Audi S4 auto 2004 review

Performance cars capable of punching bullet holes in distance scenery once tended to stick out in the traffic. Overtrack, fat tyres arched by extravagant wheel blisters were a dead giveaway. So were muscle-bound body parts and seemingly compulsory air scoops in bonnets and wings.

Skunk stripes were optional but fairly commonplace – as was eardrum-numbing big-bore exhausts which sent you silly.

How times have changed. Today's fast-car buyers are dramatically more conservative than go-quick enthusiasts of the past.

Explore the 2004 Audi S4 range

• Audi S4 manual 2004 review
• Audi S4 auto 2004 review
• Audi S4 Avant 2004 review
• Audi S4 2004 review
• Audi S4 Avant 2004 review: snapshot

Car companies have educated punters to be more circumspect and less showy.

BMW has its sinfully quick M cars, Mercedes-Benz its AMG speed machines, Jaguar its R cats and Alfa Romeo the time-honoured GTA insignia.

And Audi has its S models – the progeny of the legendary Audi Quattro which was unstoppable in world rallies in the 1980s.

All the letter cars are conservatively dressed, but known – at least by car connoisseurs – as signs of upper-class style and high-output engines.

The latest road racer dressed in an executive business suit is the 2004 S4 version of Audi's A4 series – a car which looks elegantly restrained yet packs a massive punch.

The car – available also in Avant body guise – rockets from zero to 100km/h in a lightning 5.6 seconds.

But it is the magnificent manner in which the S4 goes through its dynamic paces with safe, sure, precise handling that comes with permanent all-wheel drive that impresses most.

The S4 is a masterpiece which thrills the senses of those who appreciate the finer attributes of a top-shelf cars.

The four-door, four-seat sports sedan and wagon get awesome power – a redoubtable 253kW – from a refined 4.2-litre V8.

Unlike the engine in the previous S4 – a 2.7-litre bi-turbo V6 – the V8 is a highly developed, naturally aspirated unit.

As well as its impressive output, the engine is noted for its short, lightweight design which allows it to slot into a car the size of the S4. Audi engineers, drawing from the brand's motorsport program, have reduced the weight of moving parts as part of their quest for better response characteristics.

The engine breathes through five valves a pot – three intake and two exhaust – and revs out to 7000rpm. However, it generates its lusty maximum torque of 410Nm at half that engine speed.

Technical specs aside, the pulse-quickening engine races from standstill to self-imposed limits like lightning. The engine can be mated to either a close-ratio, six-speed manual gearbox or six-speed reactive automatic with Tiptronic controls – both rapid action units which make major contributions to pure driving pleasure.

The test car ran the Tiptronic auto – a specification which is accounting for 70 per cent of S4 sales.

It would take a very good driver indeed to take an S4 on a racetrack and reach the car's upper performance and handling limits.

So before those involved in road safety voice their disapproval, note should be taken that the car is set up to perform with a high level of tolerance and stopping power to match forward thrust.

Handling is superlative. So is the general balance of the vehicle, braking and the stability control.

Every invention designed to keep a car on the intended path is included in the S4 package.

So while the asking prices are far from cheap for the S cars and wagons, the dynamics combine with the long list of standard features tend to underscore the value.

And remember, the S4 runs Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system which has been so well proven in race and rally cars and contributes in no small way to the safe working of the vehicle.

Only subtle additions are made to the body of the volume members of the A4 line-up to signify it is the sports version S4.

Bumpers are fully painted, large air intakes appear in the bumper, xenon headlights light up the world ahead and there is tasteful use of titanium-coloured trim.

From the rear, dual exhaust tailpipes on each side tell their own story. And from the side, special-design 18in alloy wheels and 345mm ventilated brake discs and a discreet spoiler identify the S model.

Inside, Recaro sports seats ensure firm lateral support and excellent comfort not just at the front but in the rear as well.

The steering wheel is leather-bound which, on the automatic, features motorsport-inspired Tiptronic shift paddles.

The fascia is very sporty with carbon fibre inlays or optional grey birch.

At a glance

Do not make the mistake of calling someone who can afford a street-legal road racer like the S4 socially irresponsible.

He/she is indeed mega-fortunate to have the buying power to afford such dynamics. It is not a poser's car – because those unfamiliar with Audi S cars will not even know what it is.

Those who get to drive the car generally will be skilful, responsible drivers who will probably spend 25 hours a day savouring what it has to offer.

And that is stunning performance, amazing roadholding, magnificent agility and wondrous stability.

Add all the superlatives in the book and the case for an S4 cannot be overstated.

S4 sedan prices are $129,500 for the manual and $132,500 for the automatic. Avant model prices are $3000 more.