Photos by Bernhard Huber
AUDI began its RS lineage in 1994 when it collaborated with Porsche to develop a high performance wagon to carry on the tradition of the 1980s success of their World Rally Championship wins with the S1 Sport quattro which came after the ur-Quattro.
During this time, winning was all that mattered and the significance of the S or indeed RS moniker had not been established. The abbreviation RS is from the German words Renn Sport or race sport and has over time become the most evocative of badges ever to grace the name of a car.
It would be six years before Audi brought out the RS name again, leaving enthusiasts wondering if there would ever be another. In 2000, Audi revealed the B5 RS4, a 380hp twin turbocharged 2.7 V6. Without any collaboration with Porsche, this RS4 set the basis for a continuance of the RS line.
The next RS4 came in 2005 based on the B7 platform and dropped turbocharging in favour of normal aspiration. The new engine was a 4.2-litre V8 with 420hp and was used in the R8 V8. It was also a modular derivative of the Lamborghini Gallardo's V10 engine. Then it all fell silent again for seven long years before the 2012 RS4, leaving us pondering the fate of the RS line.
Audi surprised us at the launch by announcing that the RS4 will only exist as the Avant model and not the sedan, which is a pity as half of the RS4s here are the saloon. Audi believes the purity of the RS line lies with the original concept which was based on the S2 Avant and the market would be adequately covered by the RS5 coupe and RS4 Avant.
While the RS4 is a further development of the S4 Avant, the RS models get a slightly different exterior. The blistered fenders to help accommodate the huge 265/30R 20 tyres and bespoke wheels to really give the RS4 that added visual aggression which says it means business. The front has a new splitter-spoiler that seems impossibly low but did not scrape once during the arduous drive at the track or on the country road course.
At the back, there is a new rear valence cum diffuser along with a roof top spoiler to improve aerodynamics. Even if one were to de-badge the RS4, it still would be easily recognisable. Visually, the RS4 sits lower as well because it has been lowered by 20mm.
This appears to be the same engine as that of the RS5 but there are detail changes that are not apparent. Compared with the last RS4's engine, this 4.2-litre V8 produces 450hp against the former RS4's 420hp. At first, it is not obvious how this was done but looking closely, the new V8 spins higher producing 450hp at 8,250 rpm where the previous one cuts out having delivered its all at just 7,800 rpm.
Another oddity is the compression ratio. It was 12.5:1 in the former RS4, then dropped to 12.3:1 in the RS5 and is now 11.0:1 in this latest RS4. We discovered this only after we had already had a day to trash the RS4 around the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. It just performed flawlessly without a hint at the different compression ratio.
Fuel efficiency has improved by over 20 per cent over the previous RS4 and has even improved marginally against the RS5, consuming 10.7L/100km against the RS5's 10.8L/100km. As would be expected, CO2 figures were marginally better at 249gm vs 252gm per km for the RS5.
Of course we appreciate a good manual gearbox too but Audi has not resurrected it for the RS4 even though the previous one only had a manual. Today it's all about the Double Clutch Gearbox and Audi's is called the S-Tronic. With seven gears and a clever auto program, the RS4 manages slightly better efficiency figures than the RS5 despite being 145kg heavier at 1,870kg.
Lowering the car by 20mm is not just for show but the seriously uprated suspension is necessary for its duty as Audi's sharpest tool. The roll bars are thicker and from the looks of things more so in the rear. This sport suspension comes with DRC (dynamic ride control) and as such comfort or handling is configurable via the MMI.
As with the previous RS4, the DRC is a simple and ingenious solution to ride and roll stiffness by cross linking left and right dampers via hydraulic lines to the opposite chamber in the dampers. This reduces dependency on the roll bars to control the weight transfer by transferring the compressed fluid from the outer damper to the inner rebound chamber, thereby resisting the roll.
Another unique feature is the fluted-wave steel brakes, better to disperse the heat and lower weight, according to Audi, but it's both function and fashion. The Carbon-Ceramic brakes are a better bet to reduce weight and improve brake fade. They are only fitted to the front just like in the RS5.
