Audi wanted to produce a high performance variant of the very popular
Audi A4, so they produced the Audi S4 with the first generation hitting the streets in 1991. The early 1990s was an important time for Audi because it was reorganizing its vehicle lineup, which meant doing away with some models and replacing others. The S4 was a high performance restyling of the 100 sedan and it took the place of the 200 Turbo Quattro sedan that had ceased being produced in 1990.
Audi equipped the S4 with a turbocharged version of the 2.2 liter 20 valve in line five engine as well as an optional 4.2 V8 in European markets. The S4 came standard with the Quattro all wheel drive and five or six speed manual transmission. In 1994 the S4 became the S6, although the only real changes to the vehicle were cosmetic as well as a powerful S6 model that was added to the vehicle lineup. After the first generation the A6 was replaced by a more modern version and the S4 and S6 became two distinct vehicles.
For the second generation of the S4, Audi introduced a wagon version of the car and in 2001 the Audi S4 Avant was added to the lineup. The third generation of the S4 was produced from 2003 until 2005 and was moved to another platform than the two previous generations. The S4 was featured in three different body types starting in this generation, which were the S4 sedan, the S4 Avant wagon and convertible, and the S4 Cabriolet.
The fourth generation of the S4 is the most recent version of the vehicle as this generation started with the 2005 model and continues. The car looks a bit different with a fish mouth grille, narrow headlamps, new tail lamps, and quad exhaust tips. The new generation has a modified 3.2 V6 FSI engine providing just enough power for this vehicle. The next generation is thought to be slated to begin with a 2010 or 2011 model, which should be quite interesting.
