www.rsshk.net

www.performance-store.com

They quick called me up asked , “the children to help?” I said ” man, we’ve got quattro you’ve found the right elf!

For years dear old Santa was a fan of Group B! And he knew I could do it, he had heard about me. He knew I had loved Audi , lo all of my years, and that on the race track I’d bring Porsche club wankers to tears.

Then out back there arose such a clatter, the neighbors came out to see what was the matter. And what to their boring car driving eyes should appear? Orange and blue flames out my exhaust as I grabbed third gear!

I to my car and my car to my driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment that my wastegate might stick. More rapid than eagles, the subies and evos came, As my diverter valve whistled they called out great Audi’s of fame;

“ur quattro, Le mans R10

Now, R8 10 piston!

On, A5 On, S4,

20v coupe quattro and Q7!

To the top of the podium To the top of them all Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, quattro blows them to the sky. so up to the passing house the smiles they grew, with the sleigh full of quattro and 20 pounds of boost too!

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the Tarmac the scramble for grip as the cars attempted to hang . But I soon grabbed forth gear with a mighty torque BANG! As I drew in my head and was turning around, I gave 20 degrees of opposite lock and continued to pound.

I was dressed all in fur, from my head to my feet. and my buns were warmed by the heated seat. A bundle of toys I had flung in the back, I was helping out santa with a 400 horse power pack.

My wheels–how they twinkled! My paint clean how VERY! my four rings glistened and made everyone merry. Camber slightly negative with an inward tow, and the beard on my chin said “he’s ready for snow.”

Lowered to perfection , debadged it was clear that a true audifile had modded this here.

My tyres were plump, my oil was Elf, and I laughed when I saw Hondas, in spite of myself. A wink of my eye and a twitch of my foot, sent a blast of warm flame and dark rich soot.

I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work, and filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk. And laying fingers on my aluminum key fob and giving a nod, I blast out of sight like a jolly old sod. I sprang to my sleigh, to the kids gave a whistle, And away I flew like the down of a thistle. But You had to know I’d exclaim, ‘ere I drove out of sight,

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Compliant Suspension tuning.  Chassis dynamics.  Low Weight and Mass.  Power to Weight ratio.  Lotus is a small company.  Bought and sold many, many times in the last few decades.  For the most part their owners looked at Lotus as just another stock in the portfolio.  How much more is Lotus?  In terms of racing heritage they are second only to Ferrari in terms of Formula One success.  However, let’s take a look at how in the world a Camry V6 becomes a bellowing super car powerplant with what amounts to proprietary engine management, a well designed exhaust and intake and a cleaver use of factory motor mount location.  Look at the spring rates, heck look at the spring size on most Lotus products and two things become readily apparent.  A.  they are very light almost pliable spring rates and B. they are  really TALL.  When you drive a Porsche, especially one with either an M030 designation or say, a GT3, what you come away with is that the cars suspension has NO give.  NO sway.  It  is punishing the road in to submission.  It isn’t so much absorbing bumps as it is FORCING the tire into contact with the surface as if by an act of sheer distain.  A British car, or more specifically a Lotus ALLOWS weight to transfer, allows blows to be absorbed while keeping the tire in contact with the road surface via fairly forceful damper rates.  The difference is striking.  First off, where as in a car that is set up very stiff you have to filter feedback going to the wheel lest is should vibrate your very forearm into numbness, in a Lotus each and every minute detail is allowed to make it straight through to the driver.  Did I just run over an ant?  In a Lotus , You’ll know.  Now, this is a very limited discussion of what is ACTUALLY going on, after all geometry, sway bars, bushings, all play a roll, but it illustrates a huge difference in approach.  Lotus’ ethos is about harmony with the road surface, living with it, using it in a way many car manufactures never seem to think of.

The Evora, and the 2 Eleven ENABLE their drivers to use every last ounce of the cars innate ability while never loosing that smile from your face.  What is pleasant from rolling off the line remains pleasant all the way up to and PAST the point where funnels of tyre smoke are obscuring your rear view.  Couple that with a driving experience which is in no way fatiguing or jarring and how could you not have a winner?

