Re: Road & Track on the new S4

[ti@amb.org (Ti Kan)]

Virtual Bob writes:
> > Yes, but I think the car they tested might have been a Euro-spec S4.
> > The interior pictures are clearly from a Euro-spec S4...ecru leather
> > seats and door panel inserts, carbon fiber trim.  The US-spec S4 only
> > ...
> 
> I think so, too. I thought *our* S4 is suppose to be 0.4 sec slower to
> 60mph. Since it's so detuned (almost 50ft-lb down from Euro?) that it will
> go "unmodified" in the A6tt.

I think the R&T test car is a US-spec car, because it has a speedometer
in mph and its rear license plate trough is the narrow US-style.  It is
likely a pre-production/demo unit, though; which explains the "incorrect"
trims.

The US-spec S4 engine has less output than the Euro version (15 less
horsepower and 36 lb-ft less torque) but the Euro model's 0-100km/h (0-62mph)
time of 5.6s seconds is probably conservative, and the US car's performance
certainly doesn't seem to suffer for the "lesser" engine.

In Car & Driver magazine's comparo test of the US S4 against the
BMW M3/M-B C43/Saab 9-3 Viggen, they got 0-60mph in 5.6s and 14.2/98mph
for the 1/4 mile, not too different than the R&T results.  This is a
proper US-spec model in Nogaro Blue and all the correct trimmings...

Perhaps the US S4 has shorter gearing?  R&T shows that the US S4 has the
following gear ratios:

1st		3.50:1
2nd		1.89:1
3rd		1.23:1
4th		0.97:1
5th		0.81:1
6th		0.68:1
Final drive	4.11:1

Does anyone know what the Euro S4's ratios are?

-Ti
96 A4 2.8 quattro
84 5000S 2.1 turbo
80 4000 2.0
-- 
    ///  Ti Kan                Vorsprung durch Technik
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