Hi, new to this board. I currently drive a 1998 993 Carrera S. It's mint with 40k miles on it and I love it as a raw sports car. I also have a first son that is now 8 months old and I am finding that I want to spend time with cars and with him at the same time. The wife says "no" to car seat in the Porsche, and she is probably right -- not really that safe.

I dont really need four doors, but do want a usable backseat for an infant seat. My current thinking is to either purchase a 2006 M3 competition pkg or order a 2007 RS4.

I have searched the archives and read some of the posts. Seems dealers will only get a few cars allocated, probably will cost approx. $70k, can be ordered in Jan.06 for Mar-Apr.06 delivery...(?)

Curious what else we know about the upcoming RS4 order/buying process (?) Also, has anyone been in my situation to move from Porsche to Audi or can compare an E46 M3 to anticipated specs on the RS4, etc.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Me. My C4S was Guards Red, had Recaro Pole Positions, Supercups and Bilstein PSS-9's on it but I still drove it everyday. It was getting old so I sold it while I could get good money out of it.

My RS4 will be Avus Silver so it'll be a little under the radar compared to my C4S. It'll have a real trunk and a real back seat (at least for little ones) it'll be faster than the C4S and quite possibly will handle as well too, we'll see about that. It's gonna be an all around better car for me to drive during the week, take the wife out, weekend trips, ring it out in the hills, and possibly do a few track days too. Once I get it I can't imagine longing for my old C4S, it was starting to feel slow. But then everything feels slow since I've been doing motorcycle track days...

I am talking about the upcoming V8 M3

One thing I will say is you get used to awd and it becomes a very fun tool to have in rain/dry when u want to take off quickly. I drive a rear or front drive car once in a while and get annoyed by wheel spin and no go.

In terms of dealing with a car seat a 4 door is much easier then a 2 door. Hell if I were u check out both cars bring a baby seat and try it out and see how big of a pain it is 2 door versus 4 door. The sales guy might look at you funny but hey its your money.

RS4 is going to be 65-70k out the door, M3 will be cheaper. The question is how much raw do you want in your next car. If you were to draw a Venn diagram sports car versus usable sedan, you p-car is obviously pure sports car, the m3 is the best comprimise of sedan and sports car, and the RS4 will be heavier on sedan then sports car.

Dollars sense and what u want out of your next car will decide... Maybe look at used E55 or RS6. The wife will think you bought a boring old sedan and u grew up etc, little does she know you just bought the ultimate rocket sedan. Just a thought....

I am really on the fence on this one. What really worries me about the RS4, is that it's not a keeper. With all the technical gizmo's in the car, is this a car you want to keep a day after the warranty runs out. I think your car, and mine to a lesser degree are a little more timeless.

Those are just a few concerns in regard to a 993. Steering rack replacement (at least for the C4S) is common as well. The older a car gets the more problems you'll have w/ it.
I don't think I'll ever have a car for more than a few years. I haven't yet and I don't anticipate a change. There's too much good stuff coming out all the time, to the point that makes it tough to be waiting for this RS4.

so I think that would make your decision pretty simple, no?

call your local dealership and ask about getting on their 'list.' if they try to jack you around, find another dealer. make sure you choose a dealer that is RS-certified, as they will be the only ones who can service the car.

to each his own of course but I would jump on a 997S WAY before I bought a RS4. I know they're completely different cars but the 997S is a tremdously better drivers car.
Then again, I've just chosen a 987S over everything :-)

i am not going to wait the almost 2yrs for the next M3, that is outside my timeframe. i could have an ordered E46 M3 in about 2 months or a RS4 in about 3-4 months.... thats the way i am going to go, one of those two...

particularly on the 98 models, some of what you describe is less common. Knock on wood, havent seen any of the issues yet that you describe on my 98 993 S

Its interesting the relativity here. For someone not close to Audi, I think of the RS4 as an M5 competitor...fierce with 420hp/380lbs torque (correct?) in a 3600lb sedan. Sure, it has 4 doors, but 3600lb is not pigly by todays standards and the performance specs are pretty impressive. On a piece of paper, this car should walk away from a current M3, certainly my 993, and probably all the NA Porsches sans the S and GT3. The fact that it is AWD and has the 4 doors is just bonus to me. Yet, may here seem to indicated that it will be "tamer" than an M3 and certainly than the Porsche. I.E. only buy if you need the AWD, etc. Interesting indeed...

I have '01 C2 Cab and two little ones. Wife is making me giving up my C2 - Why!!! Kids don't need car seats...

I test drove a 2005.5 S4 over the weekend - I like the handling, but the low-end torque seems to be lacking...

I am also torn over S4 and M3. RS4 is out of question because of MT - wife can't drive MT.

For kids, four doors S4 seems to be my #1 choice now.

The only things that are holding me back is 1) I like the RS4 4.2 FSI engine and hoping Audi will offer it on S4 in couple years; 2) 2005.5 Vs 2006 - what are the differences?

TIA,

Epoints

I had a 1995 C4 993 that was heavilly tuned and modified. Chip, shocks, exhaust, intake, 3piece wheels, 3.8 RS engine, etc.

The lowly S4 is my new car and it is fun. It might be better....I miss the oil smell and the feel at the wheel a bit....but the repair issues are a lot nicer.