Weight.  It ruins many a fine road car.  It cripples you on the track. The fact that these cars weigh up to 30% less than their competition is no small feat, yet on a shoe string budget Lotus manages to make it happen.  While it is easy to discard the 2 Eleven as being a track day special, the Evora is DOT and TUV crash test rated, not only that it does very well.  Imagine a Nissan GTR that weighed only 2800 lbs!  would it need all the super computer wizardry? Would it need an alphabet soup of traction control and steering aids?  Does it really need the 500 whp that most dyno’s are proving?  Having driven nearly every Lotus in recent memory, and with all having south of 300 HP I have to say NO.

Lotus has accomplished no small item here.  It has built  two of the worlds best cars using parts bin propulsion and nothing short of genius design.  Other car companies, please take note.  While the 1000hp Veyron is mighty and technologically amazing, what we all really want is a car that makes us smile.  From 1st gear to top gear from corner to corner and from depression to crest.  Lotus has got it.  The horsepower wars have brought us some amazing acceleration times (who thought an automatic Mercedes Wagon would be capable of ripping 0-60 in 4 seconds 10 years ago?) but in many of these testosterone sleds cornering with vigor is squelched by chassis dynamics that simply can’t keep up without dramatic digital aid. On the whole  so high are the rigidity and cooling needs in these cars that weight has crept  up so far that even 500 hp feels only marginally entertaining.

Lotus has scaled the mountain, taken everything it has learned and shown the way to a very bright future.  Here’s to that future and to what comes next from the Passionate and Wise boys of Hethel!

For years if you endeavored to dare bring up which wheels should recieve the drive I would likely have stomped you down with, “you have 4 wheels, why not use them?!!?”.  Then after many a hot lap at a road course near you I fell in love with the sheer handling sensuality that brands like Lotus and BMW have provided us  via rear wheel drive and even weight distribution.  For the first time I was acutally experiencing steering communication that can only be provided when front wheels are unencumbered  by axles, a diff, all that other stuff getting in the way of the love letter the front wheels had been sending me.  Message received !  Over the subsequent years I owned many of the worlds finest rear wheel drive cars.  Over time I began to think , surely, surely this is the most pure, most proper set up for driving bliss.  Sure, The XJR was never going to make it up my drive way on Eagle F1′s and certainly the 911 was a handful in an ice storm, but undoubtedly it was WORTH the deficiency.

Only more recently have I again been given pause to my “all wheel drive is best” mind set.  Lately Mr. Quattro has been drawn back to the days of autocrossing my Scirocco 16v thus twisting and contorting my brain into being convinced that front drive has something to offer.  Back in 2006 when I took delivery of that candy white MkV Gti I remember reveling in the lift throttle oversteer, the AMAZING steering information funneling through that flat rimmed steering wheel.  I was beginning to seriously question the extra weight of the awd platform, beginning to question whether the insurmountable mountain which was a steep driveway was WORTH putting up with.  Then, if only to further complicate matters I had what must certainly be one of the top 10 drives of my life in a FWD Lotus Elan!?!? Heresy! You might say.   Now, first before you think me completely mad, let me share that also in the top ten are an unbelievable evening in a sorted E30 M3, a torrid excursion in a Lamborghini Gallardo, and a 300 mile flame blasting, slide enducing all-out-focus-fest in a tuned Lotus Esprit just to name a few… so there has been serious consideration given when I say… TOP 10 DRIVE.  The day was perfect, the road (that only Car & Driver and myself seem to know about , and we aren’t sharing the secret) was warmed by the sun and the ambient temperature hovering  just about 48 degrees F.  The next hour and a half had me literally laughing out loud and at one point exclaiming , “If FWD can be like this , why aren’t they all like this?”  Fantastic traction out of corners, always putting the power down , even when the chassis went light, always neutral , resisting understeer till the bitter end, rotation to the point of near ridiculousness surely motoring experiences (at least dynamically speaking ,and to be honest the car could use a tad more power and a real gear selector)  come no better.  I had just experienced motoring Nirvana in a car with obvious flaws, and the handling and performance was so good it far eclipsed what may be the worst shifter in a car ever and it was built in 1991?!!?  I tell you no lie.  Add to that the days I spent hunting down E36 M3′s on the track with an 07 GTI, certainly this FWD had something to say, some unique persepective to offer the enthusiast driver.

