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Hi there everybody
Just for your information, to help any new people thinking about brake upgrades:
I needed new pads and generally a brake service. My disks were thin and cracking, my rear calipers weren't moving off the disk freely etc etc.
I have always used EBC Greenstuff pads because i love their bite from cold. I chose them for front and rear over Redstuff despite their being very abrasive ( friction vs adherence and all that) and not being able to cope with 600degrees+. I also freed up the rear caliper and refaced the corroded disks all round. Whilst this made some improvement to braking, it was clear that the front disks were shot as the car still shook its head during hard braking. I ordered some Tarox G88s from AMD (who replied, most couteously and quickly to my emails BTW), deciding on them over EBC Turbo Grooves, primarily because the Tarox G88s are heat-treated and Tarox just seem to have such an air of quality about them. They weren't cheap though, at £215 +VAT + Delivery.
Anyway, brake performance was instantly transformed. Much much more powerful and more modulation throughout the pedal stroke. I am honestly surprised that disks could make such a difference. They also make a very cool turbiney whirring sort of noise when pressed hard
So if anyone is thinking about disks and whether it is worth the money, I can heartily recommend the G88s for v fast road.

As an aside, WRT the £1000 to spend question, my thoughts are that I'd spend the first chunk on suspension, for sure. The S4, stock, has about 9 foot of travel at the rear due to its five person plus luggage design and rolls like a stuck pig. I put on an Eibach Pro-kit and now the car is as fast as the quattro system deserves, unrecognizably more controlled pre and mid corner. Just don't try putting five people plus luggage in it any more
After that I'd put a cat-back Milltek on it because you free up a lot of engine without stressing it any more at all.

Anyway, hope this is useful to someone Richard

Whilst I agree in principle (brakes and suspension) to your comments......

From my experience EBC green pads have little to no bite when cold (three previous cars, admitedly not the s4)........Reds are even worse. Simply not what they are designed for.

Whilst the braking force under repeated hard braking conditions is improved (ideal for track days) compared std pads. Cold bite of std pads to EBC green pads is a world of difference.

AFAIK heat treatment doesn't improve the thermal co-efficent of a brake rotor.

Slotted disks are plain annoying IMHO, tried lots of differnet patterns (alcons semi circles might work not tried them, yet), for road use the drumming noise when braking hard is irrating. They might improve pad glazing but do IMO not offer any significant improvement in stopping distance. I'd also stay away from drilled disks as they tend to crack.

FYI the US euro car 100-0 shootout had a std braked car in the top three. Repeated heavy braking is the real issue with the S4 brakes is due to it's weight putting too much heat into the pads. Race pads certainly help with this.

Go for a floating solid two peice, or a bigger rotor, this will dissipate the heat required to keep the pads in operating temperature. If you have little money to spend replace the brake fluid with advanced brake fliud like motul 6.1 and a fast road pad (Ferodo or similar) however don't expect them to bite when cold, in my experience don't.

Too combat body roll go with a stiffer anti roll bar setup, neuspeed kits seem highly respected. This will control body roll much better than any Eibach spring kit. Nothing against Eiback kits, they make some of the best springs kits in the world and they have had plenty of my hard earn't cash over the last ten years.

Most people immediately put stiffer suspension on a car, this helps only if you spend all your time on smooth surfaces. For UK roads this is perhaps 10-20% of the time depending where you live and drive. I have the RS4 suspension on mine and it's as stiff as I'd like for road use. My car does 50 miles a day across both A roads and B roads. The RS4 kit is great is truly excellent on the nice smooth A roads, but on the nasty B roads the old S4 stuff would beat it.

thanks for all that - i am now enlightened