Audi B5 Generation S4

One of my “jobs” here at Car Overload is to research both new and previous versions of cars. We’re building out a nifty database that will, very soon, be available to our users. I look at engines, 0-60 and 1/4 mile times as well as differences in model generations. One of the fun aspects of this research is that I get to see how much a car has changed over time. Since we just put the first decade of this millennium to rest, I thought it might be interesting to see how some of our favorite cars have changed in the last 10 years. I think you’ll find, as I have, that there has been some amazing progress.

Let’s start off with the Audi S4.

I remember when I first saw an S4 back in 2000. I had already loved the look of the A4, but the S4 really got my salivary glands working. Looking at it now, it doesn’t look like anything special. In 2000, the S4 had a 2.7 liter turbocharged V6 putting out a, now tame, 250hp and had a respectable 0-60 time of 5.6 seconds. It got 17 mpg city and 24 mpg on the highway.

Now let’s compare that to the new S4. After fitting the S4 with a 4.2 liter V8 for the last six years, Audi has returned to a forced-induction V6 for their newest model, this time with a supercharger. The new 3.0 liter S4 produces 333hp and sprints to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. And the gas mileage has improved to 18 mpg city and 28 mpg highway. So, an added 0.3 liters in displacement, but over 80hp increase, better gas mileage, and a 0-60 time that is 0.7 seconds faster. I’d also like to add that the new S4 is one of the most attractive cars on the road. Now that’s what I call progress.

Now let’s look at the Porsche 911 Turbo. In 2001, the 996 generation Turbo was powered by a 3.6 liter flat-six engine producing 415hp. It ran from 0-60 mph in just 3.9 seconds (4.2 with the Tiptronic). This is still great performance.

The new 911 Turbo receives a 3.8 liter flat-six with 500hp! A gain of only 0.2 liters but a resulting 85hp increase. This is due to the introduction of variable turbine geometry (VTG) turbochargers that vary boost pressure based on driver input. Porsche has also been working hard on their “automatic” transmission. The new 7-speed dual clutch Doppelkupplung (or PDK for those of us who don’t speak German) transmission is now the preferred shift box. While the old Tiptronic was 0.3 seconds slower to 60 mph, the new tranny out paces the manual by 0.2 seconds. The result is a 0-60 mph time of 3.2 seconds! And that’s the manufacturer claim. Since Porsche is known for its conservative performance stats, it is possible that in the right conditions you could do the 0-60 sprint in under 3 seconds. Sounds fun! Oh, and the new Turbo gets as good or better gas mileage than the earlier generations. Not that many people buying this car would actually care.

In conclusion, these are exciting times. A lot has changed over the past 10 years and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next 10. We’ll see high-performance hybrids, exotic electric cars, and some clean diesels that will smoke, not from the tailpipe, but just about anything it races.