quattro

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The S models
Audi launched the S model family in 1990. They used abundant power, refined style and standard quattro permanent all-wheel drive to further cultivate the dynamic image that the brand had earned in racing. The first S model was the Coup S2, the designated successor to the first quattro. Power was provided by the 161 kW (220 hp) five-cylinder turbo of its predecessor. The model designation was a reference to the S1, the legendary World Rally Championship competition car. The S2 was a cultured sportscar, sporting carbon trim in the interior and white dial instruments in the cockpit. At the end of 1992, Audi added the S2 Avant; the sedan followed one year later. Both featured a more powerful turbocharged engine developing 169 kW (230 hp). The S models quickly established themselves in the midsize class. The 1997 S4, which was available in both sedan and Avant models, had a twin-turbo V6 under the hood that developed 195 kW (265 hp). Audi switched to a naturally aspirated engine in the next generation, which was introduced in early 2003. The 4.2 liter V8 with 235 kW (344 hp) was used in the S4 Sedan and the S4 Avant. There was also an S4 Cabriolet. 2004 saw the market launch of a new S model generation; the corresponding S4 Cabriolet followed in 2006. The current S model series was introduced in 2007. Doing the work in the two-door S5 Coup is an advanced 260 kW (354 hp) FSI V8. When it debuted in 2008, the S4 presented the sport differential another Audi innovation that variably distributes the power to the rear wheels. The S4 Sedan, the S4 Avant, the S5 Cabriolet and the S5 Sportback use the 3.0 TFSI a highly efficient supercharged V6 that develops 245 kW (333 hp). The history of S versions of the Audi 100 began in 1991. The sedan and the Avant, which were still called the S4 at the time, were equipped with the 2.2 liter turbo with 20 valves and 169 kW (230 hp). A good year later they were joined by a new top-of-theline model the S4 4.2 with the 206 kW (280 hp), 4.2 liter V8. The new Audi nomenclature was introduced in 1994, and the Audi 80 and Audi 100 model lines were renamed the A4 and the A6. The V8 with four valves per cylinder installed in the Audi S6, a model upgrade of the Audi S4 based on the Audi 100, developed 214 kW (290 hp). The engines output was increased to 240 kW (326 hp) in the S6 plus. The new top-of-the-line model was the first vehicle project developed entirely under the responsibility of quattro GmbH, which was established in 1983.

The V8 was once again the driving force in the second generation of the S6 launched in 1999. This time it featured five valves per cylinder and developed 250 kW (340 hp). The engineers lengthened the front end by 37 millimeters (1.46 in) to fit the engine under the hood. The current generation Audi S6 followed in 2006. It is powered by a 320 kW (435 hp), 5.2 liter V10 with direct fuel injection. In contrast to the S4 family, S6 customers prefer the Avant over the sedan. The development of the S8 was similar to that of the S6. The first model debuted in 1996 with a 4.2 liter V8 (250 kW/340 hp) and offered an innovative synthesis of a luxurious atmosphere and superior performance. Three years later the eight-cylinder was beefed up, again using five-valve technology, to 265 kW (360 hp). The second generation S8 followed in 2006. It had an FSI V10 with direct gasoline injection under the hood like the S6, but with 331 kW (450 hp). The first S model debuted in the compact class in spring 1999. Transversely mounted in the front of the three-door S3 was a turbocharged 1.8 liter four-cylinder engine. The engine initially developed 154 kW (210 hp), which increased to 165 kW (225 hp) in fall 2001. The successor, which debuted in late 2006, is available as a three-door and as the five-door S3 Sportback and is equipped with a forced-induction two-liter TFSI developing 195 kW (265 hp). The four-cylinder turbo with direct injection also powers the lightweight TTS and the TTS Roadster, which have been on the market since mid-2008. Audi uses a hydraulic multiplate clutch in all of its compact S models to distribute the power to the axles.

Source: DVD quattro Highlights 2010 | Status: 03/2010