Autocar - First for car news and reviews

What is it?

The fastest and most engaging Audi S4 yet. The old 4.2-litre V8 petrol engine is gone, with a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 in its place. The new powerplant is 20kg lighter and a good deal more compact.

This has allowed Audi to mount it further back in the engine bay for a 60:40 front-to-rear weight distribution, most of the mass now residing behind the front axle line for greater balance.

Running a mechanical supercharger, the four-valve-per-cylinder unit ...Read the full article

How does 60:40 F:R compare to a typical 'FF' layout car?

1650kg? What's it made of, lead or depleted uranium?

Autocar:

The new powerplant is 20kg lighter and a good deal more compact.

Yes, but the new S4 only weighs 10kg less than the old one. Another German porker.

due to extra weight of torque vectoring diff?

Dan McNeil:

but the new S4 only weighs 10kg less

| Model | Engine | D/T | Weight | Dist F:R................................. | | Pug 407 | 3.0 V6 | F/F | 1585kg | 65.3 : 34.7 GlobalCar.com | Pug 407 | 2.0 HDi | F/F | 1505kg | 64.1 : 35.9 GlobalCar.com | VW Passat| 3.6 V6 | F/4 | 1737kg | 56.9 : 43.1 GlobalCar.com | Audi S4 | 3.0 V6/s| F/4 | 1650kg | 60 : 40 Autocar.co.uk | Volvo S80 | 4.4 V8 | F|4 | 1742kg | 61.5 : 38.5 GlobalCar.com Unfortunarely no data for Subaru Legacy 3.0R except that it dips under 1500kg, which is pretty impressive next to the VW Interesting that the Passat's nearly as heavy as the S80, a much larger car with a much larger engine. It has better weight distribution than the S4 though. Included the 407 for comparison with front drive chassis, although admittedly it's an extreme case with that ginormous front overhang!

Another area where the new S4 displays a clear advance on the model it replaces is in the quality of its ride. With the addition of electronic dampers for the first time, it gives the driver the choice between three different levels of stiffness – comfort, automatic and dynamic.

Translated from Audi to English:

borderline bad, ill at ease, and severe discomfort.