Once upon a time Audi said it would only ever have one RS model in its line up at any one time. Then people started buying quite a lot of them, so they changed their mind on that. We head out to Ardmore – via the winding roads of the Clevedon coast – to drive the new RS4, the fourth RS car currently on sale in New Zealand…
What is it?
If you really have to ask that question, then you must have been living under a rock for the last decade or so. Because during that time the Audi RS4 has become something of a performance legend.
Spawned from the original RS car – the RS2 of 1994 – the RS4 first appeared in 2000 and quickly built on the RS2’s cult standing.
The RS2 featured the German company’s legendary 2.2-litre five-cylinder turbo engine and sold a grand total of 2,908 units around the world, the original, first-generation RS4 bettered this with a 2.7-litre twin-turbo V6 and would sell 6,046 units.
The second-generation RS4 chucked in a 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8 and continued the trend of growing engine capacities AND sales figures by shifting 14,300 units.
The latest version was always join to buck that trend though, because in this day of more considerate performance cars, ever-increasing engine capacities is something that is frowned upon.
However, Audi have resisted the urge to drop back to a turbo-6 and have retained the 4.2 V8 under the bonnet of the new car. They have upped the power though. Oh yes, they certainly have…
With 331kW of power and 430Nm of torque, the V8 powerhouse is now hooked up to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission – as opposed to the last cars manual-only configuration – and, in turn, Audi’s Quattro AWD system. Audi claim fuel consumption of a very reasonable 10.7L/100km.
Available only as a wagon, the RS4 comes, as you would expect, fairly well loaded with kit and while it still boasts a fairly extensive options list, it sure isn’t wanting for much.
Standard features include 19-inch, ten-spoke alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights, a full leather interior, three-zone climate air conditioning, Audi Connect (a Wifi hotspot/online navigation system that requires a data connection), Audi’s sports differential and a leather, three-spoke, flat-bottomed RS steering wheel with shift paddles to name a few.
Add in the fact that the price has actually been reduced over the last model – down to $154,000 compared to $169,000 – and you have a compelling performance package indeed.
What’s it like?
Extraordinarily impressive. Yet…
Unencumbered by turbos, the RS4’s naturally aspirated V8 sounds simply spectacular. Nail the throttle and if you are not in Dynamic mode, there is a slight delay as the DCT moves itself into the right gear and the revs build. In Dynamic mode though – with its sharper throttle response – the result is fantastic.
The sound is immense as it roars and spits its way through the lightning-fast gear shifts. Tip it into a corner and it just seems to go around. There is very little effort involved in making the RS4 go around a corner and the grip and traction involved when blasting out again is simply remarkable.
Perhaps a little too remarkable, as it does become a little like a video game when you start really pushing it.
The steering is not perfect – not bad, just not all that compelling. There is a degree of feel, but the electrically assisted set up feels artificially heavy in its Dynamic setting and inconsistent, vague and overly light in Comfort mode.
The handling is spectacularly easy to access, but can feel a little too easy at times. While you feel like you are dancing on the edge driving an M3 or a C63 at their limits, the RS4 just feels effortless and a little like a video game.
Where the M3 and C63 are fire-breathing RWD brutes that are awesomely fast and accomplished, yet take a particular level of ability to drive hard, the RS4 is a fire-breathing AWD brute that is awesomely fast and accomplished, yet pretty much anyone can drive it hard.
Whether this is a good or bad thing depends on your attitude to fire-breathing brutes, but the overall effect is that the RS4 is just that bit less brutish than its competitors. Still spectacular, just not quite as special.
What’s good about it?
The sound – Oh dear God, the sound! – the acceleration, the easily accessible performance, the handling… the list goes on. The standard stereo is brilliant, the interior is typically-Audi and as such spectacularly well built and it looks great.
What’s not so good?
The whole “easy as a video game” thing that results from the artificial steering and all-too-easy handling takes away the edge that you tend to expect from a performance car. It doesn’t ruin the RS4, but it does dull some of the shine generated by the great looks, immense sound and ferocious acceleration.
Oh, and the standard seats are a little too wide and unsupportive…
First impressions?
Stunningly complete, ferociously quick and making a sound like the earth’s crust is collapsing behind it, the RS4 is a remarkably good car indeed. Whether it is actually too good is a debate for another time, but the net result is a car that anyone can drive and enjoy, whether it is pottering around town or thrashing it on a winding road. The intoxicating noise, high level of specification and reduced price just make it even more compelling.
If you like your performance cars to be more compelling and a little bit challenging, then the RS4 probably isn’t the car for you because it is all a bit too accessible and easy. But if you want something that looks great, sounds incredible and is blisteringly fast, then the RS4 is very hard to go past indeed.
Specifications
Models/prices
RS4 Avant – $154,000
Powertrain
4.2-litre V8 petrol producing 331kW/430Nm; seven-speed dual clutch transmission; all-wheel drive
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
CO2 emissions: 249g/km
Safety
ANCAP/EuroNCAP rating: 5 star
Air bags: 6
Stability control: yes
Lap/diagonal belts: 5
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