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Racing Audi’s ‘S’ models

How the fast and the luxurious test on a desert Formula One circuit

Five seconds after jamming down the accelerator, Bahrain’s Formula One circuit is blurring past us in a blaze of burning rubber, desert sun and the weight of heavy black metal and leather. This is the absolute top of the food chain: Audi’s fastest, most luxurious and expensive sports saloons tested from standstill to top speed. That’s right until you reach the red line, and then jump on the brakes with everything you’ve got, grinding the brakes down in a sickening, crushing vice that jars the car down to an absolute, shuddering (that’s half you, half car) stop. All you’re left with is a lingering thrill, weak knees and the smell of hot brakes. And yes, proof that the ABS does work.
So how does this famed manufacturer sell it’s sports line-up? It invites journalists from around the world to the Bahrain International Circuit, gives them the keys to about 50 cars, and tells them to drive as fast as they can, stop as quickly as possible, throw them wildly around slalom courses and generally challenge them to annihilate the vehicles.
It also proves that cars last longer than automotive journalists. At least around corners.

Building a sport

While larger names in the German automotive industry have been splashing through advertising, Audi has been busy racing. In 1980, the company invented quattro permanent four wheel drive, signalling a revolution in rally sport. This revolution reached its peak in 1985 in the Audi Sport quattro S1 – the forefather of all Audi S models. As one of the most powerful world championship rally cars of all times, it inspired people not just because of its 600hp but also because of its two successive wins in the legendary Pikes Peak mountain race in Colorado.

Starting in 1990, S technology that had been successfully tested on the racetrack made its debut on the road in the guise of the Audi Coupe S2 – the designated successor to the ‘Ur-quattro’ (original quattro). Inspired by this success, a self-contained family of S models grew over the years, from the S3 to the S4 and the S6, all the way up to the S8. Since then, a total of around 150,000 S models in the various model series have been produced.

S4: Better with the top off

Imagine a long string of red cones stretching in front of you, making a sharp U-turn before heading back. Then imagine a gorgeous sports cabriolet, top down, at the starting point, and an Audi race driver handing over the keys. What do you do? First, hit the gas, and, as you near the first cone, swerve right. As you pass it, swerve left, and then repeat the procedure till you reach the end of the line. Whatever you do, don’t brake. That’s for later when you want to check the ABS. As you come abreast with each cone, leave the accelerator – as you pass it, press down. Twist, lurch forward. Leave it before you reach the U-turn, or you’ll go too fast, the ABS will kick in and choke down on the engine. Steadily screech through the curve, and accelerate out. Repeat the slalom on the way back. That’s how you test an S4. We guarantee you’ll run out of guts before it does.

We also tested the ABS. Kick down towards a barrier of cones till you reach around 100kmph, and, just when the blood drains out of your head, jump on the brake as hard as you’d shove a sledgehammer through a plum cake. For added effect, twist the wheels to avoid a collision. Emergency braking automatically switches on the hazard lights.

S6: Sporty elegance

The Audi S6 is the sporty top model in the luxury-class A6 family. For the high-volume A6, Audi created the distinctive style of a vehicle with a light and elegant character. The S6 builds on this, without being overly aggressive. The front sports seats have integral head restraints, are covered in leather and are heated and electrically adjustable in various directions. On long journeys in particular, both driver and passenger in the S6 benefit from its superior refinement and operating convenience.

The V10 in the Audi S6 is a new development that was first introduced in the S8. The 5.2-litre engine belongs to the family of V engines, with a 90-degree included angle between cylinder banks; the block is of cast aluminium and is extraordinarily light, weighing in at only 220kg.

S8: Top of the food chain

Of course, the best option is to skip the also-rans and just go with the best. You’ll find the Audi S8 reigning supreme, with its leather clad Bang and Olufsen bejeweled interiors in direct contrast to the asphalt-wrenching tear-jerking performance it hides beneath. So you have two choices: drive it like a luxury saloon, or kick down hard and don’t let go.

The S8 is undeniably gorgeous – a huge sweep of metal, stately yet with the promise of performance. Thanks to its ASF aluminium construction, the S8 boasts the lightest body shell in the entire luxury segment – it weighs only around half as much as a conventional steel structure. The first ten-cylinder engine in the history of the Audi brand is found under the bonnet of the S8. It utilises the expertise of the Lamborghini Gallardo super sports car, but as a member of the current V-engine series, has been re-engineered by Audi in key areas.

Audi: Four large rings

The four rings symbolise the fusion of Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer in 1932. Today, Audi is one of the three big German automotive manufacturers in the premium segment. It employs more than 50,000 people and delivered around 829,100 Audi vehicles to customers in 2005. The current model range comprises the A3, A3 Sportback, A4 Saloon and Cabriolet, S4 Saloon and Cabriolet, RS 4 Saloon and Cabriolet, A6 and S6, TT Coupe and Roadster, the A8, S8 and the Q7.