Which brings us full circle back to AWD.  I remember the first time I drove a 335 with x drive.  After spending more than a few pleasant hours in our own 335i coupe, i was prepared for the AWD car to plough, to rob me of precious steering feedback which I covet in a performance car.  Shock of shocks , BMW had actually preserved much of , if not all of the steering purity.  Now, while the 335 may not be the last word in messages coming through the steering wheel, I was more than pleasantly surprised.  It had another thing that our 335 was lacking.  Traction, blessed fantastic traction.  ”Yes, your Corvette just got obliterated” traction.  Still progressive enough to slide, yet not wasting tenths in an off the line romp.  JOY.  Even when tuned to 500 hp our project S4 had gobs of traction to spare and through careful alignment we were even able to get it to handle properly.

Recently on a rain soaked day I found myself out in our Volkswagen GTI development car.  It is upgraded in both the software and suspension departments.  I was getting on one of my favorite on ramps when I decided to boot ‘er in second gear.  Wheel spin.  Egregious , torrid wheel spin.  ”ok” I thought , that was a bit ham-fisted , lets try a roll on in 3rd.  Smooth roll on the throttle, full boost, subtle wheel spin that faded to hidious obnoxious wheel spin.  It brought to mind a night far more rainy than the day in question.  Travel back to that overcast London like evening.  I had just brought home a Lamborghini Superleggera.  The kids naturally had to know what the savage brutal force felt like.  ”To bad” I thought, “It’s raining cats and dogs and I’ll have to be progressive with my inputs” Out on the road, strapped in tightly, aimmed straight and  roll away in 1st gear. Bury the throttle, 2nd, buried, 3rd, buried.  lift.  Traction control was left on just incase my enthusiasm was a bit to boyish.  You know how many times I saw the “tc” light blink ?  Want to guess how much wheel spin there was?  NONE.  Hooked up, gone. That same car would allow heinous dry condition drifting with the correct steering input, had fabulous steering feel and on a hard launch the AWD system was totally transparent.  Sigh, AWD FTW. 

So, here I sit, again convinced that AWD is the superior platform (though unquestionably all three offer huge advantages distinct to their given cache).  Rather than going out and being a proper Sebatian Loeb impersonator I guess I’ll have to settle for  a drive in the Mini Cooper and grab the ebrake.  No matter what you drive be sure you do so passionately!

“Car Enthusiast” can’t we just leave it there? Oh the peace the world would know if we all took two steps back and realize we all essentially have the same passion. The drive, the car, the experience. As with the current political climate it seems everything in our world is becoming more and more polarized. Perhaps it is the brand marketeers of the world. Those who have researched their demographic, done focus group after focus group and refined their product until it was perfect for person X. At some point person X becomes so sure he is right about his POV that he decides to hate on person Y. “I am right, you are wrong.” It’s just that simple. Soon we develop our clique of close mates and with those numbers comes power. Now, not only are we right, but we can fight about it. Enter the Blogosphere, the Internet Forum. Ah yes, I would like a few gallons of haterade with my evening surfing please. Why do we have to always be right? Is our way best, can there be compromise ? Good questions. Let’s discuss.

A few years back, a track day buddy (and ex-grand am professional driver) and I were attending a car show. It wasn’t really so much a show and shine as it was a “check out what I got” drive in for a few hundred cars. As we walked through the sea of shimmering paint, glinting alloy and general automotive nirvana we stumbled upon a pretty fair representation of Porsche 2.7 RS clones. The car was on Victaracer semi slicks and the gent who owned this visually stunning car was finishing up a detail before he walked away. Little did I know but the whole pitcher of haterade was near the tipping point the as tension was obviously mounting on the other side of the car I came around to see “tire wet” being applied. Ok, I could see how there was a bit of irony here, racing tyre, being greased up and all… kind of an oxymoron of sorts. However, rather than subtle amusement my “racer” friend went off on this poor fellow in a loud demeaning tone which then escalated into a bit of a fit which I then had to break up.

