After having a conversation with George from Fourtitude last night and a bit of digging it was discovered that North America will retain it’s 6MT options for the 2013 S4 and S5! Something Europeans will not have the luxury of choosing. Their only option will be the S-Tronic (DSG) transmissions.
In a move you don’t always see from Audi, we’ve stumbled across an interesting turn of events surrounding manual transmissions in next year’s facelifted S4 and S5. When a friend from Audi AG pointed out to us that he couldn’t get a manual transmission in a 3.0 TDI A5 Sportback and then another our friend Mike Juergens from QuattroWorld mentioned to us the lack of manual gearboxes for S4 and S5 on the latest configurator at http://www.audi.de, we’ll admit we were a bit distressed.
Of course the trend toward more S-tronic (a.k.a. DSG) transmissions by the logical Germans makes sense on paper. Faster shifting, better fuel economy and faster straight line performance makes the manual transmission obsolete… at least on paper. Even with these benefits though, enthusiasts most often choose the manual because for some it feels more engaging.
The story continues at Fourtitude
A bestseller has become even more attractive: Audi has updated the A4 series. New solutions for efficiency, driving dynamics and infotainment, along with an even more attractive design, attest the “Vorsprung durch Technik” achieved by the A4 Sedan, the A4 Avant, the A4 allroad quattro and the S4.
Design
The A4 is Audi’s bestseller – for 39 years now and in its eighth generation. The brand has sold ten million such models in total. The A4, with its elegance, sportiness and emotional appeal, forms the centerpiece of the Audi brand. And now the design has become even more clearly defined and striking in all models – the Sedan, the Avant, the allroad quattro and the S4.
The new look further accentuates the horizontal lines at the front end. The engine hood is more arched, the upper corners of the single frame grille are tapered, and the cross ribs and the Audi rings are highlighted three-dimensionally. The grille is painted gray, with high-gloss black on the six-cylinder models or in combination with the S line exterior package. The redesigned bumpers are striking with their angular air inlets, their revised grilles and the flat front fog lights. The A4 allroad quattro is distinguished by its grille’s horizontal chrome applications and by the round fog lights. Continue reading ‘The new Audi A4 and the new Audi S4′
