RichardCranium
03-06-2008, 10:25 PM
Taken from 'car' magazine website:
Audi will unveil its hot S4 saloon in autumn 2008 - and it's losing the V8 engine of old in favour of a new supercharged V6 petrol engine producing around 350bhp.
CAR Online has unearthed some concrete details on the S4 at today's launch of the twin-clutch S5 (http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=6148); the S4 will share this S-tronic transmission and its lightning-fast 200ms gearchanges. The S-tronic gearbox weighs 142kg - around 40 kilos more than the six-speed manual. However, performance is actually faster with the twin-clutch 'box and emissions are lower, too.
Powering the S4 is a new 3.0-litre supercharged V6, which will send its power to all four wheels through Audi's Quattro drivetrain. Top speed will again be limited to 155mph while the 0-60mph sprint is forecast to be just under six seconds.
Expect to see the new S4 at the Paris motor show this autumn before UK sales kick off in early 2009. Saloon (http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=4463), Avant estate (http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=5889) and convertible bodystyles will again be offered, with styling inspiration taken from the S-line A4 models (pictured).
When will the next RS models be offered? The RS4 won't be seen before 2009. Michael Schoffmann, Audi's transmission boss, told CAR Online: 'With RS models we can make the gearchanges on S tronic even faster; regular models take 200ms, but on RS models we can trim that to 140-150ms.
'You'll have to wait until 2009 to see something, though!'
Audi will unveil its hot S4 saloon in autumn 2008 - and it's losing the V8 engine of old in favour of a new supercharged V6 petrol engine producing around 350bhp.
CAR Online has unearthed some concrete details on the S4 at today's launch of the twin-clutch S5 (http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=6148); the S4 will share this S-tronic transmission and its lightning-fast 200ms gearchanges. The S-tronic gearbox weighs 142kg - around 40 kilos more than the six-speed manual. However, performance is actually faster with the twin-clutch 'box and emissions are lower, too.
Powering the S4 is a new 3.0-litre supercharged V6, which will send its power to all four wheels through Audi's Quattro drivetrain. Top speed will again be limited to 155mph while the 0-60mph sprint is forecast to be just under six seconds.
Expect to see the new S4 at the Paris motor show this autumn before UK sales kick off in early 2009. Saloon (http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=4463), Avant estate (http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=5889) and convertible bodystyles will again be offered, with styling inspiration taken from the S-line A4 models (pictured).
When will the next RS models be offered? The RS4 won't be seen before 2009. Michael Schoffmann, Audi's transmission boss, told CAR Online: 'With RS models we can make the gearchanges on S tronic even faster; regular models take 200ms, but on RS models we can trim that to 140-150ms.
'You'll have to wait until 2009 to see something, though!'