2005 Audi S4 Cabriolet

It's not exactly a poseurs car, the S4 Cabriolet. It's cool but understated, classy but not pretentious. It's the kind of car you'd drive not only to occasionally enjoy the sun but also to relish the competence of a naturally aspirated V8 and Audi's famed quattro all-wheel-drive. The B6 RS4 Cabriolet did take things up a notch a few years later, and eventually, Audi decided to shift all convertible duties to the A5. Today, getting a new NA-V8 four-seat convertible from Audi isn't possible.

This 2005 Audi S4 Cabriolet is a single-former-keeper car with just under 83,000 miles on the clock. It's presented with detailed service history. It was originally registered in 2005 and the current owner purchased it in the late noughties. The A4-based car came with structural strengthening, a 4.2-litre V8 engine, all-wheel drive, and a cloth hood. The perfect recipe for a well-engineered convertible that not only looks great but also has a very respectable overall pace, too? You bet!

The shiny red paint on this Audi S4 does leave a lasting impression, but it's not the only thing making this S4 beautiful. The credit for that also goes to the neat, if subtle, touches that help differentiate the S4 from the regular A4. The stylish 18-inch Audi Avus alloys suit the B6-generation car well. The bumper and lights are updated, the mirrors aren't body coloured but instead have an aluminium-look, and the car has a twin exhaust, among other things.

As can be seen in the photos below, age has been rather kind to the car. It's been maintained well, and as a result, the bodywork is nearly spot-free. There are some scratches, but nothing that gives the car's age away. The wheels are shiny and unblemished. And quite relevant here, the hood is, although a bit discoloured, without any damage. The aluminium-look mirror caps and A-pillar look virtually brand new.

Audi cabins are high-quality and are made to last. The B6-generation S4 was made before they moved to the now-common all-screen, no-button layouts. Plus, it looks great, this original dashboard, with a round steering, carbon-fibre trim, and a proper manual gear knob. The S4 Cabriolet might not be classified as the most practical car out there, but the two-door convertible did have four seats (leather-trimmed Recaro-made sports seats at the front). And the rear bench isn't just for kids. Apart from the ingress and egress being slightly challenging, it has an okay room at the back. With the roof up, the headroom does get constrained drastically, though.

The dashboard itself has stood well against use and age-related wear. The seats show signs of use in the form of creases on the surface, especially on the driver's seat. The rear bench can benefit from some basic clean-up. The door sills and cards look okay, and the carbon fibre trim all around does look to be in good shape. There's a spare wheel (alloy; full size), jack and basic tools, and even a foldable wind deflector in the boot. The hood lining appears to be in great shape, too.

Based on the B6-generation Audi A4, the S4 is the high-performance version of the car. The range was further widened to include a more focussed RS4 later in 2006. The B6 was available in a variety of body styles: saloon, estate, and cabriolet. To compensate for the lack of rigidity due to no roof, the latter came with a strengthened body. Only one engine was available on the S4: a 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 petrol which produced 340+ bhp and 410 Nm. With the help of Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system, all this power translated to a claimed 0-62 mph time of under 6 seconds. Respectable figures then, equally so now.

This nearly 83,000-mile example is reported to be free from any mechanical issues. The engine bay is clean and you wouldn't mind popping the bonnet open at car shows (do they still do that sort of a thing?) to display the beautiful-looking engine. The underside of the car isn't bad, either, with some surface rust visible but no damage can be seen.

The 2005 Audi S4 Cabriolet was first registered in July 2005. Its detailed service history is available as part of the accompanying paperwork. This also shows that the car was sold to its second owner in the year 2008 at 33,000 miles on the clock. It currently reads a little less than 83,000, while the MoT is valid till April 2023.

According to its previous MoT certificates/DVLA data, it's done about 5,000 miles every year and has had a fairly clean MoT record. The latest test was a clear pass without any advisories. It got two new tyres in 2017 and one in 2020. It also got its battery replaced in 2019.

The Audi S4 Cabriolet is a very cool car, the kind that's becoming rarer now. While it's not as revered as the BMW M3 from the same era, its charm is inescapable. Not only because it's a well-engineered Audi with quattro all-wheel drive, but also because it's a bit discreet in appearance. And when it comes to high-speed motoring, you wouldn't have to think twice about this, because the 4.2-litre V8 is going to provide more than enough power for everyday driving. For those who appreciate cars, having a manual gearbox is likely to be a bonus, too. Plus the maximum torque is produced at around 3,500 rpm, so one doesn't even need to be shifting through gears to make progress.

At an estimated £5,000 - 8,000, that does sound like a bargain. This example is also backed by a service record, original invoices, and the fact that it has only two owners from new and just 83,000 miles on the odometer. Both on the outside and inside, it appears to be a clean car. Maybe the kind XXXX would've bought if he hadn't got a sketchy job...

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