|
|
Autoworld.com - David Lee-Power and control. Taken singly, each word has a distinct
meaning. In automotive terms, one without the other is, at the least, unsatisfying. Put them
together and you have just described the new S4 from Audi.
The S4 can trace its lineage back to such motor sporting legends as the striking
original quattro, the Sport quattro S 1, a car designed for rally success and twice winner of
the Pikes Peak race, and the super touring car championship A4 quattro with its impressive
tally of seven victories in the 1996 season. Audi's S models are a vehicle concept that
perfectly combines superior performance with masterfully understated appearance, without
sacrificing everyday practicality.
The S4 is a synthesis of well-proven features such as quattro permanent four-wheel drive and race-bred five-valve engine technology, and new elements such as the
powerful V6 biturbo engine with its impressive performance figures and HP2 4-piston
front brakes. Taken together, these technologies merge to create the ultimate expression
of A4 with abundant power and the hardware to control it-in simple terms, a silken
rocket.
The Right Stuff
Start with the new 2.7-liter V6 biturbo engine and you have the stuff that dreams
are made of With its two small turbochargers that cut in smoothly when needed, this
power plant, with five valves per cylinder, delivers its maximum output of 250
horsepower at just 5,800 revolutions per minute. The shape of the torque curve expresses
the superiority of the engine even more clearly. Available over a broad engine-speed
range stretching from 1,850 to 3,600 rpm, the S4 produces 258 lbs. ft. of torque. All this
equates to a car with the power to leap to 60 miles per hour in just 5.9 seconds with the
standard six-speed manual transmission.
Using smaller turbochargers, but fitting one to each bank of cylinders instead of a
single larger unit, has clear advantages with the V6 engine. The more rapid response of
the smaller turbines leads to the desired high torque values even at low engine speeds.
Thanks to their lower inertia, the engine responds more readily to rapid pressure on the
accelerator. The short distances between the cylinder exhaust ports and the
turbocharger
inlets mean that the exhaust gas loses less momentum and charging efficiency is thus
increased.
Each bank of cylinders has an intercooler which reduces the temperature of the
intake air. Efficient cooling of the charge air is crucial to the forced aspiration principle:
the cooler the air, the higher its density and the more oxygen is available for combustion.
With cooled air, therefore, it is possible to achieve even higher engine efficiency.
The special shape of the inlet ports, which creates a tumbling motion in the charge
as it enters the combustion chamber, also helps to make combustion cleaner and more
efficient. The optimum swirl imparted to the fuel-air mixture by this tumble effect
improves the combustion process and thus has a positive effect on engine efficiency.
The intake camshafts for the two five-valve cylinder heads are hydraulically
adjustable to permit optimization of the torque curve. These adjustments to the valve
timing increase torque by about ten percent in the low and medium engine-speed ranges.
The power of the V6 biturbo is converted reliably and effectively into traction by
a standard 6-speed sports-ratio gearbox (or an optional five speed automatic transmission
with Tiptronic@* at no extra cost) and Audi's proven quattro permanent all-wheel drive.
Even with the automatic transmission, this car is capable of reaching 60 mph in just 6.5
seconds.
As one would expect in such a car, the suspension has received a great deal of
attention to deliver just the right sort of performance. Control around the comers but
comfort down the road. This has been achieved in large part with the use of an aluminum-intensive revised suspension. In addition to all control arms in the four-link virtual center
front and double wishbone rear suspension, all ball joints and the front suspension wheel
carriers are now made of aluminum as well.
The brake system has also been upgraded to match the surging forward thrust:
large ventilated disc brakes front and rear with aluminum brake calipers ensure optimum
braking performance, The front brakes utilize 4-piston brake caliper technology for an
added measure of security.
Subtle Yet Striking
On the outside, the differences between the S4 and the basic A4 amount to no
more than a few functionally-based design features. The new model's powerful
appearance is also partly due to its lowered sports suspension, with wide 225 tires and
17 inch "Avus" alloy wheels.
Large air intake openings give a more emphatic look to the front end of the car.
The headlights with their xenon low beams and clear glass covers also contribute to the
sporty appearance. The car is equipped with automatic beam angle control and high-pressure headlight cleaning jets.
