THREE years is an eternity in the automotive world, and two of the stars of 2005 – BMW’s E90 3 Series and the Lexus IS250 – are now under massive attack from last year’s own (three-pointed) star attraction, the Mercedes W204 C-class. But, hang on, what’s this? Is Audi trying yet again with another A4? Could the all-new B8 possibly hope to compete against the others for driver appeal, ride comfort, cabin space and value for money? Previous versions often fell well short. However, after sampling a cross-section, the latest A4 could well be the one that finally catches up with the competition. Audi’s time, it seems, is now.