Much as we loath the computers doing the driving or part of the driving for us, there is a place for some of the intrusive technology. One of them is one function of the Adaptive Cruise Control which initiates full braking under 30 km/h in the case of impending collision. If it can't prevent an accident it will certainly try to mitigate one.
We have seen the rapid incorporation of electric power steering systems in an effort to squeeze the last ounce of efficiency and not all of them were good. Fortunately, the application in the RS4 is very good. Not when it is providing more assistance but when assistance is reduced as in the dynamic setting. It is heavy in an old school sort of way but a surprising amount of feel gets through. Good thing then it is configurable in the individual setting via the MMI as the full assistance in the comfort mode is still a bit contrived though better than in the RS5. Good thing there is the Dynamic setting then.
Surprisingly, the RS4 does not lag behind the RS5 by much, just a tenth of a second off the pace at 4.7 seconds to 100km/h. Launch control is easy to use, just turn off ESP and select Sport+ while stationary and left foot brake while you stomp on the accelerator, the revs jump and the clutch bites hard. There is a slight chirp from the tyres but this is brutal for the mechanical innards as the traction of all four wheels is hard to overcome.
The car is electronically limited to 250km/h but as an option, the car can be delimited to 280km/h. Gaining speed is ridiculously easy with 430Nm at your disposal from 4,000-6,000 rpm. Almost any gear feels like the right gear except the highly overdriven 7th gear. The way this car accelerates really hides its heft well, leaping out of corners as if 300kg lighter.
At the Red Bull Ring we discovered that this new addition to the RS stables is rather more frisky than its straight laced RS5 cousin. Grip of course is tremendous, thanks to its 265/30 ZR 20 Continental CSC5 tyres.
As with most all wheel drive cars, applying power early is possible and thanks to the torque vectoring capability of the rear active Sport Differential, it is possible to coax a modicum of oversteer by power application alone, banishing the usual trait of understeer which is a kill joy in high performance sports cars.
One could also enter a touch too fast and the tail will edge out in a benign fashion on trailing throttle which seems to improve turn-in response as one is merely slowing down for a corner. Go in a little faster and flick the RS4 into the corner will certainly bring its tail around, especially in Dynamic mode. The engineers have programmed the electronic nanny to stay out of the way later. Thanks to the long wheelbase, this rotation is easily catchable and is so much fun, much more than expected of a car this heavy.
Ride on the other hand is just a touch too firm when in Dynamic mode but is about just right in Normal or Comfort mode. Over poorly surfaced country roads, this is the mode of choice. Good thing there is a configurable Individual" mode where the setting of suspension, steering and drivetrain can be set individually to deliver that perfect in-between drive mode.
On the inside, there are the customary sport Recaro seats but these are the ones with the adjustable seat backs.
Most of the S4's architecture is there but adorned in an appropriately sporty fashion. The seats are really the central attraction as is the tacho which is redlined at 8,400 rpm.
Audi has promised that the future RS5s will be fitted with the tweaked set-up of the RS4. Those hoping the S4 would be enough with a supercharged V6, think again. Not only is there more visual aggression there is a real usable performance and handling advantage to boast about.
The RS4 and RS5 cousins straddle this segment of the sportscar market in a unique way. BMW may not be willing to go the Avant route with their M3 coupe and sedan but Mercedes Benz has tackled this market with all guns blazing. There is a C63 coupe, C63 sedan and C63 Estate (shame, such an unfashionable name). However, the Audi RS4 Avant has a much stronger cult following dating all the way back to the mid-1990s.
We say the RS4 has hit the bulls-eye. It is what the RS5 should have been all along but a fix is in the works for the RS5. The RS4 even without the manual gearbox is a complete riot to drive hard. The RS4 is a deserving successor to the great B7 RS4.
Specifications of the Audi RS4
Engine: 4,163cc V8, 32 valves, DOHC, Normal Aspirated
Max power: 450hp @ 8,250rpm
Max torque: 430Nm @ 4,000-6,000 rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed S-Tronic All-wheel drive
Acceleration (0-100km/h): 4.7 seconds
Top speed: 250km/h (280km/h delimited)
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km (combined)
Safety features: Six airbags, ABS with ESP