The Audi S4: The S Models in the Midsize Class

Source: Audi AG

Audi adopted the letter S directly from the world of motor sport. In 1985, it appeared on a competition car from the World Rally Championship – the legendary S1. The Coupé, the last evolution stage of the Sport quattro, was a high-tech unit driven to the outer limits, which mustered up around 370 kW (approx. 500 hp) of power for its drivers.

In 1990 the letter S made its way into series production – in the S2 Coupë, whose turbocharged five-cylinder engine delivered 162 kW (220 hp). The small S family grew rapidly; its members had quattro drive and a visually understated appearance in common. At the end of 1992, Audi added an S2 Avant; one year later the sedan followed. 9,488 units of these three body variants were built up until 1995.

The first Audi A4, which was launched in 1994, also generated two S models, starting in 1997. The five-cylinder turbo made way for a newly developed twin-turbo V6; the 2.7-liter was derived from the V8 with a displacement of 3.6 liters. With five-valve cylinder heads and one turbocharger per cylinder bank it produced 195 kW (265 hp) and 400 Nm (295.02 lb-ft) of torque, which was available from as low as 1,850 rpm. Produced up until 2001, some 30,500 units of the first-generation S4 were built.

At the beginning of 2003 Audi switched its S models in the midsize class to naturally aspirated engines. The 4.2-liter V8 developed 253 kW (344 hp) and delivered 410 Nm (302.40 lb-ft) to the crankshaft at 3,500 rpm. The V8, which could also be combined with a six-speed-tiptronic, was introduced in the sedan, the Avant and the Cabriolet. Up until the model change, more than 38,000 units had come off the assembly line.

The equipment, data, and prices specified refer to the models offered in Germany. Subject to amendment; errors and omissions excepted.