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While there are more popular options in the large executive sports sedan market, there are few that are quite as well rounded as the C4 Audi S4/S6 twins. The C4 might have been slower out of the box than the M5 and 500E/E500, but as the only turbocharged version quick tuning meant it was easily capable of pushing the same power. The real key to driving these inline-5 wonders, though, is the torque that’s available once the turbo kicks in. A wave of power seemingly able to extricate you from any situation is suddenly available, picking that heavy nose up and launching the car forwards in a symphony of rally-inspired wooshes. Add to that the legendary quattro all-wheel drive and the Audi was a useable, year-round package that has maintained a serious cult following in all areas of the country. Especially sought after these days are clean, original examples that don’t carry the easy to show wear Ecru interior. Despite the all-too-predictable Emerald Green Mica of this example, the insides are Darth Vader’s own palace – black leather with carbon trim:
I find options on cars very interesting, especially when they’re options that aren’t often selected. Every once and a while, I’ll sit down and build a car on Audi, BMW or Volkswagen’s configuration tool, all the while trying to figure out what will be the options that 20 years from now someone will pine after, or just even smile to see. Today’s S4 is a great example of just that; indeed, if you look at the window sticker, you’ll note that only two options were selected. One was the 10 Compact Disc trunk mounted changer; it was an option my 1993 V8 quattro had and in retrospect I can’t believe they got away with charging $800 for it – I’m reminded of the scene from The Wedding Singer. But that’s not the option I’m really interested in; no, what I find unique about this car is that it was specified to the no charge 15×7.5 Speedline-made option wheels with all-season tires. For a time, Audi even touted that its 15″ option wheels offered better ride quality than the competition’s huge 16″ rolling gear. It was a rarely selected option, and it’s even more rare to find the car still rolling on those wheels 21 years later:
In the U.S., few Audi models have quite such a devoted following as the 1995 S6 Avant. Not many were imported, and those that were generally have been snapped up by enthusiasts and had miles piled on to them. Some have succumbed to accidents or been organ donors, leaving even fewer on the road 20 years later. However, we have 4 today available – amazingly all in different colors. Which would be the one you would choose? Let’s start with an Emerald Green Mica example:
The Audi S4 and S6 are still one of the best performance bargains out there, but you often have to wade through a lot of examples to find some good ones. Today we have another S-Fest roundup to chose from, where you can balance price versus condition and choose the color you’d like. Which would be your ride? Let’s start with a clean and lower mile 1994:
Okay, so this isn’t the first time I’ve written up a S4 face-off, but it’s an interesting question to me. That’s because right now, clean examples of the C4 S4 are on their way up, while prices of the B5 S4 have come down and stabilized at levels that seem to be very reasonable. Compared to their equivelants from both Mercedes-Benz and BMW, both are priced very reasonably and you get a lot of performance value for your money. You also get all-wheel drive capability, a luxurious and quiet highway cruiser, a car capable of carrying 4 adults, and both a near limitless tuning potential; both are certainly capable of 600 to 1,000 horsepower, if you’re willing to foot the bills. So which would you rather have? The two in question today are quite different; a turned up C4 S4 versus a 1 owner, all original B5 – let’s start with the C4: