Re: S4/S6 vs. 200TQ 20V

[Nivi@aol.com]

Hi Eliot,

In a message dated 96-06-29 12:01:02 EDT, you write:

>one final comment re: s4/s6 vs. 200TQ20V.  steve powers told me that the
95.5
>S6 comes with xenon projector beam headlights.  having seen these in action
>on the a8, i would say that these constitute a major difference between the
>S6 and the 200TQ.  one could get aftermarket H4's for the 200TQ of course
>and a 200TQ full of aftermarket improvements will still come up a lot less
>than the still very expensive used S4/S6.

Can any of the 95.5 S6 owners confirm that they have the xenon lighting?

>a good place to look for used S4/S6s would be canada.  assuming that
canadian
>cars can be easily imported here, the prices appear to be quite a bit lower
>than in the US.

I guess there would still be the problem of "federalizing" these cars...I
don't think that they allow Canadian cars to be imported...

>i think an even better alternative to the S4/S6/200TQ is the a4 1.8T.
>state of the art suspension, gorgeous exterior styling, low low price,
>gorgeous interior, fold down rear seats and much lower weight. (!!)
>
>and an engine that has practically the same infinite tuning
>potential....  why buy a used S4 when the same money will buy the a4
>1.8T plus a s***tload of aftermarket tweaks.

While driving the A4 in Germany, DK, I found that the car was *way* too small
for me, as I have long legs, and my knees felt like I had arthritis after
driving for extended periods...but this is where the individual's preference
comes in...the A4 is a great-looking car, and so is the S4/S6/A6...

I was really happy to get back and drive my Coupe...it's got a *lot* more
legroom, but obviously doesn't have the same features as the A4
(tilt/telescoping steering wheel; better climate control system), and the
Coupe *does* have the "normal" window switches that are controllable!

The S4's suspension is incredible too, as it compares well to my Caprice
(with the heavy-duty suspension, *not* the luxo-boat one), which is the
ultimate road-warrior...

PS: (All): During the factory visit, our tour group was almost run over by
factory workers inside driving A3's out toward the door...they looked like a
larger version of the European VW Polo, which is not being imported here
right now. They looked nice, but it's not a replacement for the CoupeQ!
(IMHO...don't know if they intend to gear it for that) The tour guide said
that they were manufacturing 1,000 for the press and others for evaluation...

Apparently the Coupe is still being produced, but probably only for a few
months...the Audi export guy I talked to said that they might stop the
production line anytime now. Wish I could have seen a Coupe being made!
Another observation at the factory: The "normal" A4's with the 1.6 or 1.8
liter engines had exhaust systems that were welded together all along the
line - from the rear exhaust to the manifold, but the Quattro's had the
bolted joints which were easily replaceable. (I say "easily", but mine
weren't!)

Dorab (nivi@aol.com)
1993 S4
1990 CoupeQ
1986 Chevy Caprice