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Audi is launching a trio of superb S models in Australia this week with the arrival of the RS 4 Avant, S6 and S8.These range-topping supercars represent the ultimate ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’, combining exceptional performance with innovative technology and contemporary design.
Market introduction for all three models commences immediately - just in time for some lucky customers to find an Audi S model under the Christmas tree.
New from the ground up, the RS 4 Avant is the top-of-the-range model in the A4 series, priced at $168,100. The 309 kW RS 4 Avant joins the RS 4 sedan which was launched in Australia in May this year. A Cabriolet version will complete the family in January 2007, priced at $187,500.
The Audi S6 boasts a 5.2 litre V10 engine with FSI technology and an output of 320kW. This is the first time that a V10 engine has been incorporated into a member of the A6 family. The S6 is priced at $195,900.
The new S8 is also a first, with the Lamborghini-inspired V10 engine and 331kW of power, wrapped in a very luxurious package. The S8 also boasts the superlative Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System as a standard feature and is priced at $259,900.
Combining the latest high-performance technologies offered by the Audi brand, with numerous technical achievements – many of which hail from motorsport – these luxury, thoroughbred machines are perfectly suited to everyday driving.
Audi’s managing director, Joerg Hofmann, says these vehicles successfully bridge the gap between motorsport and everyday motoring, yet with every luxurious feature catered for.
“Even buyers with the highest of expectations will be impressed by each of these new models. Audi’s S and RS models represent the ultimate in peerless performance. Along with an unbeatable combination of luxury, innovative features and options and the latest race-bred engine technology, cars such as these cement the reputation of the Audi brand as a luxury, performance-car company,” Mr Hofmann said.
“These models exemplify Audi’s performance credentials. They are exclusive vehicles, representing the very best that Audi has to offer, clearly demonstrating Vorsprung Performance, Vorpsrung Design and Vorsprung Prestige.”
The S model family are characterised by racing technology, dressed in civilian clothes. While many of their features look similar to their A model brethren, they are far more than just “fast” derivative of Audi’s highly successful model program.
Technology such as FSI petrol direct injection, quattro all-wheel drive with asymmetric/dynamic torque split, adaptive lighting technology, adaptive cruise control and race-bred ceramic brakes all point to the leadership, or ‘Vorsprung’ inherent in these top Audi models.
Audi’s S models have a long and impressive pedigree, blending outstandingly dynamic performance with extraordinary standards of comfort and attention to detail. Each model guarantees agile handling and nimble reflexes.
This combination of advanced technology, dynamic performance and stylish sophistication in the S models traditionally appeals to younger customers of a more dynamic, sporty outlook.
The forefather of all Audi S models was the 1985 S1, the last and technically most-advanced evolution model of the revolutionary rally competition car.
Exactly 224 examples of its road-going version were built - the Sport quattro with Kevlar body and an output of over 300 bhp. In 1991, the first S model designed purely for use on public roads entered the showrooms – the CoupŠ¹ S2, the designated successor to the “Ur-quattro” (original quattro).
In characteristic Audi style, the S2 was equipped with permanent four-wheel drive. It blended sportiness with refinement and the overall result was far more than the sum total of these character traits.
Inspired by the success of the S2, a self-contained family of S models grew over the years, from the S3 to the S4 and the S6, all the way up to the S8.
© Source: article on fourtitude.com
