As it turns out, the lady in the radiator said "levitate me" (that's a
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| 1,000 foot drops over snowy ledges don't scare the S4. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
Pixies joke for any of you fans out there), or at least follow me and I was directed onto a 'short cut.' This short cut happened to go by the name of Lariat Loop Pass and it is the steepest, most severe road I have ever driven. It must have dropped several thousand feet without going forward more than a mile. Once again, I was driving the speed limit (I think) and still wondering if they should perhaps lower it a little every time the swiveling headlights fell of a cliff--the switchbacks were 180-degree + U-turns cutting back into the mountain. Slightly terrifying in the dark, especially since it was unfamiliar ground. On the other hand, between the navigation system showing me the lay of the land and the headlamps rotating slightly to light up a little more of the turn ahead, my confidence quickly returned and I was cruising like a leaf falling from a tree. The only heart-in-my-throat moment was when a cyclist seemed to pop up right in front of me as he was heading back up the way I came. I realized only after we crossed paths that I had had my brights on, so wherever you are, "Mr. Hardcore-Cycling up a Treacherous Mountain Road in the Night Guy," I am truly sorry--I felt guilty the rest of the way down for being so slow on the uptake.
Before
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| Jon has an "Ansel Adams" moment. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
I knew, though, I was back on surface streets and going through Golden, Colorado--which some of you beer aficionados might recognize as the home of Coors Light, brewed in the Rockies, etc, etc. It was also at this point that I started looking back on my descent and realizing how fantastic the brakes were, because not for a second did I hesitate in putting whatever stopping power I needed down to the pavement immediately. Of course, a big shout-out goes out to the Dunlop Winter Sport M3 SPs with which Audi outfitted the S4. All day long, on mostly dry roads, but running through patches of snow and even sand spread across the tarmac in parts, and the tires didn't voice a lick of complaint, always sticking the corner and sending me back out through the apex like the little kid with the carrot in the Porsche Cayenne commercial. The brakes too, never had to intervene with any stuttering anti-lock interference because they are just so massive (13-inches in front) that they slow the car down so quickly that you would really have to be completely irresponsible to get into a situation where ABS was necessary.
Of course, emergencies do happen and Audi's ABS combined with
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| S4 and Jon say a big "auf wiedersehen" to Colorado. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
ESP (Electronic Stability Program) will straighten out the kinks of anything drastic, and despite not turning such electronic driving aids off, they never once barked at me, all day. On other days they did, but not that day; because that was my day, everything was perfect that day... and I had that perfect drive and, as I eased myself into a comfort zone with this wonderfully responsive car, I know I became a better driver, because somewhere between the electronic fail-safe modes and the electrical assists, the mechanical heart beat the rhythm, and I followed, stepping counterpoint between brake clutch and accelerator, most of the day with one hand on the wheel and one on the shifter finding the perfect gear each time and even the imperfect gear finding its place in the progression through the mountains. Part of me never wanted to drive another car again, never wanted to drive again; but I know that there isn't merely one perfect drive, there are many. Sometimes a rush to the airport, sometimes a quiet ride through the country side, sometimes a track day and sometimes just feeling traffic open up every time you change a lane. This is why I keep driving. This time it was the S4, and for a car to do that it doesn't have to be perfect in and of itself, but somewhere inside it must rest the potential for perfection, for a perfect feeling between car and driver. The S4 has it. Go and find it.
Specifications (S4 quattro):- Price Range (S4 quattro MSRP): $68,950 - $83,440
- Price as Tested (MSRP): $72,645
- Body Type: 4-door sedan
- Layout: front engine, AWD
- Engine: 340-hp, 302 lb-ft of torque, 4.2L, 40-valve DOHC V8
- Transmission: 6-spd manual (optional 6-spd auto w/manual mode)
- Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc, ABS, EBD
- Dimensions (L/W/H/WB): 4,586 / 1,718 / 1,415 / 2,651 mm (180.6 / 67.6 / 55.7 / 104.4 in)
- Curb Weight: 1,750 kg (3,858 lbs)
- Tires: 235/40R18
- Cargo Volume (trunk): 379 L (13.3 cu-ft)
- Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 15.8 / 10.2 L/100 km
- Observed Fuel Economy: 12.9 L/100 km
- Warranty (mo/km): 48/80,000 comprehensive
- Competitors: BMW M3, Cadillac CTS-v, Lexus IS 350, Mazdaspeed6, Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG, Volvo S60 R
- Website: www.audicanada.ca
