If you're a fan of four-seater convertibles, then the S4 has an appealingly hair-ruffling specification. Four-wheel drive married to 339bhp's worth of compact, lightweight, quad-cam V8, wrapped in an intelligently conceived and executed convertible body - scuttle-shake has not been completely eliminated, but only makes its presence uncomfortably felt over rough, urban surfaces. Audi has done a masterful job of the other convertible bits, too - an extended finger is all that's required to lower and raise the thickly lined roof, wind intrusion isn't an issue even at three-figure speeds, and the heater and stereo are a match for the S4's considerable performance. A cramped boot is its only real let-down.

In common with the tin-top S4s, the Cabriolet has the ability to be travelling very quickly in a very short space of time. It needs about 3500rpm on the dial before it really starts to leg it, but once up on its cams it exhibits solid thrust all the way up to 7000rpm. And if the wind hasn't stolen all the aural pleasures for itself, then you're treated to a backing track that could be mistaken for American muscle. Shame the rest of the S4's dynamics aren't as crisp as you'd like. The steering, though superior to Audis of old, has a strange, inconsistent stodginess, and the ride becomes jittery under heavy braking.

There's a refined, well-rounded softness to the package. The S4 cab isn't quite the 339bhp roadster you might have expected, but it is a fine grand tourer. Given that's its role, do you really need an engine that hard-driven can drop to 15mpg, or a price tag the wrong side of ΂£40K? Then again, in the right conditions...