Had my first S4 drive in a yellow S4 on Saturday. What a magnificent machine! Effortless power and stunning handling characteristics. In fairness to the dealer I was gentle on the relatively green engine, but it was amazing nonetheless. The engine pulled strongly from the low end up to the 4.5 - 5k point where I shifted in deference to the break in of the engine. Freeway onramps were no match for the suspension and quattro combination even under hard acceleration. Wonderful.

Here's the part that I really enjoyed, though. When I got back into my 99.5 1.8tms, I was pleasantly surprised by how solid and enjoyable it felt even after a masterpiece like the S4. I think that speaks well of what a good job Audi did with the A4 design as much as it speaks of their shared lineage.