the all new RS4 revealed

[mv]

Leadership through Passion

Audi RS 4

New dimensions in driving dynamics combined with innovative ideas and concepts – and, in addition, exciting lines and a level of equipment living up to even the highest luxury performance standards: The new Audi RS 4 combines the latest high-performance motoring qualities offered by quattro GmbH in a thoroughbred sports saloon with supreme everyday driving qualities in the premium segment. Indeed, the new RS 4 is the top-of-the-range model in the A4 series, a development all-new from the ground up.

Numerous technical achievements – many of which hail from motorsport – give the new Audi RS 4 its unique class and character. These features include the high engine speed concept now being introduced for the first time in a production Audi, innovative FSI technology, as well as the latest generation of quattro drive with asymmetric/dynamic distribution of torque. Developing a maximum output of 420 bhp, the V8 revs up to a speed of 8250 rpm. With its displacement of 4163 cc, this outstanding engine exceeds the magical barrier of 100 bhp per litre truly outstanding in a production saloon. Maximum torque of 430 Nm comes at 5500 rpm in this very compact engine, with 90 per cent of the engine’s torque consistently available between 2250 and 7600 rpm. The result is excellent muscle and pulling force at all times, enabling the driver whenever he – or she – wishes to drive in truly relaxed style without frequent gear changes.

Audi has chosen its trendsetting and groundbreaking FSI technology for the RS 4 saloon, direct gasoline injection ensuring even more effective combustion of the fuel/air mixture and, as a result, an even better power yield. This is matched by the highly responsive development of power, the RS 4 accelerating to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and reaching 200 km/h in 16.6 seconds. Top speed is cut off electron¬ically at 250 km/h.

Audi’s FSI technology has already proven its qualities impressively in Audi’s four-time Le Mans winner, the Audi R8.

A further essential point in the brief given to Audi’s development engineers was to optimise the car’s power-to-weight ratio, avoiding every superfluous gram on the Audi RS 4. Accordingly, virtually every component was checked and cross-checked for minimum weight. The front wheel arches and the engine compartment lid are therefore made of aluminium, just like most components on the chassis and suspension. The specially designed RS bucket seats, in turn, are not only very light, but also offer extremely good body support in every situation.

The result is a power-to-weight ratio of just 3.93 kilos per bhp – a figure truly reminiscent of a thoroughbred sports car, which would not even have been conceiv¬able just a few years ago in a midrange saloon.

New generation of quattro drive

The challenge, of course, is to get all this power on to the road in perfect style and with optimum handling. And for no less than 25 years, Audi’s answer to all the particular requirements in this respect has been that magical name “quattro”. Now the latest generation of Audi’s permanent four-wheel drive featured for the first time in the RS 4 offers asymmetric/dynamic torque distribution and a self-locking Torsen centre differential, making a significant contribution in enabling the RS 4 with its sports suspension to enter new dimensions in driving dynamics. Indeed, Audi quattro technology still provides traction when other drive concepts have long reached their limits. And in this case quattro drive is further enhanced by Audi’s DRC Dynamic Ride Control, significantly reducing both body roll and dive.

The brakes also enter new dimensions, an 18-inch brake system ensuring optimum stopping power. The cross-drilled, inner-vented brake discs at the front measure 365 millimetres in diameter, as opposed to 324-millimetre brake discs at the rear. Flow-optimised ventilation geometry incorporating Naca jets on the underfloor of the car ensures first-class cooling of the brakes under all conditions.

As a result, brake fading is significantly reduced even under extreme loads, for example on the race track.

Focusing on the RS 4, quattro GmbH has carefully re-aligned the latest generation of ESP to the particular properties and features of this high-performance sports saloon. With the system intervening later and for a shorter period than on a conventional car, driving dynamics are improved significantly. The integrated dry braking function in wet weather, in turn, ensures additional safety on the road, with the brake pads being unnoticeably placed on the brake discs at regular intervals in order to dry the brakes for instantaneous use whenever required.

Design

The RS 4 features racing technology in civilian clothes. While many of its features look similar to the new Audi A4, the RS 4 is far more than just a “fast” derivative of Audi’s highly successful midrange saloon. Quite simply because the car is an almost entirely brand-new development tailored to the highest performance requirements.