Ok, time out. Question: Do tires look good all gray and brown ? Answer: No. Question: Does tire wet on a race tyre actually endanger peoples lives? Well, I suppose yes, but that would assume that the ooze would never come off or dissipate. Clearly our much maligned friend wasn’t about to autocross or track this beauty.

Certainly in our community there is room for dialogue, but if you know nothing about warm tyre pressures, cam duration, or alignment will hate help you learn? NO. I have personally left forums before simply because a few “enlightened” car guys thought it was their job to inform (and at the same time demean if at all possible) all comers in the ways of “their ” car that they were so obsessed with. I know guys with some pretty impressive machinery that won’t go near a car show because they don’t want to get hate. I once had an E30 M3 with Racing Dynamics wheels, a pretty fun little car. I took it to a show once and actually had someone tell me “shame about those wheels.” I was like, “Wow, this from a guy that rolled up in a stock ride ht, stock wheeled E36 M3.” Then it hit me, in my mind I was doing the same thing. He was the “stocker”… you know, the guy that wants it stock or noway, and anything else is just wrong. I was the slam it and make it corner guy, with a “he must not really care about performance” hate message swimming around in my own mind. Being someone who has driven nearly every car in both stock and modified forms, I try to remain unbiased on the whole thing. However driving an EVO 10, though it isn’t something I can see myself driving personally, it certainly has appreciable feature. I fail to understand how someone who has likely NEVER EVEN driven the car can pronounce it “crap on a stick”. Does your car have more power? Maybe. Does it apply it better? Well, GREAT! We should all be so lucky, but let’s be friends.

Show us your P3ness!

Lastly I’ll touch on my favorite. The Hater that not only hasn’t driven the car or tried the product that he is about to hate on, he can’t even spell it correctly. OH MAN, I loves me a good forum post with some errors in a message where the antagonist is actually trying to tell you about your error, how wrong you are. Oh yeah, that’s good times… good times.

What can we do with all this hate? Well, next time you start thinking, “Oh here comes ricer boy with T4 strapped to his Civic, I am sure it detonates like a mo fo”, really look at that car. Is there something you can learn? Something you can actually appreciate? I have found that even with cars that made me laugh out loud, talk to the guy and nearly every time I have been surprised by the thoughtful, insight that has come of it.

I will open our Forum with this plea. If you have never been on a track and don’t understand why in some instances (even on the street) a slightly smaller wheel might actually be the best pick, think about it. Take a moment to ponder why the software in your car may not be best, but may be an equal or fine alternative. Take a moment to consider paint scheme, decals, et al, all are down to personal taste. Heck, one day you might even come back to that car you were about to hate on and say, “that looks hot, what was I thinking?”

There are more than a few paths to automotive bliss. At P3 we aim to cut out the guessing, and give you recommendations, but we also thrive on your input, the input of all car guys. So if you are a Euro tuner, Mopar freak, VIP style boy or Track whore… we know you would like to hang, roll, race and in the end just be brothers.

So why did we pick a Lotus Esprit as one of our first 3 cars?

Well, to start with what auto enthusiast between the ages of 16 and 50 hasn’t had a poster or pin up of one of these cars? Many have wondered what it must be like to drive a car that made Car and Driver opine, “few experiences in the automotive world can compare to being in the Esprit’s driver seat when the boost is up”. Peter Stevens (who also designed a little ditty called the McLearn F1) took an already cutting edge design by G. Guigaro and made it into what is one of the iconic supercar shapes of all time. Instantly recognizable and with performance stats that are competitive, even by today’s standards. So, in that it is just one of “those” cars we have all considered at one time or another, why not. To start with , I had run these cars for a number of years and was SHOCKED to find that, in addition to all the things you would expect (supercar drama, great handling , good acceleration etc.) they were also reliable to run. I figured it was time to shed some light on what this car was all about and further, what possibilities lie ahead for the curious enthusiast.

