Best valved exhaust for Audi S6, S6 Avant and S7 C7 V8

Your vehicle.

All our exhausts for this generation, version by version, are brought together on one page: Audi A6 / A7 / S6 / S7 / RS6 / RS7 C7 Valved Exhaust.

The S6 and S7 of the C7 generation are Audis with a double face: sedans and a wagon of great smoothness day to day, powered by a twin-turbo V8 that only wants to be heard. Three body styles share this engine, and a single Rog exhaust suits them. Here is what matters on your car before configuring it.

Body styles

S6 sedan, S6 Avant (wagon), S7 Sportback (five-door)

Years

Presented in 2011, arrived in showrooms in spring 2012, facelift in 2014, ended in 2018; the product page targets the 2013 to 2018 model years

Engine

4.0 TFSI: V8 of 3,993 cc with two turbos, housed with the intercooler between the two banks of cylinders

Factory output

420 hp and 550 Nm, then 450 hp and 550 Nm after the facelift

Drivetrain

Permanent quattro; seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic transmission; sport differential optional

Special features

Deactivation of four cylinders at part load, active noise suppression in the cabin

Tailpipes

Four, two on each side

Factory valves

Yes, linked to the Audi drive select settings

Three body styles, two phases

The C7 generation of the A6 received its S versions in autumn 2011: the S6 sedan, the S6 Avant wagon and the S7 Sportback, the latter derived from the A7 with its tailgate and five-door coupé line. All three were presented together at the Frankfurt show, with the same V8 and the same transmission, then arrived in showrooms in spring 2012.

The 2014 facelift touched up the bumpers, the lights and the equipment, and raised the V8 from 420 to 450 hp. The Rog product page targets cars of the 2013 to 2018 model years, before as well as after this facelift. The very first S6 and S7 models, produced in 2012, do not appear on it: for one of those, send us your VIN before ordering, we reply in writing.

Versions and factory power

At launch, the 4.0 TFSI of the S6 and S7 quotes 420 hp (309 kW) and 550 Nm, this torque being available over a very wide range, from about 1,400 rpm. That is what gives these Audis their continuous push, whatever gear is engaged.

After the facelift, the power rises to 450 hp (331 kW), delivered between 5,800 and 6,400 rpm, with unchanged torque of 550 Nm, now held up to 5,700 rpm. The difference is felt mostly in the revs; for the exhaust, both versions are treated the same way.

420 hp version from the factory

450 hp version from the factory

Stage 2: published figures with the front section and an ECU remap carried out by a tuner.

quattro and S tronic

All S6 and S7 C7 models are permanent quattro, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic transmission. As an option, the sport differential actively distributes torque between the two rear wheels, which helps these heavy cars turn in more decisively.

For the exhaust, neither the body style nor the drivetrain equipment changes anything: sedan, Avant or Sportback, with or without the sport differential, the same Rog exhaust fits, and your VIN confirms compatibility before manufacture.

The 4.0 TFSI, an inverted V8

The 4.0 TFSI is a 90-degree V8 of 3,993 cc. Its particularity lies in its architecture: Audi inverted the cylinder heads, with the exhaust inside the V and the intake outside, to house the two turbos and the charge-air cooler in the hollow of the engine. The gas paths are short, the response is lively, and the engine stays compact.

This same V8 powers, with other settings, the S8 of the same era and the RS6 and RS7 C7, which have their own product pages. On the S6 and S7, it comes with a management system that shuts down four of the eight cylinders at part load to reduce consumption.

Each turbo leads to a downpipe and its catalytic converter, which together form the front of the exhaust. The cat-back takes over to the four tips: it shapes most of the V8's voice.

Why the S6 C7 is so quiet

In normal driving, the S6 C7 stays very quiet, and that is intended. Several things contribute. The turbos, placed at the heart of the V, absorb part of the pulsations before they even reach the exhaust. The factory mufflers are sized for cruising. And in the cabin, an active noise suppression system picks up unwanted noises through four microphones and cancels them by broadcasting an inverse wave through the speakers.