Inside, the S4 has remained true to the restrained style so typical of Audi's S
models. Elegant pearl nappa leather upholstery covers the standard power sport seats, therear seat area, armrest and door panel inserts in a rich onyx or silver color. At no extra
cost, buyers can opt for the Sport interior package with its combination of pearl nappa
leather and Alcantara suede in contrasting colors available in either onyx leather and
silver Alcantara or onyx leather and blue Alcantara.
Those S4s outfitted with full leather include a gray stained birds-eye maple wood
trim. Cars with the pearl nappa leather and Alcantara combination will include aluminum
beltline trim.
To set the S4 apart, there are two signature colors that are not available on any
other A4. They are Imola Yellow and Nogaro Blue pearl effect. The rest of the color
palette includes: Brilliant Black with clearcoat, Laser Red, and Light Silver metallic,
Cactus Green pearl effect, Santorin Blue pearl effect, and Hibiscus Red pearl effect.
Subtle S4 badging on the front grille, trunk lid, the aluminum door sill trim, and
on the standard sport steering wheel are the only other confirming elements that this A4 is
something very special indeed.
It only remains to point out that the update on the 2000 model year A4 range also
extended to the S4. The careful detail work involved has produced impressive results here
too. In addition to wider side protection strips and modified rear lights, experts will also
detect the new lighting concept inside the car. The interior lights have been relocated to
the center of the car to make room for the new Sideguard head airbag system that is
standard on the S4.
When triggered, the new SIDEGUARD safety system covers virtually the entire
side window area and in an accident protects the heads of all occupants of the front or
outside rear seats. The crucial advantage of the large-area head airbag as used by Audi
over comparable systems is that it helps prevent the occupants from colliding with the A
pillar thanks to the special configuration of the air pockets.
In contrast to the front airbags, the head-level airbags, which are about 5.9 inches
thick, remain inflated for about five seconds in order to provide protection if the vehicle
subsequently rolls over.
Quattro Control-the Triumph of an Idea
Quattro has proven its worth across the world on rally routes, road circuits and
daily drives, time and time again. Every S4 comes standard with this race-proven
technology.
A brief recounting of Audi's quattro racing success would include the 1983 World
Rally Driver's Championship, the Driver's and Manufacturers Championships in 1984,
the 1987 Safari Rally in Kenya, and the U.S. Pikes Peak Hill Climb Championships in
1985, 1986 and 1987. In 1988, the production-car based Audi 200 quattros swept the
Trans-Am championship for both drivers and manufacturers against purpose-built race
cars, while the Audi V8 quattros took the German Touring Car Championship in 1990
and 1991. Proving its merit once again in 1996, in all seven countries where Audi lined
up on the grid (Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Australia, Belgium, South Africa and
Spain), it won the Super Touring Car title with the Audi A4 quattro. They even enjoyed
a
one-two finish in the Touring Car Grand Prix to complete the 1996 season. So
successful, in fact, has been the quattro system that from 1998 onwards, the World Motor
Sport Association (FIA) has forbidden four-wheel drive in their events as an "unfair
advantage."
Now entering its 19th year, quattro continues to set new standards-in active
safety and all-weather performance. Quattro is a fall-time all-wheel drive system that is
constantly at work putting power to the pavement through all four wheels. Available in
every Audi model, from Audi's all-aluminum luxury flagship, the A8 4.2, to the
affordable A4 1.8 T sports sedan, quattro is a proven concept, not a rarity. It is
accessible,
not exotic. And most of all, it brings a sense of control and security to the driver like
nothing else.
Audi's experience with all-wheel drive results in the fourth generation of the
quattro system at a time when other companies are still on square one. The key to
quattro,
has always been to vary power distribution to all four wheels, all of the time, at most any
speed. The latest addition is Electronic Differential Locking (EDL) which operates on
both the front and rear differentials. This feature detects and limits wheel spin and
redistributes the drive torque from side-to-side to take advantage of available traction.
This traction enhancing overlay to quattro's basic strength operates automatically and
unobtrusively at speeds up to 45 miles per hour. Combined with the front-to-rear power
distribution capability of the TORSEN** (TORque SENsing) center differential that
distributes up to 66 percent of the traction to whichever axle has the most traction, the
fourth generation of quattro is so capable that a single wheel with reasonable traction is
sufficient to get the car underway.
Many manufacturers are beginning to offer some form of all-wheel drive in their
vehicles because they recognize the inherent benefits of it, a conclusion which Audi
reached long ago. Audi's quattro tradition enables its technology to be generally more
efficient in terms of packaging when compared to other all-wheel drive systems.