Now Lotus makes quite a few good cars, we will be covering the Elise/Exige in the future, but as time does march on I thought there was no time like the present to cover the Esprit. It has the distinction of being the last production car that Colin Chapman was directly involved in and that in and of itself makes it pretty special. Drive one of these cars, or just look underneath it and Colin’s ethos and engineering ideology quickly comes into view. Blessed with one of the most communicative and reactive steering feel of all time this is without question a drivers car. Get on the power just a bit to early out of that corner? No worries, the Esprit will tell you how much lock you need, then just hold the line, listen to the messages it is giving you. Worried a turbo car won’t have the mid corner correct-ability a NA car offers… PSHHH, Colin said, “keep it simple stupid” and so , this 2.2 turbo 4 is as adjustable as you could hope.

Another reason for P3 cars taking the reigns on the Esprit is that , well, many are afraid too. For the last few years I couldn’t even tell you the number of times Esprit owners, and those who would be Esprit owners, have asked simple questions to which they simply could not find an answer. “Where do I get an oil filter?”, “When do I change my timing belt?”, “Who makes speed parts for these cars?” and it goes on and on. We are going to be taking the bull by the horns on this one. With our project Esprit we have already done a coil over suspension conversion, aggressive wheels and rubber, cat bypass, exhaust, and even a map switcher that allows you to customize your Esprit driving experience. We are going to bring you weekly updates on the car, all the parts you are looking for (both maintenance and modification based). This past summer we had the opportunity to really put some of those parts to the test during a grueling 300 mile road rally. Nothing broke, smiles were plentiful and the flames from the exhaust were free to all comers.

Then there is the P3 factor… If we have one problem here at P3 Cars, well, it’s that we are addicted to boost. For many of us nothing beats the spooling kick in the pants a turbo provides. In the Esprit’s case it is one of those best of both world’s scenarios. Since gas has gone through the roof I get people all the time come up to me at the pump, “I bet that thing gets 5 mpg”. “Sigh, well, no, I get about 22 combined … around 27 or so highway” cue shock and probably the inquisitive bystander considering me a lying lout. This car makes great power, will hurtle to 60 in 4.xx seconds, AND gets good economy. Now , I know some of you are thinking, “man, I love the Esprit but I gotta have the V8, why didn’t they do the V8?” Well, we will cover that in depth in a future installment with a direct comparison of the two cars. However, briefly , for me personally the S4 Esprit really is the ONLY choice. WIth the S4 you got a slightly enlarged cabin, and at 6.2 and several pounds I need any inches Lotus was going to give me. Second, I have run and umm, disintegrated my fair share of forced induction engines, 4 cylinders is less than 8 when you are replacing them. Third, for a few years I owned and operated a shop with a Dyno. Without too much trouble a well maintained 2.2 will see around 260 wheel hp. I have seen as high as 380 wheel on an essentially stock motor with some bolt ons. The last V8 we dynoed put down 291 whp. Nuff said. Oh wait, then there is the fact that the V8 pays a weight penalty , the clutch in the V8 costs around 3,200, when Lotus raced the V8 they ripped the engine out and used a different unit because it was deemed unreliable, and well, umm, it kind of is. SO. With our 4 cylinder Esprit we have a car that generates all the smiles, with few of the frowns, and let’s face it, when you drive a car that in a given year 100 or so were made a frown can be a very, very bad thing.

When the 2.8 A4 quattro was introduced it quickly rose to acclaim in much of the motoring press. Great handling, class leading acceleration and it did it all in a quiet and composed way that previous sports sedans costing double the price would be hard pressed to muster. For those who were the Audi faithful the thought that an S car might be in the wings was almost to much to stand. Would it have the AAN 20v 5 cylinder motor? Would Audi turbo charge the 6 or were the rumors of a forced induction 4.2 true? Soon all would be revealed and for those who were praying for a turbo, well, their dreams would be doubly fulfilled.

I remember it like it was yesterday the issue of Performance Car (later to become Evo mag.) Where the then new biturbo S4 emerged victorious from a battle against the then great BMW M3 and Mercedes C36. Here was a magazine that focused first and foremost of driver involvement and they picked the S4! Oh man, I could hardly wait for Audi to bring this beast to our shores.

