Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first. The base price is $49,650, its as-driven number a steep $54,175. At highway speeds there is mild wind whistle around the outside mirrors and A-pillars. The radio – the same monolith found in the Audi S8 we tested earlier – has too many buttons, settings, etc. for a car with the speed potential of this one. Xenon headlamps are an option (part of the $850 Premium Package that includes heated front and rear seats, and a heated steering wheel), there is just one front cup holder, and the steering has a dead spot just off center. That’s it. Now for the good stuff.

Park this car in your driveway, and you’re guaranteed to take the subdivision’s beautification award. Audi designers have taken the starkly sculptural lines of the A6, added wide fender flares, and created an almost menacing surface that looks as if it was carved from billet. The look says “executive hot rod” without being arrogant.

The 4.2-liter V8 lives up to the body’s billing by adding a refined burble to the sound track and sending 300-hp through the quattro all-wheel drive system. While off-the-line performance is more than adequate, it’s when asked to pass that this combination really shines. Plus, an extended road trip showed the combination to be acceptably frugal, returning a solid 24 mpg, just one mpg below the EPA highway rating.

You’ll probably want to swap-out the high-performance rubber when the snow flies, but make sure the winter tires fit the handsome 17-in. five-spoke wheels. This way, the car’s looks won’t suffer, and the slot in the garage can be used for parking the car, not its storage. (Though you will have to find room for the “summer” tires.) That way you can revel in the A6 4.2 quattro’s road abilities year-round, and continue to enjoy a package we found to be tight, agile, fast, and capacious.