Just bought a silver S4! Can I now be an official member???

[Gekko]

Found ex-demo S4 Saloon from somewhere near Skegnes over 'tinternet in 10 minutes!

Looks boring as hell but fully loaded inside.

Just need to get it debadged and it should be delivered sometime next week.

Phew!

[JYEMM]

nice one. can i just ask why you'd want it debadged?

[CliveH]

Welcome aboard Gekko!

I'm guessing the debadbing is do with adding to the stealth look, or making it less nickable, or both...?

[B6S4John]

nice one. can i just ask why you'd want it debadged?

I've just taken the badge's off mine. I know they are discreet anyway, but they get far less attention without the small RED badges.

[gregmvf4]

Not sure about the little 'V8' ones under the indicator repeaters either, tbh ...

[Gekko]

JEYEMM & CliveH

I requested it to be debadged simply to draw less attention from anyone. Initially I ordered an RS4 with my bro-in-law (Kam100) and I was so excited to see it arrive in 3 weeks. Sadly my parents' home was broken into by 4 thugs who were after keys to my Golf V6 4Motion (now sold!!) and my wife's A3 3.2 DSG (now rebadged as 2.0 FSI!) as they were parked next door on their drive since we're having ours' resurfaced. They bashed the front UPVC door in, second porch door, nicked my dad's Golf 1.6 FSI keys and didn't even bother nikcing his car. When they realised they didn't have the keys to what they wanted, scutters pegged it. My folks were in at the time barricading themselves in their bedroom. Cops caught 2 of the lads who have now been released as they couldn't prove that they were there at the break-in!

Anyway, I didn't have the heart to explain the RS4 was going to look even meaner than those cars and was much more desirable to steal... and the fact that it was a black monster with silver wing-mirrors and 19" inch wheels that could be spotted and gawped at from a mile off wasn't going to go down well.

So it's on for sale as soon as it arrives. I know the silver S4 I'm getting this weekend is still a hot motor but this one looks sooooo boring, apart from the 4 exhausts.

So that's the story!

[Burnham]

Gekko, I really feel for you...must be a bummer not getting the car you want becuase of some tax-dodging pikey scum. Still, after what happened I dont think anyone would disagree with what you are doing. One of the reasons for my change of car is that I wanted something more low key (993S to B6 S4) as I've moved house and the car is going to be street parked as opposed to driveway.

As more security and antitheft devices are in-built from the manufacturer the more criminals will break into houses for the keys. I guess thats the only benefit of me keeping my car on the street - they wont know which door to knock on!

[JYEMM]

Gekko, like the man above says, hard luck man.

Having to change your behaviour, purchasing decision and ultimately dream car simply because of of those c****. Sorry to have to use the language but that is exactly the problem I have to face too - and it gauls me something rotten.

There is insurance, but so long as they break into your house, put your family at risk, then IMO there is no material item worth that.

Unfortunate. Likewise the scummers at your property not getting charged. (And had they been, what then? 15 hrs community service? - But thats another story.)

Got any plans for the silver wing mirrors on the S4?

[Merlot]

You'll be fine with the S4. It does 90% of what an RS4 does for a fraction of the price. Try as I can I don't find my S4 Avant too slow (the Cab is a bit slower but its carrying 135kg extra) and it handles well. The DRC on the RS4 would help but a three year old S4 for £24k versus a new RS4 at £55k is an easy decision.

FWIW I was thinking about an RS4 Avant but looking at the trade value of my three year old S4 Avant (£21k) I realised that I could buy a 2nd hand S4 Cab for the cost to change to an RS4 Avant! So that's what I did so I've got two S4's for the price of an RS4.

[Gekko]

Merlot- that's phat! I was only intending to keep the RS4 for a year in anticipation of the new M3 next year, hoping that residuals would still be pretty good within a year. Then I was going to continue car hopping... now it doesn't bother me. Yes I want the performance but without the looks necessarily. So S4 for me is ideal- keeping it at least until warranty expires in Jan 2009.... then I'll probably look at new shape S4 or even new shape S6 V10 monster!

JYEMM- I specifically sought a silver S4 so that the chrome mirrors wouldn't stand out as much. That saves me spoiling a £1k pair of accessories by painting. I saw a debadged S6 saloon today in Avus silver- apart from the 2 fat exhausts & front/rear mesh, it looked quite understated... hopefully the S4 will achieve this to an more subtle degree... and I can grin sitting inside!

[Merlot]

I've got a very early M3 coming. Will debadge it and run it for a few months...but what about a Le Mans instead? Decisions!

I think that all S4's look subtle (esp B6 ones with only twin pipes) esp given that practically all other A4s these days are S Line.