If you were to visit your friendly Audi dealer in late 1995 and asked , ” what can I replace my S4 with” you would have gotten the delightful answer of, “why an S4 of course!” Indeed , the world was set to receive the greatest S4 of all time. The 2.7t biturbo 6 speed equipped S4 delivering 265hp in European trim. Immediately magazines were pitting Ingolstads finest sports sedan against the BMW M3 and Mercedes Benz AMG C36 . Much to every Audiphiles delight the S4 handily SMASHED the competition, delivering 0-60 in 5.3 seconds and beating both cars to 100 and in the quarter mile. What was more all road testers praised the car for it’s much more neutral handling and increased resistance to understeer compared with the old car. Here in the US we saw the writing on the wall. Germany creates another car to lust for and we will NEVER see it on these shores. Stop the presses! Toward the end of 1999 some three years into the cars production and having been ready for a freshen up in 2000 we were told that we would , infact, be getting the B5 S4 for model year 2000. At the same time we heard that Audi would be releasing an RS4 in Avant only and with … wait for it… near as dammit 380 hp and reaching sixty miles an hour in 4.8 seconds! 100 would be dispatched in a 911 turbo like 11.9 seconds…from the FACTORY. Our ship had come in. Though rated at 250hp for the US market magazines such as Car and Driver were able to match performance numbers set in Europe. This was a serious piece of kit indeed.

Almost immediately software was developed that would see the S4 making over 320 hp with a simple Chip, Exhaust, intake combination. Soon parts from the RS4 were available from both Audi and in the aftermarket. By 2002 there were big turbo kits and cars putting down reliable and consistent wheel horse power numbers around the 500 mark. Few of us who considered ourselves true Audi Fans could hold back. The cars have remained strong in the used market and are still commanding big money for real cars. However, when you think of everything you are getting for your money. It is a near unbeatable value.

Now that we had a car, and had decided to make it one of our 08/09 project cars all that was left for me to do was drive one. So, I went looking for once because there was no way in heck I was driving an Automatic. Upon finding one I remembered what it was I loved about BMW’s…. their freaking crazy obsessive lawyers and their state of the art iDrive. If that chime were to have sounded 1 more time, I wouldn’t have been able to drive the car. I would have immediately gotten out in protest and possibly kicked the car. That didn’t happen. If you work for BMW or are one of their design engineers, please go drive an Audi with MMI or even a Lexus and replace iDrive (which is total crap) with one of those competent and easily superior systems. After my rant I started the car and was met by a surprisingly sophisticated, complex and low exhaust burble. My first thought here is that the tone is just perfect and will really be hard to improve upon. It needs a few more Db, but honestly in is just so correct as it is. We shall see what gains and compromise can be made here but it surely won’t be first on our list. Pulling away the car seemed to have the composure and suspension compliance that has made BMW famous and the standard by which others must be judged. The shift action was positive enough but in many ways substandard to the newest offerings from Porsche and even Audi. The interior design doesn’t connect with me , being at once square and slashed (perhaps an attempt and flow from the exterior) while using textures that are subpar even for an Acura product. The seats are comfortable and it is easy to get in a correct and composed driving position. “So the motor, what of the motor?”, you may be asking. Well, it easily trumps the competition from Infiniti, Audi (3.2 A5), etc. I would have to say the first most startling revelation I had was that, with a PSS9 or equivalent suspension upgrade and a chip (both of which we will be trying soon) I would FAR prefer this car to the new M3. Power delivery on the factory map is far to linear for you to get excited about the car being a twin turbo, it is almost as if they wanted to disguise that fact. They couldn’t hide it , because why it delivers V8 like torque it returned a fantastic 24.4mpg on my drive. That is exactly what a turbo can do for you.

Taking the car on one of my favorite back roads proved what so many swear to , and that is that BMW is the ultimate driving machine. I wouldn’t echo that sentiment but I would however say that as a regular non M car this car is fantastic. Switching all the nannying gear OFF this car rotates well on the brakes, puts power down great out of even the tightest switchbacks and overall let’s one really “meld” with their car. That isn’t easy for a manufacture to do in a car like this that has to be everything to everybody. Slap an M on the back and buyers know (and half expect) for the ride to be a bit on the germanic and jarring side. Not so with this 335. It provides an almost British like highway ride with a truly responsive shock and spring that responds quickly even to mid bend bumps.

Overall the car really is as impressive as everyone says it is. As we await our 135i coupe that costs (GASP) about $2,600 less than our 335i coupe… it is hard for me to fathom why anyone would buy the 135. It weighs near as dammit the same, it costs near as dammit the same and it looks like someone stuck their 335 long ways in the trash compactor room from Star Wars Episode IV. Other than the smashed more compact dimensions not exactly wowing me our little 135 is going to really have to shine to best the 335, which I am sure we will be able to whip into a state of tuned excellence for not too much dough.