German Car Forum

No V8, but Still Thrilling. Really


The 2009 Audi S4 sedan finally comes close to actually satisfying all of our expectations of an Audi S car, even on track day.

We get just as excited as anyone when we drive an Audi RS6 with that awesome turbocharged V10 mojo. But given current needs, the Audi V10 can seem like heinous overkill, and indeed such engines have a problematic future, regardless of said overkill's sweetness.

Meanwhile the S-line of Audi variants hasn't been too thrilling up until now. It's been good stuff, but more like luxury trim matched with big horsepower, like an old-fashioned Mercedes-Benz. Even the Audi S5 with its perennial 4.2-liter Audi V8 has fallen short of our expectations for suitable S-line specialness.

Given this, it says a lot that the new 2009 Audi S4 sedan has busted through our wall of skepticism. There's no twin-turbo V10, but it's got a real engine. And this time the S-line designation really means something.

Supercharging Returns to Audi

The 3.0-liter V6 TFSI engine in the new Audi A6 range is the first supercharged Audi engine in several decades. In standard form, the Roots-type Eaton supercharger provides max boost pressure of 11.6 psi, delivering 285 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque for the A6. For the 2009 Audi S4, this same engine with the same boost results in 329 hp and 324 lb-ft of torque. With the standard six-speed Getrag manual transmission in place, this power gets the S4 sedan to 100 km/h (62 mph) from a stop in just 5.1 seconds, while the optional S tronic seven-speed dual-clutch transmission gets you there in 5.3 seconds. Which is plenty quick either way.

The supercharger here is almost identical to the four-lobe unit used for the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V. On the quaint, narrow roads of Mallorca and during several heated laps of the local racing circuit, the clear benefits of supercharged power could not be denied. While you're best off keeping revs up in the sweet spot over 2,900 rpm where all the torque kicks in, most of the power is available from way down low thanks to the no-lag raison d'être of a supercharger.

After the massive deceleration customarily required to set up any heavily understeering, all-wheel-drive Audi for correct entry into a curve and then properly set up for full hookup from all four tires upon exiting said curve, turbo lag and surge are not quite what you want when you hit the throttle. The quick surge of response from a supercharger does this trick in far better style.


Full Article: 2009 Audi S4 First Drive on Inside Line


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