[Note - this is copied from something posted on a Saab forum so some of the detail might seem a bit NSS to readers on here....]
I had to pop up to Teesside on Saturday so took the chance to swing by the Audi dealer and try out the new "B9" model S4 to compare with my outgoing "B8.5" car. While I was there they happened to have one of the last of the B8 RS4s on the forecourt, THIS 2015 model. I'd not driven one before, but a pal at work has just replaced his V8 Vantage with one and was raving over it, so I figured....let's give that a whirl too.
It was a very interesting comparison.
Although on the outside it has the very aggressive front end with flared arches and wider wheels/track, inside it's almost identical to my car, except for an all-black interior including headlining (ugh!), real carbon fibre trim on the dash and a thicker rimmed perforated leather flat-bottomed steering wheel. Mine has all the Audi Drive Select features of the RS4 as options, so I could quickly set up the behaviour of the damping, the rear diff, and the exhaust.
The RS4 has a 4.2 NA V8 with a very throaty exhaust. It revs to 8500 and delivers 450bhp at 8250rpm & only 430Nm at 4000-6000.
To drive, it felt much more agricultural and visceral than the S4, with more drive chain chatter from the V8 and a harsher, clunkier gearchange from the DSG but still quite smooth. The exhaust note was just gorgeous, really lush old skool V8 burble with a brutal roar when provoked. That definitely appealed to my inner dad-racer. The ride was very similar to my S4, helped by wider and slightly taller tyres (265/35 vs 255/35). But enough of that, what was it like to drive?
0-60 takes 4.7 and 0-100 10.1. Make no mistake, it's fast, and if you're willing to rev the nuts off it it's absolutely devastating. Yet I found myself underwhelmed. It was just like a big version of Fiona's Civic Type R. You couldn't call it gutless below 5000 but it wasn't impressive. In normal use, on B roads or winding A roads, I think mine would be quicker A to B because its engine is so much more flexible.
This is precisely why I like forced induction engines with lots of mid range grunt, and it's why Saab invented the family-car-with-turbo in the first place. Big displacement power and torque without the downside. And over the years forced induction engines have just got better and better. What's the point in a road car that doesn't really come on song until 5000rpm? That goes for some turbo applications too, like the big Evos and some big turbo Saab applications that we've seen in recent years. I don't get it.
The new car has a turbocharged 3.0 V6 rather than the supercharger on mine, with the turbo mounted close to the heads in the V. This gives it a bit more torque than mine, 500Nm over 440, and power up from 328 to 354bhp. It's certainly quicker. There is a brief throttle lag when you first nail it in the mid range, say 3000rpm, and then it lifts up its skirts and flies. The supercharged engine has, understandably, slightly better throttle response, but there's not much in it. I really like the new one, the ride is smooth as silk while staying firm and controlled. The new 8-speed box is even smoother than my 7-speed. 0-60 is down from 5.1 to 4.9 - and it feels like it's about 10% quicker right through to the ton.
THIS ONE I drove doesn't have the sport diff that I have, and it was noticeable when hoying it into an open roundabout and applying power that it understeered noticeably, whereas mine will do the exact opposite.
Inside, the new car comes with updated Supersport seats as standard instead of being an expensive option on mine. The fancy digital dash display has a huge amount of customisation possible. The central screen is a bit naff though. Good size, but it looks like an afterthough. I don't know why they didn't make it more integral to the whole dash layout. Ergonomics are improved over the old car, particularly the knob you use to scroll through the menus which on mine is suited for a LHD car and use with your right hand - you have to scroll anticlockwise to go down a menu which is counter-intuitive. On the new one they've fixed that.
Performance wise, 0-60 in 4.9, 0-100 in 11.3 so about a second quicker than mine, 354bhp at 5400-6400 and 500Nm from 1370-4500 - that's obviously got more to give with some mapping!
I'm going to try out a few other cars that I'm interested in (I really fancy a Macan GTS but can't quite bring myself to spend the money) but I suspect my search will end up being for a low mileage B9 S4 with the right spec. Or maybe an S5 sportback, again with the right spec...
