Fastest stickiest Audi? Opinions welcome.

[Fringe Ryder <fringe@ai.net>]

>
>Grand Prix motorcycle road-racer stopped dragging knees :-(
>Seeks new meaning in life...  Trying to replace thrill of 150+ HP, 285lb, 2G
>joy-ride.  Must flatten eyeballs and corner on rails.  Prefer Audi.  Am I
>dreaming?
>
>Question #1:  Does Quattro offer better dry handling than NON Q? 
>Question #2:  Opinions re: the subject line?


That's been a debate for a long time.  Under dry conditions, the Audi
skidpad values are lower than the equivalent BMW and the slalom is slower.
However, the Quattro often does better than the non-Quattro of the same Audi
for the skidpad.  

That doesn't give you a full picture of handling, but it does tell you that
perhaps AWD isn't the most important part.

Of course, the lack of Quattro gives you something else critical for great
handling - less weight.

To be honest, I wouldn't be buying a Quattro if I still lived in Los
Angeles.  It's a nice car, but the BMWs feel tighter and more tossable.
However, I now live in the PNW, where ice and frozen bridges are around much
more than I'd anticipated.  The BMWs are apparently better than most cars
for that, but not close to Audi Qs or even Subaru.

Regards