagship has broken free this year and, despite a growing emphasis on spin-off cars like the A5 and A7, the German company is going all-out on the new A6.

Test mules have been running for more than a year but now Carparazzi has first pictures of the real thing, running on the road in Germany.  Its sources point to a major shift for the next A6, which will cut its ties to the Volkswagen Passat. Instead, it is being developed on Audi's own modular aluminium chassis.

The most-obvious visual change to the new A6 is a different treatment to the nose, with angular new headlamps, but the Carparazzi pictures also show everything from new door handles and side mirrors to a cabin with a more-rounded look.

The camouflage stickering, similar to the design used by BMW on its prototypes, also cannot hide a slightly more aerodynamic shape to the
A6 body.  The engine range for the new model should include the supercharged 3.0- litre V6 and a new 4.0-litre V8 Audi is currently working on. 

Sophisticated TDI motors will be part of the range, too.  Two new transmissions will also be fitted to the new A6 – an eight- speed automatic and a seven-speed dual clutch.

Production of the A6 should begin in the first half of 2011 at Audi's Neckarsulm factory in Germany, pointing to Australian sales in the final quarter of next year at the earliest.