A4/S4/RS4 Offical Audi S4 (B8) Thread

[martinbo]

Don't know who the driver is but unless this new S4's got a really slow steering rack, this guy's using waaaayyyyyy too much steering lock. You can even hear the increase in tyre squeal as soon as he winds the lock on.

Hmmm... perhaps I'd have to drive the circuit myself but as far as I can assess - not good technique. Look, for example, at the tight left hander at 2:11, the driver turns in (too early) and winds a crap-load of lock on - way more than should be necessary for that corner. With your hands at quarter-to-three, you should end crossed up at no more than twenty-past-ten. Notice how, by turning in early, there is less inertia to pivot the car around its rear axis - hence the understeer and increasingly protestant tyres.

Useless info I suppose and totally off topic but it's driving technique like this that we endeavour to correct and is often what gives FWD and AWD cars such a stigma for being uninvolving and dull to drive.

 

[warot]

Don't know who the driver is but unless this new S4's got a really slow steering rack, this guy's using waaaayyyyyy too much steering lock. You can even hear the increase in tyre squeal as soon as he winds the lock on.

Hmmm... perhaps I'd have to drive the circuit myself but as far as I can assess - not good technique. Look, for example, at the tight left hander at 2:11, the driver turns in (too early) and winds a crap-load of lock on - way more than should be necessary for that corner. With your hands at quarter-to-three, you should end crossed up at no more than twenty-past-ten. Notice how, by turning in early, there is less inertia to pivot the car around its rear axis - hence the understeer and increasingly protestant tyres.

Useless info I suppose and totally off topic but it's driving technique like this that we endeavour to correct and is often what gives FWD and AWD cars such a stigma for being uninvolving and dull to drive.

Ok this has gotten me curious. Please note that I have 0 experience driving that fast on a track. All the times I got to drive BMW's (at Gerotek), it was for a cruise... I was not going to be "that" guy that crashes pre production cars. Barely any tire squeal and DSC didn't even activate

At 2:11, I always thought the fastest way to go around a corner is slow in, quick out. I can kind of see how you are saying he's turning in way too quick... but can you maybe explain how you would have tackled that corner?

Sorry for the OT. I've always been interested in tracking cars... never had the hardware to do it.

Btw, the S4 sounds very good.

 

[martinbo]

The big thing to note here is that, typically of an AWD car, the S4 is "forgiving" the driver's input errors.

If it were me I would have braked harder, slowing and settling the car before "flicking" it into the corner later on towards the clipping point. My hands would not shuffle around the steering wheel - this corner is not sharp enough to warrant so much lock. Once my steering input is made, it stays there at twenty-past-ten... You know that rising, right-hand hairpin on the Dynamic Handling Track at Gerotek with the hill, rocks and bushes close by on your left? Even in that corner I use no more lock than what I've described. From there on your inputs need to be very measured; imagine the throttle is linked to the steering wheel by a piece of string. When you see the corner opening up after your clipping point, start winding off steering lock whilst squeezing the throttle. You should only be at full throttle once you've completely straightened the wheels. This is the essential technique for AWD and FWD cars in a corner.

I would not be dialing in more lock. This is called ploughing and I suspect that QTV is sorting things out for the driver.

In your case for RWD, sure, you'd be turning in earlier due to the inherent cornering differences (oversteer propensity) of that layout.

 

[AudiZ]

So when the actual release date for the new s4 for North America... in Spring or Fall of 2009?

 

[duleprof]