The single-frame radiator grille, the rear section with the distinctly horizontal orientation of the car’s lines, and the side surfaces with the shoulder line plastically filling in the car’s contours, all prove that the RS 4 is a member of the A4 family. However, the radiator grille in diamond look, the additional air intake scoops in the front section, as well as the wheels developed specifically for the RS 4, clearly set the car aside from a “normal” Audi A4.

The newly designed rear air dam encompassing two extra-large tailpipes as well as the discreet but highly effective spoiler integrated in the luggage compartment lid and the rear side panels all bear clear testimony to the saloon’s dynamic driving potential also in terms of their looks. Compared with the Audi A4, the entire body of the car has been lowered by 30 millimetres. And at the same time the development engineers at quattro GmbH have widened the car’s track both front and rear. At the end of the day, however, all these modifications to the body of the car are significant not only in terms of design, but also above all in terms of function.

Inside, the RS 4 combines the straightforward function of a sports car with the luxurious ambience so typical of all Audi models. The dominating materials are leather, aluminium, and carbon. But at the same time the RS 4 comes with all the additional qualities so typical of a genuine sports car.

This superiority becomes clear immediately when you take your seats in the car: The RS bucket seats with their high side sections provide excellent support. A further feature of these bucket seats is the control button on each seat for inflating the side support elements adjusting perfectly to the driver’s anatomy. The sports steering wheel tapering down at the bottom and the engine starter button on the centre console, in turn, are also clearly reminiscent of motorsport, just like the aluminium pedals.

You start the engine of the Audi RS 4 by pressing the starter button housed conveniently in the centre console right next to the driver. Pressing the sports button in the steering wheel, in turn, the driver is able to modify the gas pedal control map, giving the engine even sharper and more direct response.

Features and equipment

Driving the Audi RS 4 means driving a sports car without making any concessions. Right from the start, therefore, the RS 4 comes with virtually all the features already boasted by the Audi A4. Apart from a wide range of advanced safety components, this also means high-comfort automatic air conditioning, central locking with remote control, and electric window lifts at the front. Further features of the RS 4 include the acoustic parking system at the front and rear, the Concert radio system, as well as sports suspension with variable damper control (DRC). Furthermore, the purchaser of an Audi RS 4 can also opt for a particularly high standard of comfort amenities such as Audi’s navigation system plus or dynamic adaptive light headlights literally guiding the driver round bends in the road.

[Anzeige eBay]

Hallo mv,

 

kennst du schon the all new RS4 revealed (Anzeige)? Dort ist vieles zu finden.

 

Audi S / RS / R Ersatzteile (Anzeige) | Audi S / RS / R Zubehör (Anzeige)

[LateNightCable]

Nice interior, typical of Audi, but the exterior - eeyack!

Thanks for the report MV, you come up with some good ones.

[bleh]

odd how its not a wagon and doesnt have turbos... its still very nice though.

[mv]

And here is a small vid from the presentation.

http://s117957141.onlinehome.us/Audi/25quattro/RS4%20launch%20video.MOV

As to the wagon it will follow later.

[LateNightCable]

No turbos, that is odd. The car strikes me as looking very Asian, almost ricey.

p.s. - What's a performance car interior without a cell phone holder?

[AudiFunatic]

I thought you Americans love more those small-block V8 engines than turbo charged engines

I like more turbo charged engines like the old RS4 and S4, but I think one should give this RS4 a chance to proove that its also a very sporty car.

I am looking forward to the next test compared to the BMW M3 and the Mercedes C55 AMG.

[LateNightCable]

As an American, I love those V8 engine's. But the appeal of European cars is that they aren't American, so it's cool if they're different.

[bleh]

I thought you Americans love more those small-block V8 engines than turbo charged engines

2 turbos > 2 more cylinders.

i dont love v8s. but id rather take a turbo 4 over a na 6 or a turbo 6 over an na 8. the tough decision for me is choosing between a turbo 4 and an na 8. and if its a euro 8 im going for the euro 8.

i think the new rs4 can be sporty, but i know i would have much more fun with the older rs4.

[mv]

Wanna see the power/torque curve ?

[bleh]

thats a decent curve. but whats the curve with an aftermarket chip??? probably very similar.... wouldnt be if they had the snails hangin out under the hood.

[Anzeige eBay]

Hallo mv,

 

schau doch mal hier zum Thema Zubehör für Audi S / RS / R (Anzeige)? Eventuell gibt es dort etwas Passendes.