At the time Audi had no plans to bring this King of all things B5 to North America, this was their MO at the time after all. Make a capable performance car (RS2 anyone?) and then leave us over here in the states dreaming, lusting and longing for more. In 2000, after a modest redesign (lights and door handles most significantly) we finally got 2.7 liter turbo 6 speed (tip was an option that hopefully none of you clicked) giant slayer and in truth, out of the box it was just about as right as Audi had gotten things up until that point. With typically restrained German styling that never gave the game away. To the guy in the other lane you could be driving a bog stock A4 1.8t, with no wings, gaudy body addenda this car was a sleeper.

Visual changes were subtle and to the connoisseur made all the difference. Xenon lights, new lower rocker sill extensions, a new grill, 17 inch Avus wheels and an aggressive maw were enough to suggest performance, and at the same time enough to conceal the added talent that lie beneath. Right out of the box the car was a performer. Limited to 250 hp for the US market , even still these cars were posting serious performance figures. Publications of the day had it ripping 5.3 0-50 times, lap times around race courses that were on par with an M3 and not far off a 996 911. This was a serious piece of kit and everyone knew it.

Tuners were quick to crack the box and get more boost that would yield easy 300 hp and close to 350 ft lbs of torque. Then we were off to the races. Big turbos, Bigger turbos, hybrid turbos, full race set ups, big brakes or bling… it all seemed to hit and continue to this day. Drive a well cared for example today, years later and this Audi still feels fresh. Still up to the task of besting the finest the world’s auto manufactures can muster.

Any time a car has this much to offer, enthusiast owners like ourselves naturally look to modifications, but what is the right set up? Much of that is down to personal taste, but here at P3 we have found a few set ups that work for us and are more than happy to let you in on the secret. Who’s intercoolers? Do I do bigger turbo’s ? All those questions are answered and more. We will have on going dedication to knowledge and update for this car, so if your car is still stock, or needs tweaked, stay tuned.

Here at P3 one of the things we hold most valuable is reliability. All of us have had, or known someone that had that 1000 hp Supra. How many times have you seen a Volkswagen or Honda that looked PERFECT crushed on those 19 inch wheels, that couldn’t be driven over speed bumps or at speed. These sound like great ideas, I mean, they CAN be done. However, actually being able to drive your cars in a variety of conditions, counting on it to start and not over fuel, actually being able to USE your car IS important. If it looks right or goes like a demon and the opportunities to use it must be preplanned… well, that just ain’t very P3.

A car that can reliably produce 500 hp with regular maintenance and care vs. one that makes 700 hp but struggles to find traction and won’t idle… we pick the first. The car with the tuned suspension with 0 bump steer and fine control and adjustability vs. the car that is crushed and looks wicked right on those huge wheels, never mind the rubbing and bucking… well, you guessed it , choice A. again.

Don’t get us wrong. Sometimes crushed works, sometimes the most reliable solution IS the huge turbos and injectors. The fact remains, if those things DON’T work, then you won’t see them as recommended P3 Parts. The S4 in particular has so many parts available for it that picking the right ones can truly be a chore. Here you can inform yourself and buy all in one easy step.

BMW has repeatedly won praise for their saloon cars with laud normally reserved for marques such as Porsche and Lotus. Cars such as the 2002 and 2002ti are still regulars at club events and track days. Many publications and drivers alike still hold the E30 M3 as a paragon of saloon car handling. Many of my most memorable drives have been at the helm of a E30 M3, and with that car BMW established a bit of a gold standard for what is possible with a toss-able, reasonably powered 4 seat car.

While many have felt BMW’s were the last word in dynamics, few would argue that they have lead the way in design aesthetic, interior fit and finish or for that matter (and what is doubly important to us here at P3) great turbo power plants. While the BMW devotees may have been content with the S54 motored E46 cars, hardcore tuners (or for that matter anyone who has ever “chipped” a turbo car) wanted the magic sauce. We needed BOOST!