[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, geneva]from audi world>
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[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, geneva]2009 Audi S4 First Drive: Pray for Rain[/FONT]
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http://www.audiworld.com/info/awcontacts.html[/SIZE] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva][SIZE=-1]For those of you with short attention spans, we'll cut right to the bottom line. The new B8 S4 is better than the old one. The supercharged V6 is better than the V8. The new car is lighter, faster, more fuel efficient, more rewarding to drive and cheaper to boot. The optional rear sport differential rocks - no question. The B8 S4 may be more fun than any other Audi (save for the R8) in the rain. There's no Avant for the US, and that's probably not going to change. Yes, we asked twice. Do we have your attention? Would you like to know more? Perhaps you're skeptical of these bold claims. In any case, keep reading as there's a lot more to the story... [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva][SIZE=-1]Our experience with the new S4 begins in Majorca, an island in the Mediterranean Sea nestled about halfway between Spain and Africa. With its mild climate, beautiful beaches, and picturesque mountains, Majorca is one of the premiere tourist destinations for many Europeans. Most travelers coming to the island expect clear sunny skies, and anything less could easily be interpreted as the makings of a disappointing vacation. Sun and sand may have been what Audi visualized when planning the launch of their mid-sized sport sedan, the B8 S4, on this Spanish island. Other visitors were undoubtedly irritated after being ambushed by bouts of heavy rainfall. For those of us behind the wheel of the new S4 equipped with a torque vectoring sport rear differential, the rain couldn't have been more welcome. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva][SIZE=-1]The B8 platform is the basis of Audi's latest A4, their best selling vehicle. Audi calls the all-new underpinnings a Modular Longitudinal Platform or MLP for short. The brand is banking on a "modular" system, meaning they will be able to share the same basic architecture throughout their model lines (currently A5/S5 with plans for A6/A8) to save on development, tooling and production costs. Perhaps the most notable feature of this platform is the new packaging proportions which are a departure from traditional Audi layout. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva][SIZE=-1]The wheelbases of the respective vehicle lines have been lengthened, resulting in less front overhang. Through some creative engineering, Audi has changed the relative locations of the front differential, clutch, and steering rack assemblies in order to push the engine back over 6 inches compared to previous A4/S4 offerings. The resultant effect is a more balanced weight distribution and a reduced polar moment of inertia; the car will be more willing to rotate and eagerly respond to the driver's steering inputs. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva][SIZE=-1]After a well received launch of the mainstream A4, Audi's muscular and more exclusive S4 is waiting in the wings to be sent to North American shores late 2009 as a 2010 model. Unlike the transition from the B6 to B7 S4 variants (which was largely cosmetic changes), the B8 takes the concept of a mid sized all-weather sports sedan in an entirely new direction. The revised MLP platform has improved weight distribution to 55F-45R. Instead of the previous 4.2 liter 344 hp V8, the B8 S4 is propelled by a 333 hp FSI 3.0 liter V6 with an Eaton 4-vane Roots belt driven supercharger nestled cozily between the 90-degree cylinder banks. Audi has oddly dubbed this engine as a 3.0T ("T" has typically stood for exhaust driven turbocharging in Audi's nomenclature) despite forcefully engulfing air with a "Kompressor". [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva][SIZE=-1]Yes, you read that correctly. The new and supposedly "improved" B8 S4 is down 11 thoroughbred Deutsche Pferde right out of the gate when compared to the outgoing V8 model. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva][SIZE=-1]"What's the point of that?" you may ask. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva][SIZE=-1]Hold on, pause a second, it all makes perfect sense. Long story short, this IS a stronger engine despite the slightly misleading peak output figures. Aside from the last 500 RPM of the useable rev range, the V6 engine is making more power basically everywhere. The supercharged V6 has a flat torque plateau of 325 lb-ft starting at 2,900 and carrying out to 5,300 RPM. Looking at the two output curves overlaid below, one can easily see that the V6 engine is creating more horsepower and more torque at nearly every RPM point compared to the normally aspirated 4.2 liter V8. The end effect is a more responsive engine. Area under the power curve is the secret here. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva][SIZE=-1]A broader torque curve is not the only motivation for the smaller force-fed engine. With increasing emphasis on global greenhouse emissions and reducing fuel consumption, all major automakers have been working on engine downsizing. The concept of downsizing is simple: use a lower displacement engine with forced induction to generate the power of a large engine and the fuel consumption of a smaller one. Besides an absolute improvement in efficiency, the yearly taxation benefit in many countries outside of the US (which tax vehicles according to engine size) can equate to hundreds of dollars or more. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva][SIZE=-1]Audi is one of the pioneers of this downsizing design strategy as seen in the original 1.8T. Modern technologies like direct gasoline injection and advancements in turbocharging have made this design strategy even more potent. With the 4.2 liter V8 notorious for being a gas guzzler, the decision to "re-downsize" the S4 platform was clear for Audi engineers. According to Audi, the B8 S4 uses 27% (!) less fuel than the V8 powered B7. More performance and drastically lower fuel consumption? Sounds like a winner. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva][SIZE=-1]Was this the correct decision? Has Audi abandoned the turbocharger, which has done them so well in the past? According to Audi, a biturbo direct injection version of this engine was developed in parallel. After a long testing and development process, a decisive nod was given to the mechanically supercharged version. The advantages of the mechanical supercharger are plentiful - easier to package, quicker throttle response and boost buildup and overall simplicity. [/SIZE][/FONT]