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1650 HP RX7, "The Sleeper Part 2", Scary and Funny, ...

Nelson Racing Engines 1650 HP RX7 road video of this crazy sleeper. Awesome power in this tiny car. This car is really scarry and very fast. Some ...

2010 Audi S4 Quattro MT6

Last year, Audi outsold all other luxury brands in Europe. In the US, the company posted the biggest market share gain of any luxury car brand, and likewise has done extremely well in Canada. The President of Audi of America, Johan de Nysschen, has promised that his company will increase sales to a point where they are in line with Audi’s market penetration worldwide.

The Audi A4 and S4 constitute the cornerstone of the German automaker’s lineup. In February, the latest month for which figures are available, the A4/S4 pair generated a sales increase of 20.8% over the same month in 2009. It’s not hard to figure out why.

I test drove an S4 recently and was reluctant to give it up at the end of my allotted week. The S4 is a midsize luxury sports sedan that combines strong performance with everyday drivability in a sleek package. It is meant to compete with BMW’s 3 Series and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, amongst others.

The new S4 drops the previous generation V8 in favour of a 3.0-litre V6 direct injection supercharged engine with 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. The new car, if equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, charges from 0 to 100km/h in just over 5 seconds (about a half-second quicker than the V8) and is more frugal with fuel. EPA equivalent fuel economy estimates are 13.1L/100km in city driving and 8.7 on the highway.

My US-spec tester was finished in a dazzling Imola Yellow, not available in Canada, with black interior. No wallflower this Audi. The company boasts that the new S4 “features more technology than ever.” They’re not kidding. The manual for the navigation, sound and HVAC systems runs 122 pages. C’mon, Audi, just because you can install the technology doesn’t mean you should. Have you ever heard the terms “intuitive” or “user friendly?”

Apart from that, the interior is up to the usual Audi standard, which is to say excellent. From the standard S4-embossed heated front seats to the stainless steel and carbon fibre trim, the cabin is a very pleasant place to pass the time. There’s an array of communications possibilities – from iPod to Bluetooth to HomeLink and satellite radio.

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