BMW has had some successes in turbo power. Though never officially imported to this country the 2002 turbo made quite a splash with it’s reverse “turbo” script on the front spoiler to let others know what was coming up on them. However, nothing can compare to the unexplainable joy, and for that matter surprise, that greeted enthusiasts when the E90 335i and 335ix were introduced.

Taking a card straight from Audi’s play book (of note is that Audi in a much maligned move took a card from the BMW play book in shoe horning the 4.2 NA in everything they made) and introduced a new twin-turbo 3.0-liter straight-6 engine, fitted with direct injection and a high 10.2:1 compression ratio. Excitement was mounting.

Two compact but effective turbos provide huff to only three cylinders each, reducing lag and increasing torque at low engine speeds. Rated at 300 hp at 5,800 rpm and 300 pound-feet of torque spreading from 1,400-5,000 rpm, retaining rear-drive coupe and weighing in at 3,579 lbs, the drool began to froth. Our Steptronic six-speed autobox in stock form can rip to sixty in 5.5 seconds. Even the manual transmission as it is 6 tenths of a second quicker (unbelievably BMW only claims 5.6 for the manual, we aren’t sure why)! But the bottom line is BMW just handed us a tuner’s dream, a rocketship WITH great driving dynamics.

So, what to think about this? *** WARNING*** Editors rant ahead!

Well, first off, more than a few of us are left wondering why in the world the petrol swilling M3 still makes it on any bodies shortlist. To get this out of the way right now, we like torque and lots of it. The Corvette Z06? Torque enough to rip out a tree stump, and it handles very well. The B6, B7 Audi S4 and BMW M3? No, please no. 16 mpg and only decent torque and very limited modablity equals boo hiss. I would go so far as to say if you want a V8 and car that is dynamically pleasing and has track and mod cred buy an E39 M5. Then go hunt down a 2009 M3, lay waste and smile. (nuff said)

BMW has created what will surely be loved and in coming years remembered as one of the best tuner cars Germany has produced. Stylistically it is easily my favorite product of the Bangle era. In terms of interior quality, it is still not quite up to VAG levels, but easily on par with anything Mercedes can toss it’s way, and looks and functions smartly as well.

From a drivers perspective there really isn’t much to gripe about. The steering is a tad heavy at low speeds when sport pack equipped. I could personally do with a bit more driver info (water temp and boost would be nice). A limited slip rear diff would be great, but honestly from a critique perspective, that is really about it. It can easily keep pace with cars with more prestige, more price and more power. It is a true teutonic powerhaus.

At this point all the Audi guys (me included) will be going on about loss of traction in wet conditions and when it’s introduced to more boost. Well, in part there is a point there. I have now spent plenty of time in stock and modded two wheel drive 335′s. I will say this, BMW has done an excellent job (as always) with traction, grip and feel. However, the 1 wheel peel, or for that matter , the 2 wheel 2 step can only get you so far. And we here at P3 won’t be tubbing out the rear of one of these anytime soon so as to fit wrinkle wall slicks.

Wouldn’t it be a real tragedy for the Audi fan if they made an AWD 335? Oh wait, they do. Many will recall the 325ix from the 80′s. It was fitted with what at best could be called an agricultural ruffian of an all wheel drive system. Snap oversteer? Sure. Ridiculous ploughing never before seen in a BMW? Sure. To be honest it really wasn’t that bad , but proved less sophisticated and less reliable from the all-wheel drive systems from Audi, and for that matter Subaru.

When in the late 90′s BMW announced a return to AWD technology, the world didn’t exactly wait in angst ridden anticipation. However, with the 335 all of a sudden it makes sense. While still not the last word in refinement it easily eclipses MB’s 4 matic system in seamless operation and well, it flat gets the job done. Gut wrenching acceleration is now possible from a dead stop and with turbo kits coming on the market that are promising 500 whp, well, things are heating up and heating up fast.

Our P3 digital interface came to life primarily because of the lack of driver information available from the 335 instrumentation. We are the first and best at offering boost, peak recall, map switching and an ever expanding range of driver info. We have put together packages for this car that offer all the hallmarks of P3. Improvement and advancement. Quicker, better handling, more desirable in every way.

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.