Active engine mounts, electronically controlled, complete the arrangements against the V8's vibrations. The result is remarkable for traveling, much less so for those who like to hear their engine: the V8's rumble stays largely locked in.

The sound of a freed twin-turbo V8

A V8 has a naturally deep, pulsing voice, far richer than a six-cylinder's. On the S6 and S7, a valved exhaust opens the way: at idle, the rumble becomes deep; under acceleration, the rise in revs can be heard and asserts itself; on the overrun, clean crackles punctuate the S tronic's downshifts.

Two characters, one price: the straight pipe transmits the V8 without retouching, whereas the resonator lends it a rounder and slightly softer voice, well matched to an Avant that travels loaded or to an S7 that devours highways; in both cases, the exhaust keeps its sporty temperament.

With the valves closed, the S6 or S7 stays in a register close to factory: you cross a village early in the morning or drive hours of highway without fatigue, then you open the valves after the toll booth, when the road starts to bend.

Factory valves and Audi drive select

As standard, the exhaust of the S6 and S7 C7 has valves, whose position varies according to the setting chosen in Audi drive select, from the most comfortable to the most dynamic. The product page offers two ways to control them.

The Factory option keeps your valves: the Rog exhaust is delivered ready to receive them, your garage fits them there, and drive select keeps control. The Rog option delivers valves already fitted, controlled by a small remote and a control unit stored in the trunk: one press opens them, another closes them, and nothing changes their state in between, not even a switch from Comfort to Dynamic.

Outlets, tips and materials

The S6 and S7 C7 have four outlets, two on each side of the rear bumper, and the Rog exhaust keeps this layout. Three Rog tips are included to choose from, chrome, gloss black or blued titanium, and the S6 can also receive its exhaust without tips.

304 stainless steel gives the V8 a full low end and resists winter salt. Titanium removes about 40% of the mass for the same layout, brightens the note in the revs, and is tinted brushed, gold or purple at the same price.

What the product page covers

In addition to the cat-back, the product page offers the V8's downpipes, under the "Manifold" option: with 200- or 100-cell sport catalytic converters, or without catalytic converters, a version intended for the track. Without them, the S6 keeps its factory downpipes and catalytic converters.

The cat-back alone changes neither the 4.0 TFSI's management nor its 420 or 450 hp: it works on the sound. For more power, the downpipes must be accompanied by a remap, carried out by a tuner. Your exhaust is made from the car's VIN, and your garage fits it without welding or cutting.

Configure your exhaust.

How the exhaust is put together

On the S6, S6 Avant and S7 C7, the Rog cat-back attaches to the downpipe outlet and reaches the four tips: pipes, muffler and valves. The front section is these downpipes fixed to the V8's two turbos, with their catalytic converters, offered as an option on the "Manifold" line of the product page.

Each choice explained in detail, from sound to material: How to configure your exhaust.

Three recommended configurations.

• Grand tourer

  • Stainless steel
  • No manifold
  • Resonator
  • Factory valves

  For an S6 Avant that goes on holiday loaded: the V8 comes out of its silence as soon as drive select switches to the sporty setting, with a rounded voice, and the factory downpipes stay in place.

  View this configuration

• The V8 in the foreground

  • Stainless steel
  • 200-cell sports catalytic converter
  • Straight pipe
  • Rog remote

  For an S7 Sportback driven with enthusiasm: a more present rumble thanks to the catalytic downpipes, emissions control kept, and the remote to decide at any moment.

  View this configuration

• Sedan with character

  • Titanium
  • 200-cell sports catalytic converter
  • Straight pipe
  • Rog remote

  For a facelifted S6 sedan that wants the maximum on the road: titanium lightens the rear of the car and makes the V8's climb clearer in the revs.

  View this configuration

From order to fitting.

VIN, manufacture, delivery, fitting and warranty, step by step

Questions.

Further reading.

• All our exhausts for Audi A6, A7, S6, S7, RS6 and RS7 C7
• Exhaust for V8 engines
• Guide to the Audi RS6 Avant C7
• Guide to the Audi S6 / S7 C8