Injection of delight.

(From Financial Post)

PALERMO, Sicily - Inever actually spotted a single Mafioso. In fact, I didn't see anyone particularly swarthy, threatening or even slightly resembling the stereotype.

We did, nonetheless, have a plethora of armed guards looking decidedly menacing at anyone who even looked like they might approach our refuge in the seaside Hotel Cetarium. All were in decidedly para-military blue jump suits and armed with nine-mill Berettas.

Only I got a funny feeling it wasn't my worthless behind they were protecting. After all, the kidnappers who spirited Yours Truly away would likely be able to feed their cat for a week on the ransom the National Post would offer. Nope, I think they were guarding the cars, all eight of them brand-new Audi A4s. But while they were indeed hot off the factory floor, the assembled press expected little beyond some new sheet metal (with Audi's new trademark and controversial grille), as well as some swivelling headlamps, so we were wondering what all the fuss was about.

As it turns out, there was actually quite a bit of depth to the changes Audi has wrought to the A4 for 2005, enough to make a brand new car rather than the mid-model refreshening we anticipated.

For one thing, the suspension has been upgraded substantially. The front end has been revised with many components from the high-performance S4, while the rear comes in for even more revision with links from the S4 and shock absorbers from the A6.

But the really big news lies under the hood with Audi releasing not just one but two (and the first two, at that) direct-injection gasoline engines in North America.