Alright well first of all lets set the stage here with the cars:

My car:
01 itr #1157
Mugen Header 4-1
Mugen Twin loop exhaust
Carsound Cat
Toda 9lb flywheel
Exedy clutch
ATS 4.929 final drive
205-50-15 azenis

His car:
2001 audi S4
250 hp bi-turbo v6 AWD, no mods yet still stock
Those cool alacantra seat inserts (I love those)

Well when I first entered the car, it was pretty damn nice (yeah for a 38,000 car), It was luxury but yet sporty, nicey nice. 4 doors are great, I love them because I've never had any on any of my cars. Ok now for the driving

First thing I notice is the sloppy shifer. It had way to much play and it didn't have that direct feel my itr has. I was kinda mad at the german engineering here, but oh well. I start her up and give her a few revs and off we go. Second thing I noticed was torque, glorious torque. I love that feeling of being squashed into the seat, then around 2500-3k full boost was on. I love the turbo sound (really and truly). Nothing and I mean nothing beats an AWD launch they, are freaking incrediable. Power delivery was nice, and the car was definalty quite but fast. Handling wise the car seemed to have infinate grip. I love awd but the handling charaterists were much differnt than the ITR. Turn in wasn't as fast but due to tthe excess grip and torque exit speed out of a corner would be superb. Without the traction control the *** of the car went nuts, very hard to control. First mods I would do, short shifter and suspension mods.

For the money I paid for the mods on my car, if put into the s4 this would be a freaking beast. I love the power, love the AWD, love the interior **** I loved that car. I love my itr for the raw edge and racing heritage, but hey I think I'm getting old for that. My next car probably gonna be one for sure. I never thought that car would be that fun but yet so refined.

(this is my first car review, so if I'm missing really important stuff just ask)

 

interesting.

 

hell, nearly any stock turboed car, will move with minimal money put into it.

let alone the s4, truly a great car...i love it

nice review

 

Very nice review

 

All the more reason to turbo an R!

 

s4+chip=crazy fast!!! friend of mine has one with chip exhaust and other usual mods and the thing absolutly hauls! nothing like lighting up four tires at a time!

s4's are fun but heavy... about the total opposite of an R

-nate

 

not so far away from the R as you think. It may be heavy but with some suspension mods, it would be quite nimble. I took a turn 7 mph faster in the s4 than in my r. It was a long sweeper and the traction was biting like a pit bull on a steak. I definatly wasn't as tossible, but yet it was fun enough. For a daily driver people and thing hauler and all weather driver its hard to beat!

 

ohh yes! it is great for long highspeed cruizing! hmmm.. maybe they have european delivery!


-nate

 

Got rust? Dave's bro ever get that prob fixed? BTW, nice run today. RWD Bimmas own.

 

got rust?? I don't get it?

 

the s4 I was talking about for some reason had a leaky battery and over time took off all the paint has a bit of rust in the engine bay. Will be fixed soon enough.. he got it in just befor the 3 year warrenty came up.

-thanks Aaron... i try to represent the oldschool bimmers, maybe you will show dave a thing or two when the CW r's go head to head some time.

-nate (hosing it down in miltown)

 

good review

I'm glad u brought up the sloppy shifter - that means u were payuin a attention. UUC has a fix for that - adjustable shortshifter. And your right - for a people hauler in any kind of weather, its hard to beat. While not the same, I'd still take my R over my turbo upgraded 01 a4 anyday (sold when i got the R)...

Oh yeah - watch out for high milage first year s4's...the dual k03 turbos aren't that reliable back then.

 

Ahh... the sound of twin HKS Super Sequential BOVs... Makes me randy just thinking about it...

 

> traction was biting like a pit bull on a steak.

very interesting analogy. S4 =

Don't they have an RS4 over in europe, too??

 

yup...420 hp awd wagon (avant)...

a company imports them here. 92k and u can get a left hand drive 420hp rs4 delivered to ur door.

 

.....local friend of a friend has a stock s4 and says it has NO top end.

I thought about suggesting a chip and exhaust, but I wanna rape him first.

 

Thats it ?

 

 

S4
RS4

Nice review.

 

I love the S4, and all you need is a chip and you can run 12s. But let us not forget, its still a Volkswagon Granted they make some nice cars, but I have seen waaaayyyyyy too many problems with them and I could never own one.

BTW Im not trying to say the almight ITR is better by any means. Two different cars completely. Im just saying that I dont have the confidence in a VW durabiltity/quality/manufacturing/engineering/etc as I do Honda. I know someone that bought a new Jetta, and the shifter linkage broke THE FIRST DAY she had it. Yikes.


[Modified by RTW DC2, 2:21 PM 8/6/2002]

 

honda with no problems, LOL, me car is fugged up right now

 

whats wrong with your car? Also, Im talking about stock, straight from the factory cars Vdubs, excluding cars that have been modified or taken apart, like yours and mine and most other ITR owners in here.

 

*sniff**sniff* I know I know

Brian --- putting his head down in shame for comparing his modded car with stock ones

 

I wonder how the S3 (europe) handles vs the ITR. Any Euro people care to give us a review? I have only seen it once in pictures but looks cool.

 

R should hand the S3 its ***. Too heavy (like all those POS VWs and Audis).

If you go German at all, you might as well do it right and get a BMW.