I am always excited when I get a car and “supercharged” is part of the name.

For the most part – auto makers seem to have an unspoken rule that they don’t label an engine supercharged unless it’s really special. “Turbo” is a little overused, but “supercharged” seems to be a genuine description.

The S4 backs up its supercharged claims with a powerful and athletic 3.0-liter V6 that produces 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, while a seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual (S tronic) is optional (I had this option on my test vehicle).

My vehicle also was equipped with the optional sport rear differential, which varies torque between the rear wheels.

The V6’s awesome response is matched to the S4’s equally smooth transmission and chassis. On a car like this, sometimes you want the manual transmission to get to fully feel the engine’s power, but the seven-speed automatic transmission was one of the most responsive I’ve ever driven.

Mileage in the automatic transmission model is rated at 18/28 mpg.

Inside the S4, everything is sleek, black and very lit up with red and white lights at night. Gauges were well-designed, though some buttons were hard to work.

Price-wise, the 2011 Audi S4 competes most closely with sedans like the BMW 335i and Lexus IS 350.

The base price for an S4 is $46,600, but prices go up quickly with options added on. Price for my test vehicle was $51,000.