Rick Snyder

All,<p>I brought my Avant in for the 15K service today at Prestige Imports in Denver. I had a 2 hour wait, so I walked through the lot, like I always do to see what they have. First, very few A4s! Only a handful of 2.8s and 1.8Ts. LOTS of A6s and A6 Avants. I'm talking 60-70 cars. This really suprised me. No wonder I see them on the road all the time. So, I'm on my way back in and I notice some cars stuck up in the back, all covered in the white material used for transport, with lower fog lights. The cars look too small to be A6s...so I look closer. Sure enough....99.5 A4s.<p>There are 7 in all. 1.8Ts and 2.8s, all sedans, both 5-speed and Tip ( with the steering wheel controls ), and one sport package car. Colors were Green, the new Silver ( NICE!!! ), white, and black. The first thing you notice is the lower fog lights. These are very well done and include a nice finish. They appear bigger then the A6 fogs, but they are also set further forward, so that may just be the way they look. Next is the new headlight assembly. Unlike other A4s, the headlight and turn signal are now in one complete unit. All had what appear to be Xenon headlights, but none of the stickers mentioned Xenon anyware, so I don't know if they were or not. Next, all the wheels were exactly the same as the current wheels. This was true for the 1.8Ts, 2.8s, and Sport pack. <p>Other exterior changes that were easily noticable were the new clear side blinkers, the wider door trim ( the material the runs both doors to protect from door dings ), the new rear light assembly, and the lower badges ( on each side of the license plate and not the upper lip ). Inside changes were much more subtle. The radio is the same as it currently is, but the climate controls are different, as is the location of the switches. The hazards switch is HUGE and there is a dash cup holder ( similar to the A6 ). The wood trim is SHINNY, not dull. Surrounding the 5-speed shifter is a chrome trim piece. last, the ash tray is different. I couldn't tell if it was still there, just hidden better, or gone comepletely and replace by a storage compartment. The lower cupholders are the same....D'ough!<p>Well, I think thats about it for the 99.5s. The only thing I saw while at the dealer is the new S4 brochure. Nice, but really not that informative. No really good pictures either. My salesman said that they have almost 30 on order ( or at least waitlisted ) already. So, if you don't have your name it.....start waiting! We also talked about the new 2.7T A6, which he has driven already. He said it is purely stunning and that the engine and 6-speed combo makes the car a rocket. Oooohhhh, I am drooling already. I think that will be my next car. Or, a 2.7T A6 Avant ( If they make one )!!!!!<p>The last thing is that I heard the owner talking and I think he said that the TT coupe at the Denver Auto Show won the Best Of Show last night! Don't quote me on it, but that's what I thought I heard him say.<p>Sorry for rambling, but I wanted to make sure I got everything down before I forgot it.<p>Rick<br>98.5 Avant QMS

Andy Hedin

The headlights on the 99.5 A4's utilize a projector beam for the lows and a traditional light reflector for the highs. This is the same type of light that they use on the A6's, although the A6 does have a Xenon HID option also.<p>Andy Hedin<br>'97 A4 1.8Tqms, Wett 1.0 Bar Chip, ABT Filter, Euro Headlights...

Rob Mack

I know I've asked this before, but will the 99.5-type headlights fit into the 98.5 A4? Just curious, as these would be a better upgrade than just the Euros. Pls post!!!

Rick Snyder

Rob,<p>Since the assembly is all one peice ( headlights and turn signals ) it would be tough to say, but what I saw make me think NO.<p>The turn signal part is en entirely different shape then the current set up. It is much longer ( to the rear ) and is more rounded then the current turn signal. One of the 99.5s was parked right next to a 99 A4....so it was really easy to compare the two.<p>Sorry, but I just don't think it will work.<p>Rick<br>98.5 Avant QMS

nealr

I heard that the A6 2.8 was coming with a manual shift, and the 3.7 and 4.2 in Tip only.......what 's this 2.7T you speak of?<p><br>Neal 98.5 2.8QM(all but sport)<p>

Andrew C.

It's the S4 engine detuned slightly

nealr

....

randall

in a material as opposed to just plastic.<p>Now can anyone tell me:<br>why with all the safety features, the 3rd brake light is not LED? Proven faster light response, should be good safety feature!!!<p><br>1996 a4 2.8 qm 12v

CraigB

Excellent report! Can't wait to see the TT at the show - I'm going tomorrow.

Larry Victor

Unfortunately correct. Headlight ***'y IS different, & even the mounting parts & "nose" body parts have different part #s from 99. It's a shame the lights are not interchangeable!