[s-cars] Audi "Streets of Tomorrow Ride and Drive...the next day"

[QSHIPQ at aol.com]

Hi Paul:
I attended the SoTRD here in Chicago yesterday and found it to be about  what 
I expected.  Although you and the boys out east probably killed the  chances 
of the RS4 drive in Chicago, several mild mannered audi customers  (read the 
typical ones) got a wild ride in the RS4 with a "professional  driver".  There 
were no timed events in Chicago.  
 
You arrived at a trendy yuppy club at the very fringe of south downtown  
Chicago (like 2 blocks from the projects), 200 feet from my old shop, and  
ironically, across the street from the cuban restaurant cuattro.  You got  cked in, 
then led out the rear door to about 12 Q7 in various trim levels for a  10 
minute drive around the area.  I had one with the 20in wheels and all  the 
goodies, and it felt tight, but heavy and underpowered.  After that you  boarded a 
bus to Soldier Field (go Bears) parking lot, where the test tracks  were setup.
 
You were allotted 2 rides, 1 in the RS4 with pro driver, then 1 on the  other 
track, or -0- with the pro driver and 2 on the other track.  Since I  had 
Steamboat just a couple months ago, I passed on having someone else toss me  
around.  I made quick friends with the stagers, and got to drive A3-2.0ta,  A6 - 
4.2, Q7 and X5 back to back, then A8.  There were no S cars of any  type to 
drive.
 
The A3 2.0 avant had good potential but it felt very honda-esque,  which I'm 
sure would change when the proper chipsets were added.   The  shifter was 
good, and the suspension pretty tight.  It really felt like a 4  door TT to me.
 
The A6 4.2 has always been my favorite engine/chassis combination for the  5v 
v8, and it felt very good on the course.  Since no manuals were  available 
(other than the A3 avant), the first order of business was to find the  sport 
mode in each of the rides.  The A6 was in top form as I  remembered, and it also 
showed the development of the A8, as the A8  delivered as good a ride.
 
The Q7, was a bit disappointing for a couple reasons.  First, no one  there 
really knew much about their function, in terms of controls, and I'm not  sure 
I found sport mode in the thing.  What I did find was that my initial  
impressions of heft really were confirmed on the coned course.  The machine  felt top 
heavy in any type of maneuver, and I'm sure that was accentuated with  the 
long wheel base.  The steering appeared to be behind the input  significantly, 
the engine and trans never felt like they were...   united?   In fact, at one 
point, it shifted down, ran to redline,  then applied progressive power.  
Reminded me of using a trans brake.   The brakes were awesome, but they also needed 
to be, that's a lot of machine to  toss anchor.
 
The ride of the day was the X5 IMO.  Audi did well by outfitting the  4.4 
with the puny wheels and all season tires.  What they didn't do was  park it and 
say it broke.  After the Q7 ride, plunking into the 'base' 4.4i  X5 was a 
pleasure.  It leaped off the line, made all the right sounds,  delivered great 
steering and braking, and felt nimble thru the tight  cones.  I got out of that, 
looked around, and thought it best not to  smile.
 
The most surprising improvement was the A8.  It had the big brakes and  
wheel/tire combo.  Left it in drive, and drove it hard, 4wheel drifts  and all (hey 
it was my last ride anyway).  It was predictable, defied it's  true size, and 
really put the target on the A6 4.2.  I considered that a  good thing.   I 
drove it hard enough and clean enough in the  tight cone course that the inbound 
stager spoke to me for about 10 minutes about  my drives.  My guess is after 
NY, they are on the lookout for the  hotshoes.  No warning issued, just 
recognition that I was there for  putting machines thru paces, not putt putts.   
After my drive in the  745i a few weeks ago, Audi sure has improved the A8 to be 
very competitive in  all aspects of the comparo.  For folks in Chicago that 
need to use the word  "winter" in a BMW choice, the A8 is a fine alternative, 
with a bit more rear end  styling.  I go on record that the front end choice by 
audi, confuses  me.  Especially when in IL you need to plunk an ugly front 
license  plate in the middle of all that..  architecture.
 
Certainly not an event for a performance oriented drive, but those are  
becoming few and far between.  However, if your expectation was to be  treated to a 
preview way above and beyond an autoshow virtual drool, this  worked well.  
With phenomenal food and pampering, this audi event hit the  target dead nuts 
on.  I spent several hours as a gourmand in the food area,  and got to get up 
close to the R8, the S8 (265/35 on 20in wheels seemed  optimistic for chicago 
roads), and about the most detailed demo ever by Hans  (german accent and all) 
on every toy the Q7 put on the loaded models.  Tail  lowers for liftover 
height, tailgate door memorizes reduced clearance in your  garage.  Cool sunroof, 
with more motors and upview than a  convertible.  
 
All in all, I give Audi a lot of credit for making this a first class  event. 
 Food was a 10, free pics by a studio of you and yours, and even a  massage 
area, very nice.  From the time you entered the building, you got  treatment 
worthy of nobility, tho I chuckle a bit I would be considered  worthy.
 
Audi put on a good show for the Q7 intro, but man I'd sure ditch the X5  from 
the comparo, or at least get the 6 banger.  I also spoke at length to  a 
tweeked 01 S4 owner, who drove the XC90, and he said that one should be  ditched 
from the lineup too.  Since my course host wouldn't even let me  drive the 
Landcruiser, they probably missed putting the Q7 in it's best  light.
 
End of Report
 
Scott Justusson
next day feeling well pampered