[djfux69]

here is how i stand on this subject...

it could have been worste.. 400+ hp is nothign to sneeze at, but imagine how much higher it could have gone if it was turbo... personally i think they should have used the 3.2v6 fsi tt that they are developing for seat, but according to rumours that will be the rs3 engine. looks like the rs3 is gonna be my next car...

i understand why they didnt use turbos in the s4... but the rs4? i know the reason they are cutting back the 2.7tt is because of warrenty claims on turbo failures.... but that was due to the tiny, unreliable kkko3sports that were strapped onto the standard 2.7tt, the rs4 got kkko4sports and had NO problems with turo failures. i can see why they didnt want to use the same turbos... but still, i think its dumb. the 2.7t is bulletproof. its a great great engine. im not understanding why the RS line lacks turbos...they got the bigger ones anyway, no reason to cut them out.

as for styling, i dont think its bad. i like it much more than the b6 styling which reminded me of a "wannabe" a6. that picture is shown without nav+ for some reason, and the cell phone holder.... i dont know what the hell they were thinking putting it in for the pic. i like the interioir though.

so now my favs go

b5 rs4> b5s4> b7 rs4> b7 s4> b6s4

[bleh]

i know the reason they are cutting back the 2.7tt is because of warrenty claims on turbo failures.... but that was due to the tiny, unreliable kkko3sports that were strapped onto the standard 2.7tt, the rs4 got kkko4sports and had NO problems with turo failures. i can see why they didnt want to use the same turbos... but still, i think its dumb. the 2.7t is bulletproof. its a great great engine. im not understanding why the RS line lacks turbos...they got the bigger ones anyway, no reason to cut them out.

they should just be like "y0, we is not racialist. we is be gettin out spoolers from garrett n not dem ghosts"

sorry but ive been watching too much ali g. but you get my point. kkk turbos are overpriced.

[djfux69]

they should just be like "y0, we is not racialist. we is be gettin out spoolers from garrett n not dem ghosts"

sorry but ive been watching too much ali g. but you get my point. kkk turbos are overpriced.

its wasnt even about the price. if the s4 and rs4 used the same turbos then what justified the huge price gap? that would mean that a chip would have given an s4 rs4 powers.

[LateNightCable]

Politics, always politics.

But then that's why the aftermarket exists. Wouldn't it suck if factory stock was all there was and we couldn't change it?

" My car is better than yours dude! "

" Yeah? I've got a 155 mph. limiter, heavy understeer, moderate body roll, and factory breaks with too much fade buddy. Whoooh! "

[wEstSide]

booyakasha, i be tinkin dat audi be representin' dey shit from germany, but they is be need to give da big up to da turbo crowd. not sayin dat dis shit is not good, but wishin dey be payin mo attention to dey crew. me tinks it looks so good i'd drop the bomb. 'minds me of da first time i did me julie behind that rubbish bin. as fo da hatas that be dissin on da rs4, me tinks you needs to step out yo high horse and gets a whuppin'. raspect!

Seriously though, I like it. It doesn't *need* turbos, it could be better with them, but I think that will be reserved for the RS6.

[bleh]

raspect!

r-e-s-t-e-c-p----e

restecpe

[wEstSide]

Didn't see that one.

[bleh]

its from the movie. ali g in da house.

[zit]

hehe, ali G indahouse is a very funny movie and its one of my favorite comedy's ever, but that is down to me having a rather sick and and immature sense of humour, when i was working for creation autosportif in 2004 i was in a meeting with the rest of the team and someone moved thier chair and it mimicked the noise of someone letting rip and i burst out laughing and everyone thought i was some kind of crazed *****, thr RS4 on paper could have been better but in all honesty the car is bloody amazing it is a more accomplished car than the E46 M3 and is generally more fun to drive but the M3 provides sharper and slightly more accurate steering with a superb fizzing 6 cylinder but the RS4 is a much better car in the flesh than on paper and in a few months or be it a lot of months i will have my RS4 and my new baby:D

[wEstSide]

Yea, I saw it recently, it's an awesome movie.

[darsh999]

It's very much expensive for a small four-door sedan, but deep down inside, we can't help lusting after Audi's awe-inspiring this model but know this model has been also launched in a Audi`s picture trailer starring six-time Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx and his daughter Vanina who is racing hardly in the dtm touring car series !