Corey S

Keep in mind I just came out of a heavily modified Wett 97 1.8tqm.

Power: Gobs and gobs of power over the entire range of rpms. You can literally drive this car at 1800rpm, but if you really want power, keep it above a measly 3000rpm and it hauls ***. Not explosively last anywhere, just a solid pull no matter how fast you're going. Turbo lag down low is more prevalent than I was expecting, but while over 3000rpm, the lag reduces significantly. You can see by my mileage that the car is broken in, so I threw the hammer to the floor a few times. Very solid acceleration all the way up to 110 mph (had to let off), I was in the upper part of 4th gear. 3rd and 4th gear are amazing for passing while at highway speeds, and 5th gear will do the trick, too. 6th gear actually has a respectable amount of torque, if you don't want to bother with downshifting. In layman's terms, I'm all grins. A chip, filter, and exhaust is gonna make this thing dangerously fast. I can't wait.

Gearbox: Much much different than my A4's 5-speed. Kinda notchy, longer throws, no good guides between 2-3 or 4-5. The diagonal shifts take concentration and finesse. On my A4, I could fly around that gearbox with 2 fingers. I hope the gearbox loosens up. Oh, and the downward spring (for reverse) is too soft. I find myself pressing the shifter down between a couple different shifts. Annoying. Definitely gonna require a lot of practice to master this gearbox for good timing, rev-matching, and quick shifts.

Handling: The suspension is tighter than I was expecting. I've only ever driven one A4 sport, and I think this is just a hair stiffer. Not sure. The ride is very nice as is. Definitely a serious high speed cruiser. But, if you know what my A4 had done to it, and what I did with it at the track, you know the stock suspension is not good enough. There's too much body roll, the car gets a little too floaty over wavy surfaces. The tires are not nearly as good as the S-02's. The sidewalls feel soft, and the grip is so-so. Cornering can be much improved. Under heavy braking, these tires also give up way to early. ABS jumped in too help much earlier than I expected. I'm sure my A4 with S-02's and stock brakes could easily outbrake this car, mostly because of the tires. I can't wait to feel the brakes with good rubber on there.

Interior: Beautiful. The blue alcantara is gorgeous. It's better looking than I was expecting. The Bose stereo is all and all much better than the non-Bose I had in my 97 A4. The seats feel more supportive than my old seats (and they were sport seats). The leather feels and smells great (I've never had leather interior before). The trip computer is a neat toy. The important controls are exactly the same as my A4 was.

Exterior: Nogaro is very striking. I love it. I really dig how the styling is almost as deceptive as the A4's. Quite understated, especially when you know what's under the hood. I wish it had flared fenders like the RS-4, though. I don't like the wheels. I mean, they follow Audi's current design themes, but they're not for me. Looking for replacements that will fit (18", of course). Oh yeah, the car needs to be lowered, too.

Overall, I have no regrets dropping my awesome 1.8T for this car. As soon as I get the suspension, wheels, and tires dialed in, this car will just rip.

Corey S
'00 S4

Mike Zamarocy

How do you think it will do in AS???? Specially if I put Toyo T1 or S02 tires on it? I don't want to go back into ST or SP anymore. But I just KNOW I will miss the lowered car I have now! But at least I can put KONI's and an exhaust on it (another Suppertrapp, ha ha???).

And sadly, I'll probably have to let the new Ronal R7's go with the car. They are 1/2" too wide to be allowed in Stock Class, and I really like them too!!!