Audi S4 25quattro : 2005

You'd have to be living under a rock if you are an Audi enthusiast and didn't know that this year was the 25th Anniversary of quattro. Word has gone out to dealers this week of a special commemorative 25quattro edition of the S4.

Like the 2006 S4, the 25quattro S4 will come with Audi's new Torsen C with 40/60 front/rear bias and only equipped with a manual 6-speed transmission. It'll also get a subtle new V8" badge just below the European sidemarkers on the front fenders a running change on all 2006 S4s and similar in placement to the W12 badge on the top-of-the-heap A8s.

In addition to the running changes, several options from the S4 equipment list will be standard on this limited run car. These include:

- Premium Package, including sunroof, Homelink, rain sensor, heated front seats, and other premium equipment
- Audio Package, including Sirius satellite radio, Bluetooth phone preparation and voice control
- Audi Navigation plus System with glovebox 6-disc CD changer

This limited edition S4, of which only 250 will be made, makes use of exterior trim formerly utilized by quattro GmbH for the Audi A4 DTM. For now, the U.S. market will be the only one to get this treatment on an S4.

The kit includes a front bumper/spoiler modified for America with the addition of North American sidemarkers, sideskirts, trunk spoiler and rear bumper. Foglights have been deleted. Carbon fiber accents the car's chin and trunk spoilers, just as it does on the DTM edition. Also from the DTM, the S4 25quattro will roll on 18-inch 15-spoke wheels inspired by those used on Audi's DTM racecars.

You can have your S4 25quattro in any color, as long as it's Avus Silver, a color previously only available on the RS6.

As a nod to the original Quattro that took the world by storm 25 years ago, Audi will include two logo decals with each car. Owners can opt whether or not to install the four-ring decals, which would be placed on the lower front portion of the driver and passenger side front doors, just as they were on the Ur-quattro.

To emphasize the significance of quattro on this car, S4" badging on the front grille will be replaced by a quattro" badge.

Inside, the car gets the quattro GmbH treatment. Cabin beltline trim will be carbon fiber different from standard S4 carbon fiber, and identical to what you'll find in the new RS4 when it comes to market. The S4's Recaro seating will be swathed in two-tone black and jet grey silk nappa hide with quattro" embossed in place of the Recaro logo and with jet-gray stitching. Matching jet-gray leather will adorn the door panel inserts and segments on the steering wheel. Additional jet-gray accents such as floor mat trim and stitching on the emergency brake handle will also be included. A special 25quattro shift knob will come in each car, denoting it is 1 of 250 may well be icing on the cake.

The Audi dealer communication suggests there'll be a contest of some sort that includes a 2-year lease on one of these cars. In addition, the S4 25quattro will debut at The Quail", an automotive concours held in Monterey in August. Cars will begin to arrive in late October/early November. Pricing should range from $62,000 - $64,000 based on reports.

From the sound of it, the S4 25quattro will be a special order only vehicle as it is so limited in number and only for sale in the United States. Canada will not get the car. The S4 25quattro will be allocated to orders first, then on to dealers with the highest rates of S4 sales if any are left. If you're interested in one, contact your dealer as soon as possible and get yours reserved.

More details will be released to the press as the mid-August launch date approaches.

Photograph Note: The photos associated and included with this article are photoshop productions based on German market A4 DTM press photos and have been created to represent what you can expect with the 25quattro. Notably, these photos differ from what we expect the car to appear with in only two places - when the car is launched, it should also have polished aluminum mirrors and silver window trim as with the standard S4.