It has been an age-old question: Is it possible to develop a car that is both occupant and performance friendly? One that doesn’t just get you from point A to point B, but gets you there with a grin on your face? Sure it is.

Audi’s ’05 S4 quattro sedan takes the pedestrian sedan and kicks it up a notch in the performance department, providing more than enough thrills of delight for those fortunate enough to handle the steering wheel. Engineers managed to take the already stellar A4 platform, throw in a 340-hp, 4.2-liter V-8 engine (yes, there’s an 8 under there) and a responsive suspension, turning this car into a true competitor to the BMW M3.

In some ways, the S4 tops the BMW M3. The suspension is a case in point. Audi has managed to tune the S4’s suspension just right, providing more than enough road hugging firmness to toss the car through the curves and twisties, while at the same time leaving enough compliance for comfortable highway driving. There were a few times when the suspension didn’t agree with me, like on uneven highway pavement when the car seemed to bobble up and down like a paint shaker at Sherwin Williams, but those experiences were few and far between.

Audi’s design team managed to make a few subtle changes to the S4 to make it stand out from the rest of the A4 range, including an integrated spoiler on the trunk lid, lower door flares and dual-tip exhaust pipes. This doesn’t mean the S4 is radically different from the A4. The overall shape carries on the Audi tradition, with the brand’s signature single frame grille front-and-center.

Inside, the S4 has a tasteful interior, including standard Recaro front and rear seats. The instrument cluster features two large round chrome-trimmed gauges for revs and speed, while the center of the cluster features a driver information center capable of providing turn-by-turn directions from the optional navigation system, as well as updates on fuel economy, radio station settings, etc.

Audi’s Multimedia Interface unit, with its color screen housed neatly in the middle of the center stack, was simple to operate. Kudos to the team that devised this system, which is very intuitive, as opposed to the complexity of some operating systems in other German luxury sedans. Additionally, the cup holders are of ample size to hold your morning coffee during long commutes. 

There is one notable downfall on the inside: Rear seat room, of which there is little. OK, maybe there’s enough to fit your average pre-teen, but if you want to take your average-sized adult friends for a night on the town, be prepared to hear some gripes as they fold themselves in and out of the rear seat.

What makes the S4 truly amazing is the powertrain. The growl of the V-8 is more than enough to get your blood boiling. Stomp on the accelerator and the 6-speed automatic transmission (with sport shift setting) sends the power gracefully through all four wheels, keeping the S4 firmly planted.  For those wanting more a sporting driving experience, the transmission features paddle shifters located behind the steering wheel, although I found that using the automatic’s sport setting seemed to squeeze the power out the engine just fine.

The ’05 S4 will set you back a few bucks. The price of entry is $47,300. Add on niceties, such as the optional glass sunroof, rain-sensor wipers, adaptive front lighting, Sirius satellite radio, and heated front and rear seats, and the price escalates quickly to our as tested $55,745, with a $1,300 gas guzzler penalty. Still, the S4 is one car developed for driving.