Specifically, these advantages include no ride height penalty, less added weight, less
extra space required for the system, and lower parasitic drag than most other all-wheel
drive systems. All of this is made possible by the basic drivetrain configuration and the
design of the quattro system.
Compared to the "disabling" technology of some traction control systems-where
engine power is reduced until wheel spin is under control--quattro is an "enabling"
technology. The traction seeking capability of quattro reads the road, putting the power to
the pavement and reducing wheel spin even as it begins.
Uncompromised Luxury
Just as Audi believes that it is possible to unite power with control, the S4 proves
that it is possible to have performance and luxury together in the same vehicle. Starting
from the front, the S4 includes high-powered xenon headlights as standard equipment.
They offer the driver a greater visibility range and particularly uniform illumination of
the road surface. Xenon light, which is similar to daylight, results in less eye fatigue-even when driving long distances after dark (automatic beam angle control is included
with these headlights).
Inside the car, standard I O-way power sports seats (for the driver and front
passenger), including electric lumbar adjustment and lockable head restraints, are covered
in pearl nappa leather to indicate the level of luxury befitting such a car. The S4 comes
standard with a six-speed manual transmission to give the driver maximum control. An
optional five-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronice is available as well, giving the
driver a choice of using it as a normal automatic transmission or upshifting and
downshifting manually using a special shift gate or via the thumb controls located on the
standard three-spoke leather-covered steering wheel.
The S4 includes comprehensive interior lighting. The reading lamps at the fi7ont and
rear, which are combined with an interior lamp in each case, and two diode lights for the
indirect illumination of the center console, ensure that the interior can be illuminated as
flexibly as needed. The footwell lighting at the front makes it easier to get in and out, and
active reflectors on all doors warn traffic coming up from behind.
Other standard amenities, to name a few, include: the new Audi "Symphony"
AM/FM stereo cassette radio with in-dash CD player; an 8-speaker 80 watt sound
system; a fully automatic climate control system with sun intensity control and pollen filter; a
standard Driver Information Display with a six-function trip computer including Audi's
Auto Check system to monitor vital functions, ambient temperature, radio frequency and
a pictogram. which shows the status of all doors, power windows with one-touch up for
the front windows and one-touch down for all windows; electronic cruise control; power
central locking system with standard remote keyless entry; heated driver door lock;
electrically adjustable outside mirrors with defog feature; illuminated vanity mirrors in
the left and right front sunvisors; 60/40 split folding rear seat backs with individual locks;
leather wrapped shift knob and steering wheel; full size spare with matching alloy wheel;
and front and rear fog lights.
Now add standard front side airbag supplemental restraints, next generation driver
and passenger front airbags, and the new Sideguard head airbag system and you get class-
leading safety features.
Options on a car as well equipped as this are few. The Cold Weather package
includes heated front seats with individual temperature control and an expandable ski
storage sack. The Convenience package includes a glass sunroof with sunshade and pinch
protection, a HomeLinko*** transmitter in the sunvisor, and auto dimming exterior and
interior mirrors. The Sport interior package replaces the standard pearl nappa leather with
a combination of pearl nappa leather and Alcantara trim as well as silver aluminum
beltline trim (in place of the birds-eye maple).
In terms of stand-alone options, the Audi Navigation System is new for 2000. It
utilizes the Driver's Information Display in the center of the instrument panel to guide the
driver to their destination. Other options include a Boseo**** 8-speaker, 150 watt
premium sound system to enhance the driving experience, a 6-disc CD changer, Pearl
White pearlescent paint, and a hands-free cellular telephone.
For Added Peace of Mind
Something else you don't have to pay extra for on any Audi is the remarkable
Audi Advantage. It is standard equipment, as it is with all Audi's sold in the U.S. This
top-rated-and sometimes imitated--combination of warranties and protection includes:
o Three-year/50,000 mile no charge scheduled maintenance.
o Three-year/50,000 mile limited new vehicle warranty.
o Twelve-year limited warranty against corrosion perforation.
o 24-hour Roadside Assistance for three years.
****BOSE is a registered trademark of Bose Corporation. Covered by patent rights
issued and/or pending.
***HOMELINK is a registered trademark of Prince Corporation, Holland,
Michigan
**TORSEN is a registered trademark of ZEXEL-GLEASON USA, INC.
|
