2010 Audi S4, S5, R8: High-tech and style

Sep 12, 2009

Special to the Star

SONOMA, CALIF.–Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.

While that old adage has little relevance in the car biz these days, Audi can arguably sing it with some credibility, having recently won a string of 24 Hours of Le Mans (okay, Peugeot took it this year) and seeing a worldwide sales increase despite the economic meltdown.

Granted, the hugely successful R8, R10 and R15 Le Mans racers bear no resemblance to Audi's road vehicles, but there is a steady stream of trickle-down technology that makes its way to the cars we drive.

Audi began racing with FSI direct injection in 2000, and now it is the first automaker in North America to use this more efficient and cleaner injection technology in all of its gasoline-powered vehicles.

The diesel-powered R10 TDI, launched in 2005, ran away with just about every race it entered. With half of all passenger cars sold in Europe being diesel-powered, it's no mystery as to why Audi wanted to explore those frontiers. And of course quattro all-wheel-drive, the cornerstone of Audi's identity, gained fame in the rally cars of the early '80s.

For Canadians who want to feel all racy in their Audis, there are three new performance models for 2010.

2010 S4 and S5

The 2010 S4 sedan, based on the refreshed 2009 A4, ditches the previous S4's 340 hp 4.2 L V8 for a more efficient 333 hp 3.0 L supercharged V6. It's a free revving unit that develops a healthy 325 lb.-ft. from 2,900 to 5,300 r.p.m. I do miss the old car's sonorous V8 soundtrack, but I don't miss its front-heavy disposition.

This 2010 S4 feels much lighter on its feet and is less prone to understeer, thanks to the marginally lighter engine, 60 per cent default rear-bias quattro drive and a repositioning of the front wheels and clutch, allowing the V6 to sit farther back in the chassis.

The S4 Avant (wagon) is no longer available in North America, which is a disappointment for family types who might want to spice up their domestic existence.

The base six-speed manual 2010 S4 starts at $52,500, which is close to $20,000 less than the 2008 S4 (there was no 2009 model). This puts it in line with the $51,500 300 hp BMW 335i xDrive. If, however, you want to throw extra money at your S4, Audi has a bucket of new tech available.

A twin-clutch seven-speed S-tronic transmission with paddle shifters adds $1,600. It is quick shifting, smooth and delivers better fuel economy than the manual. Also available is an active rear differential ($1,500) that pays handling dividends by overdriving the outside wheel in bends, essentially pushing the car around the corner. It is also linked to the electronic stability program, meaning the S4 has the option of powering you out of trouble, instead of just braking individual wheels and/or reducing torque.

The Premium Trim S4 ($57,200) adds 19-inch alloys (up from 18s), Silk Nappa leather, rear parking sensors, adaptive headlights, Homelink, Audi Side Assist and Advanced Key with Start Button. Available with this trim level is Audi Drive Select ($4,000 including active differential and adaptive magnetic dampers) which allows you to tailor throttle, steering, transmission, rear differential and magnetic damping characteristics.

To Audi's credit, this tech comes together in a cohesive whole, making for a swift and comfortable sedan that shows a real appetite for challenging roads. Meaty steering too, which is something lacking in Audis of late. Although spec'ed like this, its $62,800 price is within spitting distance of the rip snortin' $63,500 451 hp V8 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.

The 2010 S5 Cabriolet ($65,900), with its quick folding fabric top, uses all the same mechanical bits as the S4 although the manual transmission is not offered. The S5 Coupe keeps its mellifluous 4.2 L V8.

2010 R8 5.2 L V10

And so we come to Audi's all-aluminum halo car, the two-seat mid-engined R8 that gets an extra wallop with the addition of a Lamborghini-sourced dry-sump 525 hp 5.2 L V10. It screams to a racy 8,700 r.p.m. and makes 391 lb.-ft. at 6,500 r.p.m.

This is 105 horses and 74 lb.-ft. more than the original 4.2 L V8 version, which is still available as a 2010 model at $141,000.

A six-speed manual with the sexiest aluminum shift gate around is standard equipment. The optional sequential six-speed R-tronic with paddle shifters is a mixed blessing, its $11,500 price tag notwithstanding. This uses single-clutch technology, not the smoother twin-clutch type, and it's lurchy in day-to-day motoring. Better suited to track work.

Visual cues to the R8's extra pair of cylinders include unique 19-inch alloys, larger side intakes, black high-gloss grilles (the front with chrome slats) and oval exhaust tips.

Having been somewhat smitten by the V8-powered R8 4.2, I'll confess to being a little concerned that its purity might have been compromised with the V10.

Yeah, right. After some track time at Infineon Raceway here and a week behind the wheel of one here at home, I doubt that anyone shelling out $173,000 for this surprisingly comfortable, user-friendly, supremely crafted and blindingly fast supercar will miss the V8.

About the only thing it loses is the sweet song of that 4.2 L bent-eight. Not to say the V10 doesn't have its own aural signature. Pile on the revs and it belts out a feral raspy wail that equals the ferocity of its thrust.

Standard with the 2010 R8 5.2 is navigation, Nappa leather seats, impressive Bang & Olufsen sound, and the world's first all-LED headlight system. And instant celebrity status.

The R8 is hand-built at a special factory in Neckarsulm, Germany at the rate of about 20 per day. Place an order now and you'll be lucky to see it by the spring.

Toronto Star