I was down at the street races one late summer night recently, minding my own business, just watching the younger folks (I'm thirty now) flog their cars and risk citation, when the old bug bit me. Having sold my 5.0 Mustang for a downpayment on a '98 2.8 Quattro, it had been a while since I had done any street racing. So I'm sitting there watching when two guys come along in a Northstar Cadillac Seville and start running everybody that will run. They were beating tar out of Pontiac Sunfires, Fieros, Chevrolet Malibus, old pickup trucks without mufflers ...all manner of junk. So I thought to myself, I thought, "Self, why don't you just go down there and give this a try just for old time's sake." So I did. As I was lining up with this Northstar Seville with its 300 horsepower V8, somebody said to the Seville's driver, "Why don't you pick on somebody your own size!" "We'll see," I thought. I just sat there, waiting to line up and then for the hands to drop. I truly did not know what would happen. Probably the Seville would come out ahead. But one thing I did know, . . .I was going to jump out ahead and he'd have to catch me. The hands dropped, my wheels gripped. No wheelspin, . . . at least, not from my side. His tires made some noise as my rear bumper quickly passed the front of his car. That jump was all I needed. The whole way down the quarter mile, his bumper never passed mine. We finished nose to tail. He couldn't pull me. HA!!!! Have some sauerkraut!

<br>Yea! Put down another one for efficient, powerful, smaller engines vs. those overgrown, excessive, 5 litre v-8s!

I took my 2.8 Avant QMS to the legal Drag Strip and got beat by a bug, a Mustang, and a beat down, whooptified El Camino! 15.43 @ 89.03mph was all I could muster with a cat back exhaust, K&N and an AMS Chip!<p>Damon<br>here I am about to get beat by a late 70s bug, he went 14.47 @ 95mph...<p>

nt<br>

I'm affraid you don't know what you are talking about, Ash.<br>The Cadilac Northstar is a 4.6L, very modern V-8 that shares nothing with the outdated pushrod engines Detroit has, and continues to sell. In fact, in many ways it is a more modern engine than the 12v 2.8 found in many a4's. I'm not saying the Northstar is my favorite engine (don't even ask how hard it it to replace a starter in one of those things!), but is a respectable powerplant, and even in a heavy cadilac will blow an A4 2.8 away, unless it is seriously modified.<p>erik

Did the guy happen to have his parking brake on? I own a 2.8 Quattro and I've driven a friend's STS many times. If we raced, I would be left staring at his taillights until they faded over the curvature of the earth. Please!! Maybe his buddies were pushing the car...<p>No offense fellow A4 owners, but lets all get a big grip if we think our cars are: a) quarter mile burners; or b) sportscars. They are gorgeous, small, sport sedans. Best looking cars on the road, IMHO. But unfortunately, they get eaten alive in the quarter mile by ugly, big, powerful sport sedans with 300 horsepower.<p>Peter 98.5 2.8QM

...that means about 0.4 sec 0-60 and the extra passanger was at least 0.3 sec (0.4.-0.5 if 300 lbs.).<p>My dad has a 300HP Eldorado Touring Coupe (about 75 lbs. lighter than a Seville) and my A4 is not even in the same league. The only reason 0-60 times are close is that first gear in the Cadillac goes to ~53 MPH and second is ~90 MPH. Although, I think the car's seats and quality of finish are downright pathetic, but hey he got the car (used) with only 25k miles on it for $26000, so I guess that's pretty good for a car that stickered at $46000 (try getting that on an Audi/BMW/M-B/Lexus--but he got what he paid for; I'd take my 12v A4 any day over a Caddy).

Sorry 'bout the slip up, I knew the Northstar wasn't a 5 litre, I was sorta making a general statement about larger engines....IMHO, I happen to prefer smaller engines that can get high specific outputs (look at the Type R's 1.8 litre 195 horse engine for example). I just happen to think large engines with ridiculous displacements are a little excessive that's all...just an opinion.<p>-Ash 98.75 Silver 1.8TQMS

<br>IMHO, I wouldn't classify an STS as a "sport sedan". I'd say it's more of a touring sedan...great highway cruiser, but not so great when it comes to driving in the twisties (I have driven one, the new generation actually, and found the ride and handling quite wallowy...).<p>-Ash 98.75 1.8TQMS

Don't forget your Avant is probably 1,000 heavier than that VW BUG parked next to you! Even then, if we could assume he had tweaked out 100hp and weighed in at 2000 lbs., he's got a 20:1 power/weight ratio over your (approx.) 16:1 - assumes 195hp V6 and 3100lbs., rounding up.<p>HermanH<br>98.5 Passat 1.8tm

Sounds like you got a good launch and that made the difference. He didn't claim to be racing pros. The other guy probably had alot of wheel spin and never recovered. I believe it. I bet you didn't go for best of 3 though. ;)<p>Mark (98.5 2.8 QMS)

O.k., so I left some things out. When they pulled up, the first thing I noticed was that the rear window was down. They didn't look like your typical Cadillac owners, (that's how you spell Cadillac, by the way). They were too young and too hayseed looking. Plus, the car had old faded dealer tags and they were fishing through the trunk fooling around with *something* back there. Probably the most important information omitted was that they had several things in the trunk that were probably pretty heavy, including a vacuum cleaner. Looked like they had recently acquired some household goods. Didn't offer to sell me anything though. I made sure not to get too close to them before I actually raced them because they were eyeing *my* car. Anyway, the car appeared to be stolen, the stuff in the trunk, ... who carries a vacuum cleaner in their Seville at two or three in the morning? And who races their Seville at two or three in the morning against any little piece of **** that will run them, present company excepted? So, obviously, weight probably played a pretty large role in the victory. And who knows what mechanical condition the car was in. But *they* were surprised. It's true, I SWEAR!

98.5 2.8QMS What's the M stand for anyway?

:}

Right?