It is, of course, no secret that we here at Autoblog like our horsepower. But what we like even more than that is good automotive sense and a great driving experience. And if we're honest with ourselves, we can admit that those don't always require a 580-hp V10.
Audi appears to feel the same way when it comes to the next S4. For the next generation model due in 2010, Audi doesn't plan to boost the output of the current model's V8. Instead, a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 is supposed to be pulling this mule caught lapping the 'Ring in Germany.
Autocar's sources say that Audi wants the next car to be lighter and get better gas mileage, and be able to compete with the BMW 335i. A more frugal car that can still do the business when asked and has better handling thanks to its lighter weight represents the kind of goal we can really get behind. To keep the S4 distinct from the next RS4 due in 2011, the top shelf super sedan is expected to keep its V8 lump.
After a report yesterday that the next S4 would be benefiting from a supercharger, Volkswagen AG's powertrain head, Wolfgan Hatz, presented the automaker's new 3.0-liter TFSI engine at the Vienna Motor Symposium. According to Auto Motor und Sport, the new engine will be fitted with a blower and putting out around 350 hp when fitted to the next generation S4. The supercharged six is expected to return better fuel mileage than its V8 counterpart and will also be fitted to the refreshed A6, due out towards the end of this year, although output will be reduced to 290 hp and 310 lb.-ft. of torque. Additionally, both models will benefit from a Magna-sourced sports differential that will migrate to the Q5 and S5 down the line. No timeframe was provided about the release of the S4, but we'd expect to see the A6 replacement in Paris, with the S4 debuting at the LA Auto Show in November.
Emerging reports suggest that the next Audi S4 will ditch the current model's V8 and open up the gap a little with the top-of-the-line RS4 with a new supercharged V6. Bearing the 3.0T or TFSI badge, the 2010 S4 could benefit from "twin-charging" with the possible inclusion of a turbo in addition to the supercharger.
With a potential unveiling at the LA Auto Show in November, the supercharged S4 is also tipped to feature a Magna-sourced "sport differential" like the ZF unit featured in the BMW X6, bringing the fight to the turbocharged BMW 335i, while the RS4 takes on the M3. While power will likely remain similar to the current 339-hp 4.2-liter V8 and weight only marginally reduced by 100 lbs or less, the purpose in switching to forced induction would be to improve fuel economy while returning comparable performance. The S4 is also expected to be developed outside Quattro GmbH, while the RS4 would be created by the Audi performance division, giving the former a more restrained look compared to the all-out bulging bodywork of the latter. The forced-induction V6 is also tipped to replace the 3.2-liter V6 in the base Audi A6 Quattro.
Audi is returning to turbos in a big way lately. Look no further for proof than the RS6 Avant sporting a twin-turbo V10 producing 510 HP. The smaller S4 sedan, however, hasn't been force fed since the B5 version with its biturbo 250-horsepower V6. The next two generations were powered by the brand's ubiquitous 4.2L V8 in both non-direct inject and direct-injected versions. AudiWorld has revealed that the newest B8 iteration of the S4 will return the car to turbos once again when it debuts with a biturbo 3.0L TFSI direct-inject engine producing 330 horsepower. This is significant news for a couple of reasons. For one, as AudiWorld points out, the new S4 will be far more receptive to modification than the last two generations with their naturally-aspirated V8s. Presumably it will also be more frugal with fuel than the 4.2L V8-powered S4s before it while producing almost as much power. Finally, the S4's 340 horsepower will best the BMW 335i with its 3.0L twin-turbo inline-six by some 30 horsepower. It's a small victory, but we're sure Audi will take it. Along with high-po powerplant, the B8 S4 is also expected to get Audi's vectoring quattro system that can dynamically send the twist to any wheel it wants. The previous active sport differential system could only split torque between the rear wheels. AudiWorld also reports that the new S4 will go on sale in the U.S. in late 2008, the same time as the A4. This means we should expect the S4 to debut at either the Detroit Auto Show in January or the Geneva Motor Show in March.
There is awesomeness to the prefix "twin-turbo." It could be a Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engine (awesome in its own right) that you're talking about, but prepending any engine designation with the modifier "twin-turbo" can suck all of the air out of a room. Owners of lesser cars just nod in acknowledgment of their inferiority. Audi fans have lamented the evolution of the S4 from a twin-turbocharged V6 in the B5 version to V8 power for the two most recent iterations. Many feel that the V8 powerplant doesn't have the addictive frenetic nature of the old S4. For the next generation, Audi is returning the S4 to its roots as a more refined version of what you'll find in the Evo or the STi. The B8 S4 has reportedly been lapping the Nurburgring with a force-fed six-shooter underhood.
With the A5/S5 joining the lineup, the S4 doesn't have to worry as much about serving customers who'd rather have a GT than something more serious. Thus, an artificially-aspirated V6 displacing three liters and employing VW/Audi Group's FSI direct-injection technology and Audi's Valvelift actuation system can be parked in the S4 without fears that the hardcore nature of such a powerplant would be off-putting. Whether the external compressors are turbos or a supercharger is the subject of rumor. Also open to speculation is the horsepower output, but it'd be safe to bet that something slightly higher than the 300 HP packed into the BMW 335 can be expected. Also expect the S4 to employ Audi's Sport Differential to offer tweakable chassis attitude, as well as the obligatory styling tweaks and sumptuous cabin, too. Click the Read link below to view a couple renderings of what the next S4 might look like courtesy of Fourtitude.
