I saw some 2002 models at Anderson-Behel today. They are kept in the back of the back lot. One A4 at least is already sold, a blue sport model with Tip, IIRC. The sport suspension height is very good, low enough that many aftermarket modifiers may be satisfied. Very low profile tires, perhaps made practical by suspension improvements. One non-sport version (silver) with M-S tires was on hand, and the ride height was very large in comparison. One sport silver car was present; don't recall the engines on any of these.

One A6 3.0 Quattro was on hand. The front looks identical to my 2001 4.2, with split grille, flush headlight washers, and so on. I am not sure if it has the same front-end dimensions as the 4.2, but given the similarity, I would suspect Audi took the opportunity to make them all the same. This would also have allowed a bit more room for the new 3.0 engine.

I finally noticed how the new Tip shifter is configured. Gone are the old 4, 3, and 2 positions (which I still find useful, despite using the Tip gate at times as well). Instead, a new S position is there, apparently the new sport shift program.

All cars have the new aluminum trim on the dash gauges. On the A4, there is a rectangular aluminum trim around the central readouts, a mistake asthetically. I am not fond of the Al ring on the steering wheels... I like the wide, textured circle on the recent models.

After seeing so many pictures, and video on a recent Motorweek (watch for a full test report any day now), the car looks about as I expected: a cross between the previous A4 and a modernized A6. the rear end does not look round at all. I predict that, in a few months, the old duck tail will look dated.

I was told that sales are slower, and perhaps transportation of cars was disrupted by recent events (even our friends in Hawaii were prevented from taking boat and helicopter trips, and food supplies were scarce for a few days). As a result, the rollout of new models is delayed, persumably to move more of the 2001 models. The salesman couldn't wait to get the new A4 on the showroom floor, expecting brisk sales (relatively).

 

Het Stoney, did you get to see the wheel on the A6? had TIP controls?

 

it's texture sucks donkey *****. They've dumped the very nice leather-textured softer plastic of the '00-'01 A6s in favor of the fine pebbley harder (read ****ty) plastic that is sadly found on the allroad. What dumbass decided to put this low-budget, crappy, Kia plastic in an otherwise outstanding high-material-quality interior. It stands out like a sore thumb that's been up the designer's ***!!! I'm sure this crappy plastic is gonna be on the wife's S6 wheel...that will suck...maybe I'll find a way to change it, hmmm, gotta start thinking about that one.

Sorry to get so worked up about a freaking steering wheel but it really sucks!!!

 

sure? might it be only in the 3.0?

 

I use the 4 position on the tip alot. Around town it prevents the transmission from getting into 5th all the time and dropping the revs to below 2K where the torque falls off

 

but I suspect the plastic still sucks ...maybe I can retrofit a current S4 wheel on there...I like that one

 

Cheers to that. I can't believe it sometimes when I'm in town and see 1K rpm. Gimme 6 on the floor!

 

maybe I'm just easy to fool.

 

I mean the plastic center part covering the airbag, not the rim

 

Funny - last week a svc guy at A-B said one month for '02's!