In 1997, Audi introduced its second generation of the Audi S4.
It was a true competitor in the compact-executive sports car, running against the BMW M3 or the Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG.

The battle for sportiness started when the BMW and Mercedes-Benz started their war in the segment with the E30 M3 and the 190 2.5-16, respectively. By that time, the Audi was successful in the rally world with the Audi S1 quattro. It had a series model but it wasn’t seen as a direct competitor to the other two premium German brands. But when the S4 was launched, everything changed. Especially when the 1997 S4 was built on the basis of the Audi A4, unlike its predecessor which was based on the larger Audi 100.

The outside differences were minimal. A new set of 17” light-alloy wheels with specific design, new front, and rear bumpers and a couple of small S4 logos around the car were the only clues that that was not a regular A4.

Inside, there were sport-bucket seats in front and a regular bench-seat in the rear. But since the car was designed mainly for enthusiasts drivers, the rear passengers were there just to calm him, or her, down.

Under the hood, there was a 2.7-liter V6, twin-turbo, engine. It sent the torque the all four wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox and a Torsen center differential.