The chaps at Car und Driver report Audi will put the next S4 and S5 on diets to trim 20% of their heft with lighter materials and smaller, higher strung engines.
Considering the portly S5 clocks in around 4300 lbs, it's about time Audi looked itself in the mirror and noticed those love handles and double chins. Michael Dick, global head of product engineering for Audi said recently the multi-ringed brand is looking to dramatically decrease the weight of upcoming models by increasing the use of aluminum, magnesium, and high strength steel while downsizing engine displacement by 30% and increasing their specific output. The future S4 and S5 will step back from the supercharged V6 and utilize a turbocharged four which will be no doubt direct injected. To give you an idea of what we're talking about here, Audi claims to be testing a next-gen S5 weighing in at 880 lbs less than the current model. This is definitely a plan we can get behind. [Car und Driver]