Tight is also an excellent adjective for describing the S4's exterior appearance. There are no unnecessary add-ons,
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| Besides looking great, the S4's body panels fit together like a perfect jigsaw puzzle. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press) |
miscellaneous trinkets or unnecessary sculpting cluttering the cabriolet's body-beautiful. In typical Audi fashion, the S4's sheetmetal is smooth, aerodynamic, and in my warped view, sensuous. Above and beyond its tasteful presence, the S4's body panels fit together like the perfect jigsaw puzzle. Panel spacing is minimal and very accurate. The 3-layer soft-top fits taut around the windows and rear deck as well. When in place, there wasn't a hint of wind seepage or water leakage in my tester. The unit's rigid rear window provided reasonable visibility too, impressive given its smallish size and the fabric roof's rather wide wrap-around to the side windows.
A quality drop-top is a must for any car in this category, and the S4 especially given the richly appointed leather interior that it is required to protect from Mother Nature's harshest elements. I have long
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| There is nothing glitzy or Hollywood about the S4's clean interior, just pure form designed with function in mind. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press) |
ogled and admired Audi interiors, particularly their instrumentation and dash designs. Like its exterior lines, the S4's cabin is also clean and free of clutter. The charcoal gray motif of my test unit was accented by brushed aluminum bezels encircling the gauges and air vents in the dash, silver piping around the seats and genuine Gray Birch wood trim on the dash and doors. These design elements were subtle and applied with restraint. Again, there is nothing glitzy or Hollywood here, just pure form designed with function in mind. Worthy of particular note is the cluster of four independent circular primary gauges. The two larger ones are assigned speed and RPM duties, while the two smaller flanking dials communicate engine temperature and fuel level. This quad grouping conveys a 1960s look - an era when dash design became an art-deco automotive specialty.
