while trying to accelerate from stop. The second gear comes on almost instantly (i.e. it barely stays in first) and that gearshift followed by a shift into third creates a sort of jerkiness. This only happens when I try to accelerate at a relaxed pace. Hard/moderate or really slow acceleration is fine. Also, no matter which mode I'm in, if I go WOT the car will always change gears at about 6K, it never hits the red-line. Other that issues above which sound like programming issues to me, the car is perfect.

I've had the car over 2 years now, and it still happens from time to time, but not very much. I don't know if it is me adapting to avoid it, or the car adapting. Same thing happens in my Land Rover Discovery II.

As you get more mileage on the car you will begin to notice that it becomes a lot more responsive. Most of us 3.2 owners here on the A4 boards have commented on this, and others have said it on the A6 forum as well. There is no confirmation, but some people suspect that there is some sort of engine management programming in place that holds the engine back as it breaks in. This seems to go away after a certain amount of miles -- I seemed to notice a change in the engine at around 5K miles and then again around 7500. Better fuel consumption too. When the car was brand new I averaged around 6.8 seconds 0-60. Since the car has broken in, on the same stretch of road, using the same G-tech I have hit 6 flat -- so this would seem to back up that theory.

I have no problems redlining it or going above 6K -- even in "D", but I don't think it was as responsive until after it broke in.