Kicking S: Behind the Wheel of Every Audi S Car

Don't be sick with envy that I drove the entire collection of Audi's S and RS cars — high-performance versions of their small, midsize and full-size sedans. Be sick that nine or 10 other writers sent RSVPs for this one-day event and didn't show up. Sick, sick, sick. I mean, where else can you drive four cars totaling 1,645 horsepower and $322,795 in retail price — $6,800 of it gas-guzzler taxes? The inconceivable loss of those no-shows was our gain, though, because there were more cars than drivers, and in a short time I was able to buckle the pavement in the new S4 Cabriolet, the RS4, the S6 and the S8.

I'll start with the S4 Cabriolet with six-speed manual ($54,640 base, $60,785 as equipped).

Cabriolet is not a red wine. That's cabernet. Cabriolet is the French word for convertible, which doesn't explain its popularity among German automakers, but there you have it. Based on the A4 Cabriolet, this version got the same upgrades that turned the A4 sedan into an S4. Compared to the A models on which they're based, all the S cars have more power, a lowered ride height, firmer suspension, bigger tires, a 10 percent faster steering ratio and distinctive interior and exterior elements.

Compared to the A4's 2.0-liter four-cylinder and optional 3.2-liter V-6, the S4's 4.2-liter V-8 is a monster. Audi says its 340 horsepower propels the S4 Cab to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and covers a quarter mile in 14 seconds. I must say, though, that I was a little surprised by the modest thrust at low speeds — typically not what you get from a big V-8. The specs later confirmed a relatively low torque peak of 302 pounds-feet at 3,500 rpm, which explains the anticipation when launching from a standing start. Also, the Cabriolet is almost 400 pounds heavier than the sedan, and that's a lot. (Audi says the S4 sedan hits 60 mph a half-second faster.) The manual transmission is easy to use, with a telepathic clutch pedal. The shifter does the job, though it's slightly rubbery and imprecise. During downshifts, the accelerator consistently exhibited a lag in response when I blipped it — to raise the engine rpm before letting the clutch out. This is all too common nowadays, but it's particularly bothersome in such a performance-oriented car.

The Cabriolet is as nose-heavy as the sedan, which is not always true of convertibles. This is a drawback when it comes to handling. The Quattro all-wheel drive prevents wheelspin but doesn't do enough to balance the weight in aggressive cornering. In the end, this isn't my favorite S car. The steering is a little too light and numb, and though the brakes stop the car quickly, the pedal is numb and doesn't provide fine enough control. But we're just getting started with these S cars. In the next installment I address the RS4 — which is what you get when engineers look at the S4's shortcomings and set about fixing them...