1999 Audi S4

Few cars have impressed me enough to make me look forward to my 31-mile urban commute, but the new Audi S4 certainly has. It's the kind of car that inspires curiosity and selfishness among the staff-like a game of "I have a secret" nobody else knows I'm playing.

"So, how's that S4? I heard it's a lot of fun," lobs a colleague. "It's alright; pretty quick, I guess," I sheepishly reply, "but I'll need at least another night in it to be sure." Another advance foiled, but how long can I keep this up? Damn. What if the boss wants to drive it? As our temporary automotive inventory now stands, he'd have to want it pretty bad to trade our new long-term Porsche C2 for the Audi S4. I'm safe for now-phew, or in German, "fe."

What is it about the S4 version of Audi's already fun and popular compact sedan, the A4, that doesn't promote sharing? A twin-turbocharged 250-horsepower 30-valve DOHC V-6 connected to Audi's banned-from-racing Quattro all-wheel-drive system, a six-speed manual transmission, and four-piston brake calipers make it the quintessential wolf in sheep's clothing, the epitome of a sleeper, and if I had my way, the best-kept secret in the automotive world.

What's most remarkable about the S4's engine-please forgive my unsophisticated description-is that it feels torquier than it does horsepower-ful. Because its maximum torque output of 258 pound-feet is available (and constant) from a mere 1850 rpm right up to just under 4000 rpm, motoring away from a low-speed corner or stop doesn't necessarily require a downshift. Even from a low 1500 rpm, the generous shove of a seatback encourages you to press the pedal closer to the floorboard.

The engine's table-flat torque curve and and daylong powerband are perfectly happy and able to push what might be considered a tall gear. Around town, third and even fourth gears are adequate for most situations. But once you arrive at your favorite cloverleaf, onramp, or serpentine backroad, you'll find six gears from which to choose, bushels of exhilarating torque, and two wheels pushing while two pull you around corners as if you were tethered at the apex. From about 4500 rpm, when things start to get really interesting, all the way up to its 6800-rpm redline, you'll notice many so-called performance cars left in your wake. You'll find yourself muttering, "It seems too easy to be true-can I really be driving this car at this speed, around this bend?"

Riding only about an inch lower than the sport-package-equipped Audi A4, the firmer S4 gets around on low-profile Bridgestone Potenza tires stretched over standard 17x7.5-inch Avus-style rims. Further differentiating itself from the A4 are the S4's close-coupled twin turbochargers, each squeezing 16 pounds per square inch more air into a slightly smaller-volume engine (2.7 liters versus 2.8 in the A4). The 0.1 liter was displaced by an extra 1.5 millimeters of cylinder wall thickness to handle the added pressure and diminish engine noise.

Inside is an impressive amount of standard equipment, such as driver and passenger 10-way power sport seats with silky Nappa leather upholstery, sport steering wheel, eight-speaker 120-watt AM/FM/CD/cassette sound system, one-touch power windows, power mirrors, central locking, fully automatic climate control, electronic cruise control, full-size spare tire, dual airbags, and new "sideguard" curtain airbags spanning from A- to C-pillars.

The S4's only options are a convenience package, cold-weather package, sport interior package, Bose sound system upgrade, Motorola hands-free phone, and navigation system. Later this year, the S4 will be available with a five-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission at no extra charge. Available in nine exterior colors, our tester was an impossible-to-ignore Imola yellow. Hardly the color I'd choose to fly low and avoid radar, but I managed to surprise more than one wide-eyed wannabe boy racer who thought I was just some yuppie in a poseur sedan.