Haldex is fine. It's certainly a good way to apply grip in poor conditions, such as low speed on snow. It isn't worthy of hate, but it is less "real-time" than a system like torsen, so it is less sporty.

"Just 8k" is almost 20% more, and if that puts the S4 out of reach, you know what the young, hip, aspiration buyer is going to do.*

Transverse -engine cars tend to be more nose heavy - the previous-gen S3 & RS3 certainly were and under-steered too much for their sporting mission per European reviews. Haldex is fine as front-biased AWD systems go.. it's just that a longitudinal engine and real full time AWD are more fun. On balance.

Whether our R5 could move or not on any particular day, there was no fear it wouldn't be noticed. Brighter paint than an ambulance.

Which just goes to show - speed isn't everything.

I meant to say [those modern FWD fast cars] are faster than [some cars which were >$50k]. The Viper and Corvette, let alone the top european exotics, were plenty fast then. So were the very fastest sports sedans, like the XK-R and M5.

My family had a safety orange R5 with go-fast stripes and huge "LeCar" stickers on the doors. We struggled on with it until our mechanic murdered it.. in 1981.

I'm with you, although I admit that if you buy that sports car primarily for the track, you will go faster with flappy paddles. The stick is now solely for the experience of driving.

Related - that FWD drive cars like the Fiesta/Focus ST and GTI can have so much power and speed with so little torque steer& understeer. All of them are faster than $50k+ sports cars from 25 years ago.

Oh it's just so cute! I could pinch its cheeks!

No.

Modern Audis are statistically more reliable than modern Mercedes. FWIW.

^— Die-hard stick shift crowd; not buying this S3.

I'm not hopeful that we'll see this car with three pedals in the US. That's make or break for me.

Let's just assume the Apple car would not be offered with a manual transmission.

Hush now.

I thought F-Type as soon as I saw it, also.. sexy back.

In a word, no. Could be Nick Rhodes DJing, but it isn't the full band.

Yes, the Sprite wins.