Dilettanteque

So, I have two friends with VW R36s. Dropping a new S4 Avant into the friendship has been a little tense for them it seems. They are full of why the cars are "pretty equivalent". So then I trot out Wards engine prizes. Torsen vs Haldex comparisons. Sports diff impact on handling (sweet, ain't it). DSG performance. How driving in theirs seems like a lot of stiffness (and, a few years on, with related rattles) to get the chassis to play nice while the S4 seems to have the road poise with damping that actually works.

Anyway, just to keep the debate ticking along, does anybody know of a nice blow by blow comparison of the two so I can seed provocative responses in when they pop their head above the parapet as they seem oh so keen to do? I haven't seen anything here in the forums. All in the name of friendly sport.

Thanks all.

DrGP

You are comparing apples to oranges.

Dilettanteque

I know that. You know that. They don't want to know that. So it is just good sport picking off the list of things that demonstrate why an apple is not an orange.

ACSGP

To me it's less Haldex vs Torsen, it's more normally aspirated vs supercharged.

I've lived with a tuned A6 3.0 NA for 10 years, and loved the fact that the throttle was instantaneous. However, driving the 3.0 TFSI has opened my mind to a forced induction car that operates like an NA with almost (just a miniscule) amount of lag. But the upside is so much more, 240 bhp vs 333 bhp, from the same amount of c.c.

How much is VW squeezing out of the 3.6? 280 bhp? In a heavy, old VW iron block, AL engine head. Handling will also be affected by the nose heaviness.

Love the R36, almost bought one, but no comparison.

carguyrob

You could also share this with them. It might make them understand the apples to oranges comparison a little better:

2010 Audi S4: Undisclosed Horsepower?

Dilettanteque

Thanks for that! That will be useful in response to the assertions both mate make regarding the cars being "roughly the same power". It is quite good fun responding to their comments with references to things that put, let's say, a different light on their beliefs.

Actually, I kind of find great similarities between the S4 and the R8