According to Sport Compact Car Magazine, the 2007 Ultimate Street Car is a 2001 Audi S4. For those not in the know, the Ultimate Street Car Challenge is an annual two day event hosted by the editors of Sport Compact Car Magazine. Competitors from all over the country are hand selected to battle it out in every aspect of custom street car engineering. These are not trailer queens, people. They are real, street driven monsters. Performance and appearance are not the only deciding factors; emissions, fuel economy and ride comfort make up a significant portion of the score, as well.
This year's winning 2001 Audi S4 belongs to Brent Mattraw and was tuned by Torque Factory in Venice, California. The Audi's winning combination did not come from intensive custom fabricated modifications or all out engine blueprinting, but rather attention to the Audi's weak points. The S4 kept its sophisticated European luxury style but received stronger connecting rods, a better sealing head gasket, higher flowing turbochargers and a reworked differential along with a few other bolt-on performance bits. However, the car was not completely devoid of potential deal breaking modifications. It uses a little bit of nitrous to help get the job done.
We've heard this story a thousand times before. Man finally procures his dream car. It's delivered on the other side of the country. Road trip! It's the age old passage of breaking your car in with a cross country delivery trek. A member of the VWVortex.com forums who goes by the handle uglybastid and his friend Aaron traveled to New York to pick up an Audi S4 for a (very trusting) friend. The black sedan from Ingolstadt was looking good, but uglybastid and Aaron like their Audis in Nogaru Blue, not black. In order to protect the car from rock chips over 2,850 miles, and to switch the color to something more palatable, the two purchased four and a half rolls of 3M Safe-Release blue tape... and covered the car from bumper to bumper in the adhesive strips. It's the best blue tape job ever and also allowed the two to chronicle their adventure via a Sharpie marker on the sheetmetal. Throughout the road trip, uglybastid exhibits an unhealthy knowledge of roadside attractions, and the two pass more plastic cows and muffler men than actual human beings. Keep in mind, the car has no plates and despite being pulled over twice by some friendly fuzz, the two make it all the way across the northern half of the U.S. on their way to back to Seattle where the Audi S4 will find its new home. Please, it's a Sunday, do yourself a favor, click through and read the amazing tale of uglybastid, Aaron and the blue-taped Audi S4.
The votes have been tallied for this week's RR of the Day poll, and we're this close to calling for a recount. The winner with some 600 votes under its belt (28%) is the mildly-modded 2001 Audi S4 of Julia Howard. The S4 had some pretty stiff and very interesting competition, which makes this relatively ordinary ride such a surprise victor. The very sharp 1967 Chevy Impala SS made a run at the title gathering 488 votes (22%), while the Euro-only 1984 BMW 745i Turbo also put up a fight earning 482 votes (22%). My personal fave from last week, the Holden GTO conversion, captured a respectable 367 votes (17%), and the Volkswagen Rabbit tugged on some nostalgic heart strings to the tune of 243 votes (11%). The voting was much closer than normal last week and returned the second highest number of total votes yet for a RR of the Week Poll with 2,180 ballots cast.
Total Votes: 2,180
NEXT WEEK'S THEME: Cars of the '80s! Break out the leg warmers and your old Atari 2600, because we're going back to the '80s for our next RR of the Day theme. All next week we want to feature glorious cars from the decade that brought us the rise of Kevin Bacon as an actor and synthesized music as an art form. If you have a vehicle that originates from the 1980s, submit it to our Autoblog Flickr Pool to be considered for a RR of the Day feature. Man, it's gonna be a rad week.
It is, of course, no secret that we here at Autoblog like our horsepower. But what we like even more than that is good automotive sense and a great driving experience. And if we're honest with ourselves, we can admit that those don't always require a 580-hp V10. 
We've heard this story a thousand times before. Man finally procures his dream car. It's delivered on the other side of the country. Road trip! It's the age old passage of breaking your car in with a cross country delivery trek. A member of the VWVortex.com forums who goes by the handle uglybastid and his friend Aaron traveled to New York to pick up an Audi S4 for a (very trusting) friend. The black sedan from Ingolstadt was looking good, but uglybastid and Aaron like their Audis in Nogaru Blue, not black. In order to protect the car from rock chips over 2,850 miles, and to switch the color to something more palatable, the two purchased four and a half rolls of 3M Safe-Release blue tape... and covered the car from bumper to bumper in the adhesive strips. It's the best blue tape job ever and also allowed the two to chronicle their adventure via a Sharpie marker on the sheetmetal. Throughout the road trip, uglybastid exhibits an unhealthy knowledge of roadside attractions, and the two pass more plastic cows and muffler men than actual human beings. Keep in mind, the car has no plates and despite being pulled over twice by some friendly fuzz, the two make it all the way across the northern half of the U.S. on their way to back to Seattle where the Audi S4 will find its new home. Please, it's a Sunday, do yourself a favor, 
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