Stick? 4.2 liters, eight cylinders, and 40 valves make for more of a baseball bat than a stick.
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| A big stick? 4.2 litres, eight cylinders, and 40 valves make for more of a baseball bat than a stick. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
Essentially, this is the same engine that you might find under the nose of the previous generation A6 4.2, A8 4.2, and allroad 4.2. The only problem is, with such a large engine, fitting it under the hood of a car normally built for a 1.8-liter or 3.0-liter V6 (now 2.0T and 3.2 liters) is a tall order. Audi's engineers were faced with a length problem, which they conveniently solved by swapping the pulleys and belts at the front of the engine for chains, located in the back. With the engine now 2 inches shorter in length, it fits.
Tweaked
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| Tweaked by Quattro gmBh, the 4.2-liter V8 now makes 340 horses backed by a sportier disposition than that of its comfort-tuned siblings. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
horsepower ratings a by Quattro gmBh, the engine now makes 340 horses backed by a sportier disposition than that of its comfort-tuned siblings. It also trumps the M3 by 7 horses and is within battle distance of the CLK55 AMG. Interestingly, in Europe wherere slightly different (ps versus hp), the S4's edge over the M3 diminishes to exactly one horsepower. Coincidence? No, but before any '344>343 ps' (or, more relevantly 340 > 333 hp) thoughts get into your head, lining up the M3's shrill-revving inline-six to the S4's relaxed V8 is like comparing apples to oranges. Not only is the entire engine a full liter larger than the Beemer, but its enormous bore and stroke give it a plateau of torque that's nearly as flat as any smaller displacement turbocharged engine, sans the peakiness or lag.
