The AWD has a seamless feel; grippy with no sense of the car fighting itself. In snow belt states, quattro also imparts a stable and secure feeling on a sloppy track - all season drivability in conditions that would send other sports cars to the bench to ride out the winter months. Steering is progressively weighted, handling stable and centered and the brakes are strong and fade free. The S4 Cabrio has a fairly stiff chassis. Ride quality never left the comfort zone in my travels, but a rough, washboard section of road did coax some top down cowl shake.

All of the above is wrapped in a stealthy set of sheet metal. The S4 wears few clues to the musculature beneath the body. Beefy tailpipes, 18” aluminum rims, big air inlets below the grille and small S4 badges alert the cognoscenti. The S4 might lose a beauty contest to the TT cabriolet (join the crowd), but it compensates with higher performance, exclusivity and the ability to fly (swiftly) under the radar - attributes that are easy to appreciate.

For the combination of sensible and sporty, few convertibles can match the S4. It’s fast and responsive, surefooted in all conditions and big enough to be small family friendly. There’s something here to satisfy both halves of your brain – and that’s a rare find in a roadster.