Gravis

Quicksilver's msg above is the first I've heard about it. It would be great to get approved tuning for the S4. I'll probably chip it in the next week or so ever since I saw the 2002 M3 the other day (droooool). My dealer sells Audis and BMW so it would be such and easy upgrade to an M3... TOO easy.

I couldn't get the M3 as a winter driver though, so I would need to keep the S too. Ummm don't have enough $ for that idea tho, damn.

RogDog

But it seems more doubtful the longer the rumor remains unconfirmed.

quickersilver

The thing about Audi is, they wait until halfway or longer through their competitors' product cycles to release their new product, meaning it's obsolete within a year or two, the S4 being a prime example. We had exactly one year in the spotlight before the new M3 and C32 came out with about 100hp more each.

I personally won't be lining up when the next S4 comes out next year, only to have it destroyed by the 2004 or 2005 offering from BMW, UNLESS I see Audi making an effort to bring our performance more in line with that of their competitors, which I frankly doubt they'll do, given the seemingly infinite foot-dragging on releasing a simple chip upgrade--something which they already offer in Europe. It's like lining up to buy a computer with a Pentium II when the competitors' Pentium III is right around the corner.

This company has a lot to learn about marketing and time-to-market. Wow, here comes the RS6, only TWO AND A HALF YEARS behind the M5, with a motor which has the same displacement, AND twin turbos, and manages to develop a whopping *50* more horsepower than the non-turbo M5 motor, cleverly brought to the US market when BMW and Mercedes BOTH will be releasing lighter competitors (the next-gen M5 and E55 AMG) with more horsepower. Wow, here's the new A4 3.0: 400 pounds heavier than the 330i, with the same interior room. Wow.

I think they're gearing their entire product line towards people who DON'T read the car mags, and who DON'T realize that the competition has something better just around the corner.

Well, once bitten, twice shy is all I've got to say.

Gravis

well said.

NASA racer

And the companies that were really tight with aftermarket companies (like AMG and Mercedes) typically end up buying them out.

Might see ABT spring options or Brembo brakes (that is aftermarket) but if you think there's EVER going to be a "chip" that's approved, forget it...not a chance in hell.

George @ BostonAudi

I'll say it once more. Audi wouldn't care in the slightest if you were gone, permanantly. Not a speck. If they lost everyone on Audiworld who has ever tuned their cars, they wouldn't care. Not a speck.

Audiworld is good at warping people's perceptions of the market for Audi's but you, as someone who wants to tune your car, falls so far outside their target demographics, that you aren't even a tiny consideration of theirs. In fact, every one here who has ever tuned their car and had any work done under warranty that could even remotely be blamed on the mod (or just the fact that you've had parts of the car taken apart) has done nothing but cost them money.

So, while I understand your view and opinion, I can quite assure you Audi doesn't care in the slightest. But you want to know something? They're better than most other car companies. Far better than any other European ones.

NASA racer

through badly handling our problems and building cars with so many problems.

They are losing repeat customers faster than they're growing new ones. BMW and Mercedes have brand loyalty that Audi is unlikely ever to get by their offerings.

George @ BostonAudi

A $30k Infiniti comes with service that puts the best of Audi dealers to shame. I don't think they're stupid, either, they know that the 99% of "normal" customers are who they need to focus on.

When you choose to chase performance, you either need the money to do it, or accept the ramifications of modifying your car.

When Audi sells even 1/4 the number of cars that BMW does, things may change, but thats probably a way off.

NASA racer

their only differential advantages are 1: Quattro (if you need/like AWD) and 2. Not quite the snob brand that BMW and MB is in the US.

But I agree with Mark, they constantly trail in performance. They came to market with the A4 3.0 which STILL lags behind the 3-series BMWs in magazine review after magazine review and yet the 3-series has been there for them to test. They seem perfectly content with lagging behind in performance.

A classic example is that CVT transmission...they are making such a big deal out of that and Nissan ALREADY had one for their 240hp V6 and is going to have one for their 340hp V8 next year. BIIIIIIIGGGG DEEAALLLLLL.

If they were going to spend MILLIONS with all this motorsports activity...wouldn't you think they MIGHT just build a class leading performance car? Aparently it's more important to them to have the image than the substance.

quickersilver

...the fact of the matter is, it is Audi who has claimed that their aim is to "compete" with BMW. My problem is that if they don't go as fast, stop as quickly , handle as well, or command as much status, then they're really not competing as such, are they? Particularly when their latest A4 is *slower* than the last version.

Yes, they're more luxurious, but Mercedes' AMG cars are very luxurious, and compete with the 3-series.

And I agree, they're great cars, but due to Audi's total ineffectiveness in marketing them, they don't have much brand recognition, which means lower resale. So what if the car's initial price is $5,000 less when the depreciation is $10,000 higher? Finally, they're starting to address this issue, and actually have started marketing their cars with some well-done commercials, so this situation might change...

..but this doesn't change the fact that I don't like to shell out large amounts of change for a sedan that's getting sand kicked in its face by its competitors within a year or two of its release. This is flat-out, inexcusably stupid marketing; at least Mercedes is smart enough to release their new products within a year or so of BMW, not right before BMW brings out a new model.

Audi *could* recognize this and fix it by releasing a chip with warranty, but they haven't, which is their perogative; it is also my perogative to shop elsewhere.

Great car, but I don't like seeing the competition's taillights this soon after buying the car.