Having sold my Evo and now driving a Rubicon Jeep, I have been re-visiting potential candidates for a new performance ride. I was close to the Audi dealership the other day and decided to stop and check to see if they had any new V8 S4's in inventory. As luck would have it they had a guy back out on an order, and had a silver with black/silver alcantara interior.

The car was awesome looking, with a nice sleek understated look with the dual exhaust playing a tune that only a V8 can provide. Having owned 2 biturbo S4's in the past, I am pretty familiar with the Audi fit and finish and the new car was no disaapointment. The new S4 has much better lateral support than the old S4, and the rear seats, which were also true Recaro mfg, were as close to buckets in the rear, while still affording the ability to seat three. Honestly, I cannot remember seeing a nicer sport interior in any car short of my friends 993 turbos with CF/leather seats.

So it looks great, sounds great, and the interior is pretty close to perfection. So off we go for a little test drive. Unfortunately this is where things got really dissapointing. The overall feel of the car is not close to the hard-edged athletic feel of the Evo. Some may like that less agile feel, but for me that was why I dumped my other S4's. This car is definitely a luxo posuer when it comes to the handling department, and going through some small curves I could feel the body and suspension judder and become unsettled.

Next dissappointment was the shifter which was clunky and lacked any form of direct feel. My old 337 GTI had a better shifter, and the Evo is head and shoulders better. Last but not least, is the power of the V8. It sounds great, and provides a very linear power delivery, but overall lacked the kind of excitement I expected. The Evo has truly changed my level of scrutiny when it comes to judging other cars.

My friends at Stratmosphere do have a new Milltek DP and exhaust system for the S4 V8, which adds back in 30whp and 40ftlbs of torque which is pretty phenomenal for an NA car. Oberscheider is also close to releasing their chip for another 10whp, and an intake system will add another 10whp. Supposedly the addition of the full exhaust alone really transforms the car. The above mods of course will add another $4-5k on top of the price of $53k....ouch!!!

Personally if I were spending that kind of money I would just buy the E46 M3 which is ready to go with no mods for the same or less money.Anyway, as an ex-Evo owner, all I can say is hope you get the opportunity to line-up at the stoplight with a new S4. It will be a good chance to claim another victory over a high-end sports sedan!

N10S

 

Everything you stated goes along with what Sport Compact Car said about the S4. I found it pretty disappointing since I love the old Bi-turbo setup. They are also very expensive to mod. I will take the evo thank you

 

[Anyway, as an ex-Evo owner, all I can say is hope you get the opportunity to line-up at the stoplight with a new S4. It will be a good chance to claim another victory over a high-end sports sedan!

N10S [/B][/QUOTE]

I will get a chance in a month or 2 to get a chance to race since I just order one for my wife(too bad its an auto

 

Tell Bob & Pete I said hi - The guy from Wilmington, DE! When I told Pete I bought an Evo, he said how superior the new S4 was - I didn't even reply.

The S4 is nice for a cruiser with an awesome interior.

 

Good point about Evo is not for everyone

 

i work at an audi dealer and one of my customers has a 2003 s4, and a 2002 911/996c2s, and i took him for a ride in my evo, and he is so pissed he diddnt buy a evo instead of his s4, now he is thinking of trading it in on one

 

my wife's uncle is an ex-race car driver and he's a big Audi guy......he and his wife have matching black 2003 S4's that are tuned out and they are SICK !!!! I love those cars and they sound vicious. Definitely expensive to mod but that's not really different from any other $50k range car.......just check the price of the Dinan package on an M3.......I'll take either car please

 

awesome looking and understated can't be in same sentence

 

Sure they can .....it all depends on how you perceive awesome. Awesome could be a flashy in your face yellow Evo, or it could be an ultra-sleek Audi S4 V8... understated in its visual flash appeal, yet awesome in the way its features reflect the fine details of engineering, fit and finish that only German car makers seem to be able to achieve.

I guess that was really the point. Both the Evo and the new S4 V8 are truly awesome cars in their own right. Its always nice to be able to objectively compare two excellent yet very different vehicles, and appreciate each one specifically for what they offer in features and driving experience. At the same time it is also nice to be able to openly discuss pros and cons from a very subjective perspective based on past personal experiences and personal preferences.

Happy Holidays!


N10S

 

What month was that SCC?