not boxy, and very bad

[Joseph Pizzimenti]

Brett,
Last I checked, there IS a 6 speed for the S4, but
none for the RS6.
As for the other points, looks like you're convinced,
so when are you going to sack up and put a down
payment in?

:-)

Joe
--- Brett Dikeman <brett at cloud9.net> wrote:
> Years of pent up frustration from being "boxy but
> good" have
> unleashed something scary from Volvo's design
> department- the 2004
> S40R and V70R.
>
> Let's run down the vitals.
>
> All wheel drive.
>
> 300hp from a twin-intercooler, kkk-turbo'd I-5.
> 0-60 in 5.6 seconds
> for the wagon, 5.4 for the sedan.
>
> Shocks have active adjustment, termed "4C"- not
> quite the same as the
> RS6's active roll-cancelling, but not shabby,
> either.  Three
> suspension settings/modes, depending upon how
> naughty you're feeling.
>
> Traction control/vehicle stability control can be
> switched to
> "slightly tail happy" mode as well as completely
> off(gotta press the
> button five times apparently- but no "I will behave
> myself" waiver
> faxed to Volvo necessary.)
>
> AWD, traction control, ABS, vehicle dynamics and
> suspension system
> all integrated 'of course'; the thing has more
> computers than I can
> count, and it's wired.  Wheel speed, suspension
> travel, ride height,
> at least 3 accelerometers, steering angle...
>
> A 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic, your
> choice...something Audi
> won't be offering in the redesigned S4. Audi,
> sporty?  My, they're
> the only high performance compact sedan left on the
> market right now
> with no manual; BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes, Mitsubishi,
> Subaru, Volvo and-
> oh yes, VW as well, all offer small, high
> performance sedans with
> sticks(in varying degrees of luxury and price, of
> course.)  DSG won't
> be coming around here until the 2004 TT(and only the
> TT...), and I
> don't care how fast it shifts, it's still a bloody
> #$@!ing automatic.
> I wish they'd get that through their skulls; some
> people want a
> clutch on the floor and lever connected to a gearbox
> -they- control.
> TISK TISK.  Volvo 1, Audi 0.
>
> Pleasure that numerous Volvo owners(after years of
> getting dusted by
> absolutely everything) will get in blowing off
> young-gun BMW owners
> in their M3's with a VOLVO WAGON?  Hah- Audi's got
> nothing on Volvo
> in the "underdog reputation" category.  Volvo 2,
> Audi 0.
>
> Legendary and unmarked safety record, since day
> one...versus a
> somewhat blemished history with so-so crash tests
> here and there(pop
> over to the insurance industry's crash-test website
> if you don't
> believe me).  Tisk tisk.  Volvo 3, Audi 0.
>
> Well, I suppose it wouldn't be fair to neglect to
> mention that the
> Audi will have 40 more hp...but on the other hand,
> Volvo's gone for
> an I-5 turbo- a format which is dear to many of our
> hearts(and that
> of many Volvo enthusiasts)- and still kept similar
> times, probably
> due to not being nearly a pig on the scales.  The
> I-5 will probably
> get better mileage, city and highway.  Not to
> mention, the V8 will
> require serious money to get any HP improvements(in
> both labor and
> materials), whereas I'd be amazed if a chip doesn't
> squeak out an
> impressive number of additional horsies from the
> Volvo's
> engine(remember, they're Volvo- they play it safe,
> right?) for much
> better HP-per-bux(see below on where those extra bux
> might come
> from).  I'll call this one even, even though I think
> Volvo takes this
> one.
>
> Alright, this one's just downright unfair, but we're
> going no-holds
> barred here.  Audi wagons are a joke, and always
> have been.  Volvos
> are more roundy than they used to be, but their
> wagons are still
> quite boxy, and that means useable space.  The cubic
> feet may be
> about the same, but the space is unusable in the
> Audis due to the
> sloped back hatch; I can fit gobs more stuff in the
> 960 than I could
> in a type 44 wagon, but they both have 45 cu ft of
> space.  Audi
> "avants" are 5-door hatchbacks.  Volvos are
> -wagons-.  Volvo 4, Audi
> 0.
>
> 18" wheels and very un-volvo-like spoiler for the
> wagon not included
> in the $40k sticker, with a (from the pictures) darn
> nice looking
> interior.  The 2004 S4 will cost you a full $5k
> more(although I have
> no closely compared features/options, mostly because
> the information
> is not readily accessible).  Tisk tisk.  Volvo 5,
> Audi 0.
>
> You'll be able to get one of these beasts any day
> now...the S4 will
> require waiting until end-of-fall, for a 2004 model.
>  Further dooming
> sales, people buy cars in spring, not fall.  Tisk
> tisk.  Volvo 6,
> Audi 0.
>
> Final score: Volvo 6, Audi 0.  Ouch- that's gonna
> leave a mark.
>
> "[psssht] Ingolstadt, this is Auburn Hills, we have
> a problem [beep]"
>
> Just like many BMW enthusiasts left the blue and
> white disk for the 4
> rings when the S4 came out(and embarrassed BMW
> silly), what makes
> Audi think Audi enthusiasts will hang around waiting
> for the S4 when
> the Volvo's just as fast, at least as safe(possibly
> more so), just as
> all-wheel-drive, better suspension, more cargo room
> if they want the
> wagon, and they can get a 6-speed...all for $5k
> cheaper?
>
> B
> --
> ----
> "They that give up essential liberty to obtain
> temporary
> safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben
> Franklin
> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~brett/


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The following statement is false.
The preceding statement is true.
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