Future competition for the new S4's? Any thoughts? (detail inside)
 

Hey guys what's up. I was just reading through one of my Car and Driver mag's with a preview for the new E90 M3 rated at 400bhp. Anyways, it states in black and white and is quite obvious that this is a competitor of the RS4's and will likely be the new generation's M3 vs. S4.

That being said, my question is:
Once they stop producing the E46 M3, what true competitor with the S4, the RS4's little brother stand against. It seems to me that it might be possible for the S4 to stand alone unchallenged unless a future car that I'm not aware of will target it. Any thoughts?

There are rumors of a turbocharged BMW 335i with about 330 hp

I've heard that too

Adding FSI to the current S4 engine will get it to about 375 HP
 

25 hp less than the 400 hp M3 but a lot less expensive which will give Audi a sales advantage. Many buyers will not care about the 25 HP difference and think 375 hp is enough. BTW, we all bought ours with 340hp. Also the RS4 will have more Hp than the M3 for those that just have to have it and are willing to pay for it.

The Lexus IS 350 may be some competition...
 

I think it will be a bit slower, but 4 door lux vehicle, under 6.0 second acceleration--I don't think it will be offerred in a manual though.<ul><li><a href="http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/lexus_is350.asp">http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/lexus_is350.asp</a</li></ul>

those high strung toyota v6 motors are NOT even a close competitor...