Tanner

Good low end torque, or good high end hp.

Or slap a turbocharger on it

But BMW and Audi will continue to leap frog each other every few years.... next M3 should be good, though it still looks like crap.

Carmine_S4

BMW has their "regular" and their M cars
Merc has their "regular" and their AMG cars.

Audi has their "regular", their "S" and then their "RS".

Until an RS version comes out, it's always the S vs the M and the AMG. The S most times falls short. My B5 and even the B6 S4's aren't favourably compared too often to the current M3. Forget the B5, but the B6, coming out after the M3, is barely a match...especially in the "sport" department.

Then the RS4 comes out...years after the M3, much more expensive than an M3 and they directly compare it. The S is forgetten...yup...you guys who blew 70 G's on Audi's sport brand...who are you again? The new M3 will likely come out and blow the doors off the both the S4 and the RS4.

Similar to the S6. Great car, but it's going to take the RS6 to really take on the M5.

I guess the long-winded question is: Why does Audi have this 1/2 tier that they muddle around in? Why not give me an S4 that's an M3 beater and an RS4 that's an M3 killer?

hemants

Fuga is more like an A6
STS is more like an A8

hemants

Probably trying to avoid competition by staggering between classes.

Tanner

Though at the same time, Audi is trying to keep the RS exclusive.

Don't really have any problems with that, there are too many M3s around here nowadays that it's a common thing. Whereas the odd RS here and there really gets people's attention.