BE WARNED, whatever perceptions you may have about Audi are likely to be shattered over the course of the next four pages… or even four sentences…
The Audi RS4 you see here blasts to 60 km/h in 2,18 seconds – that’s faster than a V10 BMW M5, a Noble M400, and even the latest Porsche 911 Carrera S. To put it in even better perspective, 2,18 seconds is roughly equivalent to one normal breath.
Then, accompanied by the sound of Zeus’s rottweiler barking, it shatters the 100 km/h mark in 4,65 seconds – that’s two breaths, and faster than a Ferrari 360 Modena, or Mercedes E55 AMG.
Roughly ten breaths later, or after 23,24 seconds to be exact, you’d have covered a kilometre… But chances are, in fact, that you wouldn’t have breathed at all, because under full acceleration in the RS4, your flailing lungs are likely to wrap themselves around your spine…
All this from a car that costs R598 000, and one that can carry four people with their luggage without any compromise in terms of ride comfort or luxury. How on earth is this possible? After all, isn’t it based on the smart, but humble A4 repmobile? Well, yes… but that’s not quite the full story.
Let’s go right to the heart of the matter, the 4,2-litre V8 engine under the bonnet that pumps out 309 kW at 7 800 r/min and 430 N.m of torque at 5 500 – 90 per cent of which is available from 2 250 to 7 600 r/min! Starting with what is essentially the same engine that is used in the S4, Audi then changes just about everything – pistons, connecting rods, crankshaft and cylinder heads – and adds its FSI direct injection technology.
It is also the first Audi powerplant to use the highrevving engine principle, with the engine being able to spin to 8 250 r/min. According to Audi, this design results in superior power at high engine speeds, a consistent and smooth build-up of power across the rev range, and better responsiveness. And, of course, it sounds better, too. In fact, Audi has added a flap into the exhaust system to quiet things down a little when you’re not“in the mood”. However, by pressing a Sport button on the steering wheel, this flap opens. The resultant sound is the most incredible cocktail of thunder, growling, rumbling and screaming. It makes BMW’s glorious M3 straight-six sound like a terrified girl. By the way, when the Sport mode is activated, the throttle response also sharpens, and the seats hug you tighter…
To the great relief of driving enthusiasts the world over, this fantastic engine is mated with a six-speed manual gearbox and not some automated party-pooper paddle shift system. Also, power goes to all four wheels via Audi’s tried and tested quattro system… except that it’s not quite the same thing any more. Quattro has always given previous fast Audis incredible grip and roadholding, but the result of sending equal amounts of power to the front and rear has always given these cars a strong understeering handling bias. This deeply annoyed driving enthusiasts. So Audi went back to the drawing board and revised one of its core technologies significantly, resulting in a quattro system that, during normal driving, channels 60 per cent of the power to the rear, and 40 per cent to the front. This, they say, counters understeer. However, if road conditions change, or if one of the wheels starts slipping, the system can send up to 85 per cent of the torque to the rear axle. The maximum percentage that can go to the front is 65.
The RS4 also features an entirely revised suspension system, with a sports set-up 30 mm lower, and wider front (by 37 mm) and rear (47 mm) tracks. The standard 18-inch wheels are wrapped in 255/40 rubber, but our test unit had the optional 19-inch wheels, with 255/35 Pirelli P Zero tyres.
Perhaps more importantly, the RS4 features the DRC (Dynamic Ride Control) hydraulic active suspension system first used in the RS6, but it has since been made lighter and more compact. It doesn’t even need an electronic control unit anymore. Instead, the dampers on the individual wheels are connected hydraulically to one another by a central valve, and react instantly – under hard cornering the dampers that are under pressure stiffen to counter body roll.
Of course, the RS4 also features Audi’s latest ESP stabilisation program, as well as ABS and EBD. The brakes, by the way, are massive cross-drilled and ventilated discs measuring 365 mm in front and 324 mm at the rear.
With so much being changed under the skin, it is only fitting that the RS4 looks quite different to the A4 it is based upon. It gets dramatically flared wheelarches that make it look significantly wider and more muscular. A rear spoiler is integrated into the bootlid and side panels. And, of course, you can’t really miss those two huge exhaust outlets…
Open the driver’s door and you’ll immediately notice the seats with their aggressive bolstering. Two buttons allow for the inflation of the thigh and side cushions, but the actual reach/height and backrest angle adjustments are done manually.
Other unique-to-RS4 features are a square-bottom steering wheel, aluminium trim bits, and even a lap timer.
And, of course, there is the start button on the centre console. Slot the key into the ignition, turn it, and press the button. The RS4 never sounds boring, not even at idle. Mighty impressive so far, wouldn’t you say? You have no idea…
As we said at the beginning of this report, the RS4 is very quick, but that’s not even half of it. That V8 engine is a modern marvel, pulling cleanly and strong from any speed, in just about any gear. By the way, it reached a maximum speed of 266 km/h – not the first time that an Audi has broken the German Big Three’s “gentlemen’s agreement” to limit their cars to 250 km/h…
Going fast in a straight line is not that difficult – many Audis have done that before. But few have cornered with finesse, and mostly all of them had a ride so firm that the dampers could just as well have been filled with concrete. The RS4, on the other hand, is a new breed of Audi. Honed on the knobbly roads of Great Britain and fine-tuned on race tracks, it not only doesn’t exhibit the extreme understeer of previous Audis, it also retains the comfortable ride quality of a sporty-tyred executive saloon! Now combine these new talents with the enormous grip offered by those large tyres and quattro allwheel drive, and you’ve got a car with underpinnings that are perfectly able to exploit every one of those 309 kilowatts. Right at the limit, we’d say the RS4 still has a basic understeer characteristic, but this happens at such high velocities that most mortals will never experience it.
Negatives? Well, there are basically two. Firstly, the steering is a bit too light for a car such as this, and secondly, the throttle pedal is ridiculously sensitive when Sport mode is activated. But that’s it.
Test summary
Audi has made some fantastic cars in the past. There have been fast ones (RS6) and even the odd pretty one, such as the original TT. But so far, it’s only really made one classic. One icon. The original Audi quattro was that car. Since then, Audi has come close a few times but never quite managed to again build a car that has both incredible capability, and a soul. Audi’s tend to be too perfect, and that makes them cold… But the Audi RS4 won’t leave you cold. It’ll do the opposite. It’ll put your pants on fire and ignite your soul. This is, in our humble opinion, probably the best road car Audi has ever made. Make sure you get the opportunity to drive one in your lifetime, or, at the very least, to listen to one under full acceleration…