The new 2008 Audi A4 has already begun to recognize its significance overseas. German newspaper Bild am Sonntag has awarded the new midsize saloon with the Golden Steering Wheel Award.

The Audi A4 has also been awarded the title of “Imported Car of the Year” by the RJC (Automobile Researchers and Journalists Conference). This respected jury, made up of 70 Japanese automobile market researchers and journalists, testified to the A4’s “perfect balance between the four key elements of the Audi brand - design, driving dynamics, safety and quality”.

In Spain, the Audi A4 has been awarded the title of “Family Car of the Year” by “Car & Driver”, one of the leading Spanish car magazines. The readers of the magazine, which has connections with the US periodical of the same name, chose the Audi A4 because of its high levels of “safety and comfort, combined with low fuel consumption”

New Sports Specification For Open Air Audi A4

Upgrades inside and out for new A4 Cabriolet 2.0 TFSI S line Special Edition

• Special version of sought-after A4 Cabriolet powered by 2.0 Turbo FSI 200PS engine and priced from £29,990 OTR – available to order now for first deliveries in December

• Exceptional specification includes S line exterior styling, Pearl Nappa leather upholstery, BOSE sound system with CD autochanger, acoustic parking and xenon headlamps

• 200PS @ 5,100-6,000rpm, 280Nm @ 1,800-5,000rpm, 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds (multitronic 8.1), top speed 146mph (multitronic 144), combined mpg 34.0 (multitronic 33.6), CO2 199g/km (multitronic 199g/km)

A new version of the sought-after Audi A4 Cabriolet featuring a particularly impressive sports-oriented specification joins the UK range this week. Priced from £29,990 OTR, and available to order now, the new A4 2.0 TFSI S line Special Edition combines styling enhancements with extra interior luxuries to create one of the most covetable Cabriolets this side of the RS 4.

To do justice to its strong performing 200PS, 2.0-litre Turbo FSI petrol engine, the A4 Cabriolet S line Special Edition rides on exclusive 18-inch 7-arm double spoke design alloy wheels with 235/40 R18 tyres and lowered sports suspension. At no extra cost, visual impact can be added by an S line exterior styling pack, which brings a highly polished black painted grille and unique front and rear bumper design with rear diffuser. Xenon head lamps also add to the visual impact, as well as of course providing major benefits in visibility and safety.

Inside, the S line specification, which normally includes trimmings such as Pearl Nappa leather-upholstered sports seats, a perforated leather trimmed S line sports steering wheel and brushed aluminium inlays, is enhanced by an upgraded Symphony audio system with six CD changer, a BOSE speaker system, rear acoustic parking sensors and aluminium foot pedals. Combined, the extra equipment fitted inside and out would normally cost an additional £2,035.

The upgraded Special Edition specification supplements range-wide features such as fully automatic soft-top operation, electric front and rear windows and electronic climate control.

Helped by a healthy 280Nm of torque, available from 1,800rpm, the A4 Cabriolet 2.0 TFSI S line Special Edition with six-speed manual transmission is good for a 0-62mph time of 8.2 seconds and a top speed of 146mph. Combined cycle fuel consumption is an impressive 34.0mpg. True to form, the optional, and still unique-in-class, multitronic continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) permits performance and fuel economy that run the manual version incredibly close, in stark contrast to the majority of conventional ‘stepped’ automatics.