Here is a beautiful Audi 100 S4, seen in the Dongzhimen area of Beijing in February 2013. I lived in the area at the time and had seen the Audi speeding by several times, but it was always gone before I had my phone out. Finally, one day, I found it casually parked on a bike lane, completely unattended.
The Audi 100 S4 was a performance version of the C4 Audi 100. Audi manufactured it from 1991 until 1994.
In the mid-1990s, Audi was in the middle of a confusing restructuring of their model lineup. In 1994, the Audi 100 became the Audi A6, and in 1995, the Audi 100 S4 became the Audi S6. By 1997, Audi launched an unrelated new S4 model, based on the Audi A4.
The Audi 100 S4
The speedy German sedan looked very dusty, covered with the remnants of an earlier snowstorm. The paint color is Crystal Silver Metallic, which is the best color for an S4. The alloy wheels are not original, but they match nicely with the car’s body.
The engine
Audi offered two engines for the S4 model: a 2.2-liter five-cylinder and a 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V8, like in this car. The output was impressive:276 hp and 400 Nm. Audi coupled the motor to a six-speed manual transmission, sending horsepower to all wheels via Audi’s quattro AWD system. The Audi 100 S4 had a 247 km/h top speed and accelerated from 0-100 in 6.6 seconds.
The interior
The interior is typical Audi, but the 100 S4 got racy extras like black leather sports seats and wood trim on the dash and doors. The cabin seemed well-maintained; there’s not much wear on the seats, and there’s nothing broken on the dashboard. Note the large-diameter steering wheel!
The Phillips radio unit is not original, but it seems quite old. Likely an early 2000s China-made example. The gear lever of the six-speed manual gearbox looks super cool, with a wood knob and leather base.
Audi did not officially sell the 100 S4 model in China, so it is a very rare car. It’s rare anyway, with its short production period and limited sales worldwide. I am not sure how this car ended up on Chinese roads. Considering the license plate mounting areas, it appears to be a Europe-spec car.
Maintaining a car like this in China is not as difficult as one might expect. Audi did manufacture the standard C4 in China, and it assembled the Audi V8 Lang, fitted with the same 4.2-liter V8. So parts were relatively easy to get. After I took these photos, I saw this special sedan a few times more. Then, suddenly, it was gone. I hope it is still around somewhere in China!