The RS4 will likely really blow away all but a few P cars.

As a dailly driver, the Audi is a lot more forgiving, a lot more smooth.

JB

AFAIK, true. The RS4 is a beast of a car.
JB

Per everything that I have heard (I am also on the M3 wait list) the E90 M3 will go back and offer a 4 door version like they did for the E36.

if an M3 E90 was available anytime next year, I would probably do that... however, we are talking calendar year 2007 before you will see one... personally, I cant wait that long and I also dont like the idea of a first year production BMW

would stand a chance in performance against the RS4... in terms of BMW, I suppose the M5 and M6.

not that this is all about straight line acceleration or being faster than the next car, but such things do tend to be a good analog for the seat-in-pants fun factor...

Can't see how anybody can decide without driving one - at least an S4 which would be doable. That's what sold me on the S4.

I have a '95 993 in the garage sitting next to my '06 S4 Avant Tiptronic daily driver. The S4 might be as quick as (or quicker than) the 993, but the raw driving feel of the 993 can't be beat. S4 still feels heavy and lacking driver feel when driven on a back road.

1 Maserati MC12: 1.18.9 sec.
2 Ferrari Enzo: 1.19.0 sec
3 Ariel Atom: 1.19.5 sec
4 Porsche Carrera GT: 1.19.8 sec
5 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren: 1.20.9 sec
6 Ford GT: 1.21.9 sec
7 Porsche GT3 RS: 1.22.3 sec
8 Ferrari 360 CS: 1.22.0 sec
9 Lamborghini Murcielago: 1.23.7 sec
10 Zonda: 1.23.8 sec
11 Koenigsegg: 1.23.9 sec
12 Sagaris: 1.24.6 sec
13 Tuscan: 1.24.8 sec
14 Evo FQ 400: 1.24.8 sec
***15 Audi RS4: 1.25.0 sec
16 Noble: 1.25.0 sec
16 Lamborghini Gallardo: 1.25.8 sec
17 Aero 8 GTN: 1.25.9 sec
18 BMW M5: 1.26.2 sec
19 Ferrari 575 GTC: 1.26.8 sec
20 Chevrolet Corvette: 1.26.8 sec

This is my biggest concern about the RS4.

are you really comparing how the S4 drives to the how the RS4 will drive?... now THAT is dopey!

i have never bought a car in my life without driving one, but the RS4 just could entice me to do so

if my memory serves me right, the gt3 test was one done in the rain, which is what i don't quite understand about that show. if they are going to post these times, why not wait until conditions are as favorable as possible?? granted, one cannot compensate for temp. differences (they do have to make a show afterall), but i think they might be able to wait until the track dries; certaintly, manufactueres would understand an extra day or two with the vehicle in favor of better times. apparently, the new caymen beat the 996 gt3, but the rs4 is a second quicker than the caymen!!??

I would definetly choose the rs4 over the m3, new or old. Theres just something about that AWD feel and wooping ass in the dry, wet, or snow. Its ready for anything, anywhere.

M3 wouldnt be a fun car to drive in the snow, let alone ice or worse.

all i know is that the RS4 will have a better power to weight ratio and according to the Stig driving it on Top Gear (if you can trust this source), it lapped about the same time as a GT3

Audis first year reputation is not as bas as BMWs

Audis first year reputation is not as bad as BMWs

not even sure they will be offering this car for more than a year (?)... either way, most will be spoken for immediately, correct?... Audi doesnt seem to come out with RS models very often and they are sold quickly... BMW will have enough new M3s to feed the whole world

... I'd choose the RS4. It's a shame they don't offer an Avant, though.

I've now bought three cars without ever having driven them.

And never been disappointed.

Get a review from someone you trust, that's good enough (imho)...

afterall the S4 beat the M3 around Top Gear's track. Top Gear did another show where they raced an M6, Aston Martin V8 and a 997 CS around a road track on the Isle of Mann...raining and all driven one after the other by the Stig. The Porsche trounced the BMW and Aston.

Heck some Subaru dealers won't let you drive the STi.....you can bet Audi most dealers won't be handing over keys to an RS4 for a test. Owner of my local dealer tends to drive the latest and keep it for himself...sometimes for an extended period. He has an RS6 which was available to be driven if he knew you were serious.

with doing this Top Gear comparison. The conditions were probably completely different.

<ul><li><a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5252945100827089880&amp;q=omghi2u">http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5252945100827089880&amp;q=omghi2u</a</li></ul>

I've got kids age 2 1/2 and 4 weeks, and an '01 Boxster S with a few mods. Finally decided i had to have a car i could drive the little ones around in, as my wife feels the same way you do about a car seat in the Porsche. MUST have convertible, so I looked at all the cab contenders, including BMW 650i, CLK 500, M3, S4 Cab, XK8 and spent some time with older son crawling in and out of back seats to the chagrin of more than a few car salesmen. Also considered how hard it would be to move the carry-everywhere baby seat in and out of the back seat (it's easy if your top is down, but are you driving the baby around with the top down?), and determined I needed four doors. Once I decided to keep the S, the decision was relatively easy -- the 06 S4 hard top was a nice blend of performance and utility. (The 550 was the toughest competition, with comparable performance but 10K more with similar options). S4 Bonus: Recaro makes some great booster seats that match the seats in the front of the S4...