i received a photocopy of this from my local audi dealer... from faxed to them from AoA...<br>translated to you word for word <br>-------------------------------<p>Title: Model Year 1999 and 2000 Audi A4 Product Freshening Changes<p>Timing: Calendar Week, 1999<br>Equiptment: Everything included on the 1999 A4 models plus:<p>- New headlights (C5 style [A6 i guess])<br>- Foglights moved to lower front bumper<br>- New tailights<br>- C5 outer door handles<br>- New rear deck lid (Avant only)<br>- Washer jets removed from the hood<br>- Revised outer mirror shape<br>- B pillar trim in high gloss material<br>- New CD Changer installation (as on C5)<br>- White side turn indicators<br>- Aluminum door sill trim with Audi script<br>- Revised center console and climate control panel<br>- Power passenger seat + powar lumbar for both (2.8 models only)<br>- Dampened grab handles in headliner and rear light modules<br>- Ambient lighting in headliner for dash and center console <br>- Illuminated air vent controls<br>- Steering wheel in dashboard color<br>- Revised grille<br>- Revised cupholders<br>- Revised tool kit (as on C5)<br>- Interior upholstery/ trim changes<br>- Larger C5 sunroof

What about the optional head-level side airbags that Audi called Sideguard?

I'm supposed to take receipt of my new A4 sometime this month...I custom ordered it from my local dealer. I called him a few weeks after I placed my order and mentioned to him the press release I read on the net regarding the aforementioned changes at that time I indicated that if it meant waiting another month..i.e. Feb 99 to get all that cool stuff I would do it. He basically told me that he had no idea what changes I was talking about.<p>Well it goes without saying that I did not take his answer at face value. So I went straight to the source.. www.audi.com (German site) where the press release orginated from. Took notice of the phone number on the bottom and made a little call to Deutschland with the help of a German Engineering Intern at my company. Basically he claimed that those changes were only applicable to the German models and that if those changes were to be made in the US that the importer VW would be the best source of information.<p>The man on the other end of the line put me in touch with a guy from VW who basically told me that the stuff I saw MIGHT get implemented in part, but that he though it highly unlikely that we would see any real changes made to the car until well into the 2000 model year.<p>So in the end I went ahead and told my dealer not to delay delivery since I would have to wait almost a year to get the cool new features. Now you're telling me that they will ship like this very soon??? If this is so I can tell you I've never been more pissed off in my life. In my book some of those changes are pretty major...and most of em' sound like they're for the better.<p>If anyone REALLY knows what the hell they are talking about please straighten me out. Now I don't want to sound harsh...but please don't give me any info unless you're certain what you're saying is true. I may choose to cancel my order at the last minute in order to avoid getting last years old goods...this would be a major bump in the road but I'd prefer to have some of those features.<p>Thanks in Advance.

James: If your car is due at the dealership in a week or two, it definitely is NOT a 99.5. The 99.5s begin PRODUCTION this week, which makes the first ARRIVALS early-to-mid Feb. The new car WILL have the aforementioned changes, but the "headbags" and new in-dash CD radio are NOT AVAILABLE FOR ORDERING YET for N.A. models.

I sure hope that Audi didn't moved them down by the wipers where the snow and ice pack in! But of course anyone who designs "cook to death" heated outside mirrors would just wet their lips to get at the washer nozzles and screw them up!

I have a question about the cost of a new 99.5 1.8TQM lease ....<p>Steve S.<br>97 2.8QM<br>ssher@home.com