B8 S4

[tailpipe]

To be honest, I don't know what US specs are changing.

Minor changes may include different seats and wing mirrors. But I heard a nasty rumour that engine may have reduced power - to around 390 bhp - to meet EPA emission regulations.

[Nordschleife]

Originally posted by tailpipe
To be honest, I don't know what US specs are changing.

Minor changes may include different seats and wing mirrors. But I heard a nasty rumour that engine may have reduced power - to around 390 bhp - to meet EPA emission regulations.

I know you think I'm beating up on you but "to meet EPA emission regulations" is spin.
There are several reasons to reduce the quoted horsepower of the car:
1. most US gas is not only low in octane compared with what is available in much of Europe, but it is poor quality, which means that the engine gets hotter than it does on good fuel and that the FSI functionality does not work in the US.
2. a combination of the extra heat mentioned in 1 above plus the much hotter ambient conditions plus the long warranty period means that a reduction in horsepower is prudent.
3. The horsepower figure quoted in Europe is a different unit to that accepted in the English speaking world, but not that much smaller.

As far as the emissions go, an EU3 and and EU4 car will sail through the tough California CARB tests without 'touching the sides'. Even an EU2 car got through at 40% of allowable emissions a couple of years ago. Tuned cars (from Audi and the better tuners) tend to burn fuel more efficiently than the plain vanilla versions, which means that they pass with even more ease. So emissions get blamed for prudent risk management.

R+C

[tailpipe]

Thanks Nord,

As a marketing guy, I knew HP was being reduced but wasn't told what you just wrote.

Have you heard the 390 bhp figure as well? I hear this is the optimal output for US, although Audi Central Marketing wants to make sure it reaches 400 bhp for psychological reasons.

[kujo]

With the new SAE standard on HP in place, the RS4 will be one of the first Audis to meets it's new standards.

I've been told, by reliable sources, that the RS4, when arriving to the US will make 420 SAE HP.

It will not make less.

But, like anything else, I'll beleive it when I see it.

[Nordschleife]

Originally posted by kujo
With the new SAE standard on HP in place, the RS4 will be one of the first Audis to meets it's new standards.

I've been told, by reliable sources, that the RS4, when arriving to the US will make 420 SAE HP.

It will not make less.

But, like anything else, I'll beleive it when I see it.

Kujo
To do that the car will have to be MORE powerful than it is in Europe.
With somewhat lower octane (I know about the different measurement systems in Europe and US and have accounted for that), and less 'refined' gas, there are lots of practical reasons why the engine management has to be a little more conservative in the US car than in the European car. So if they make the US car more powerful than the EU one, somebody is having to work very hard.
Presently I am going through this with a BMW M3 drive train - same car (not a BMW) and BMW have supplied a US drive train (engine and gearbox) and an EU drive train, they are completely different in character. The torque curves are different, the SMG gearboxes are programmed differently, they might almost be two different models. Each being better in its designed environment but worse in the other one.
'Emissions' is customerspeak for 'technical reasons we don't think you need to hear about'.

R+C

[Benman]

Originally posted by Nordschleife
I know you think I'm beating up on you but "to meet EPA emission regulations" is spin. 'Emissions' is customerspeak for 'technical reasons we don't think you need to hear about'.
R+C

Or just call it "Newspeak".


Ben

[kujo]

No worries, you ain't beating up on me.

More power....Exactly.....
That's one reason the US specs have been sooo hush hush.
Why, would they announce the Euro version and wait soooo long to give thier US customers, just the specs ?

We'll see.

Either way, I might be leaning towards an M5 if the RS will be 80K in the US.
Why not just spend 10 more K.....

At this point, I'm soooooooooo over all the speculation.

Just relaying what I heard from a few reliable sources.
One from the US and one from Germany.

kj

[kujo]

btw, that M5 comment was a joke... ;-)

: :s4addict: