SUBSCRIBE TO THE
MAGAZINE NOW
Facebook-f Instagram

Weekly Motor Fix: the 1995 Audi S6 with an unknown future

20 September, 2016

It’s become so common to see 1.8-litre front-wheel-drive A4s with the letter ‘S’ smeared and scrawled from boot lid to bumper with the requisite 19-inch alloys and chopped springs, you’d be forgiven for thinking something has gone wrong for Audi along the way. There was a time, not too long ago, where the ‘S’ was reserved for something just a bit special.

In the not-too-distant past, the ‘S’ was less of a marketing exercise, more race- and rally-inspired luxury. It all began with the Audi S2 Coupe in 1990, which was followed by the first S4 powered by the same 2.2-litre inline-five engine derived from the legendary Audi UR Quattro. 

This engine also served as the base for what will surely go down as one of the best automotive collaborations in history, and quite possibly what opened the door for two brands to go in opposite directions from their bread and butter. With the introduction of the RS2 in avant form, Audi realized there was a market going begging; those who wanted insane power with the ability to transport potted plants in the back.

Time has shown that continuing down this road has taken Audi to new heights in the luxury sports car market with three iterations of the RS4 and RS6 having now been staples of the ultimate garage for some 15 years. For Porsche, it proved that there was demand for their speed focus in a family-friendly shell. At this time, discussions around a full-blown SUV must’ve begun and ultimately culminated in their business-saving Cayenne.

The next car to be released in Audi’s ‘S’ range was the brand’s first foray into the big exec market — the S6, replacing the S4. At the time of the S6’s release, there was a whole new world of performance cars for those equipped with a cellphone and an impressive collection of brogues.

BMW had the simply awesome E34 M5, and Mercedes was also getting in on a bit of Porsche action with the 500E having just rolled out of the Porsche factory as the RS2 arrived. The S6 utilized the S4’s 2.2-litre engine paired with a five-speed manual gearbox, putting out 169kW (230PS; 227bhp) at 5900rpm and 326Nm (240lb·ft) at around 1950rpm.

This engine gave the S6 good performance with a top speed of 235kph (146.0 mph), and 0–100 kph (62.1 mph) in 6.7 seconds, with 160kph (99.4 mph) coming up in 17.5 seconds.
 
This particular car is owned by renowned Onehunga drummer and light-bulb designer Sam Douglas. Sam was introduced to this vehicle by a friend of his who knew the previous owner, who had owned it since new. Sam had recently sold his stunning 190E 2.3 16v Cosworth, and required something with as much pedigree performance in a similar condition.
 
The S6 now serves Sam’s daily-drive duties, but he has plans to turn her into a concours car, or potentially a drag car. “I think I’m going to look at rebuilding the engine from the ground up and bringing the paint back to as-new condition, or put a hemi under the hood and go to the drags,” says Sam. “Failing that,” he continues, “I’ll just keep driving it, and eventually it’ll be one of the most desirable cars on the road.”

Right on Sam, thanks for coming out.

NZ Classic Car magazine, September/October 2026 issue 407, on sale now

16 August, 2026

We love bugs!
A bit of TLC that became a major restoration
The 1302S, or ‘Super Beetle’ as it became known, was built for two years before it, too, was replaced by a further-enhanced Beetle, the 1303, continuing an amazing 65-year lineage for one of the World’s best-known shapes.
The world’s best-selling single-model vehicle, the VW Beetle, possibly established another record for the amount of controversy it has created since the inception of the Type 1.
In a meeting with Hitler in June 1934, Ferdinand Porsche was contracted to build a ‘People’s Car’ that could accommodate two adults and three children, was air-cooled and simple to maintain, and could cruise economically at moderate speed along Germany’s proposed new Autobahns.
Our feature car, a 1972 1302S ‘Super Beetle’, was found by Dave and Michelle Dickie in Mosgiel a few years back. It was a runner, but like most VWs of this age, it needed a little TLC. They were looking for a daily driver for Michelle when they first came upon the VW being sold locally on behalf of its owner.
“The owner offered it to his grandchildren, and they didn’t want it, so he got the guy out at Mosgiel in the Mobil petrol station to sell it for him, and he put it on Trade Me for them. We never met the owner, and we were always dealing with the guy at the petrol station. We put a bid on it, and we were the only people that bid on it.”
Their bid was eventually successful, eight years ago. Not knowing much of the history, in situations like that, it’s always a risk buying a car, but they were in for a bit of a surprise.

The other Q car

12 August, 2026

Say the word ‘bond’ to anyone in the street and around 80 per cent straight away think of pop culture’s least-secret secret agent. The other 20 per cent may think of the wad of cash required to secure a flat or hire equipment that one gets back providing the fixtures and fittings stay much as they were.
However, mention ‘bond’ in specialist classic car circles and people will spin a very different yarn. If you dig deep enough, you will find an eccentric British carmaker that, throughout its 23 years in business, spawned some quirky and charming little cars.
The company was founded by Paul Sharp in 1922 under the name of Sharp’s Commercials Limited. However, the company did not start producing cars until 1948. The first car to carry the Bond name was the Bond Minicar. A three-wheeled, soft-top, two-cylinder eco car, the Minicar was a big hit at the time as the desire for an economical urban runabout that didn’t attract four-wheel car tax was strong in post-war Britain. All in all, 34,285 Minicars were produced over 26 years in a variety of variants.