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 driveDesign

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.

Audi’s 4.2-liter, 420-hp V8-powered RS4 made its world debut at Geneva, and the car marks an important change in the Volkswagen division’s sport-sedan quest: To further its high-end performance-car aims, Audi has ditched turbocharging in favor of a bigger, highly strung naturally aspirated engine. This is a move Audi insiders say will be repeated in coming years on new-generation Audis, including a new RS6, RS8 and the anticipated production version of the Le Mans concept.

The engine is just the first step in a broad-based engineering program by Audi’s quattro division, which aims—yet again—to garner the respect paid to its German performance rivals, BMW M and Mercedes-Benz AMG. This time, it might work.

The RS4 employs a re-engineered quattro all-wheel-drive system, putting down the power with a distinct rear-wheel bias. Lightweight body panels, aluminum-intensive suspension and a reworked interior boasting a more driver-centric ambience also highlight the new model. Audi says the changes make the new four-door a more engaging car to drive than the previous 2.7-liter, 381-hp twin-turbo V6-powered RS4—Audi expects it to run with the standard-setting BMW_M3. On paper, it looks able.


Building on the appearance of the facelifted and re-powered S4 launched late last year (AW, Jan. 24), the RS4’s shape looks more muscular, which instantly differentiates it from its lesser siblings. There is a deeper front bumper with larger air ducts and distinctive vertical gills on the outer edges. A plastic honeycomb insert for the single-frame grille and beefed-up fenders dominate the front view, while the sides have widened sills beneath the doors, signature matte-finished aluminum exterior mirror housings and towering 18-inch double-spoke alloys for 255/40 tires.

A small rear-deck spoiler, a deeper valance panel and a pair of large chrome tailpipes enhance the rear aspect. The car sits 1.2 inches lower than the S4, and the track has been widened: 1.5 inches in front, 1.8 inches in the rear. A flat undertray and diffuser provide a more efficient flow of air beneath the car. Small NACA-style ducts cool the engine and brakes more effectively.

Audi used its expertise in lightweight construction to keep the RS4’s weight down. The body is made predominantly from high-tensile steel, like the recently restyled S4, but the hood and front fenders are aluminum. Tipping the scales at 3630 pounds, the new car is 22 pounds lighter than the S4, but 341 pounds heavier than the weight BMW quotes for the M3.

Though Audi has only revealed an RS4 sedan, there is a wagon in the works, which we probably won’t see until the Frankfurt show in September.

Under the hood, the naturally aspirated engine is derived from the 90-degree V8 used in the S4. Audi aims for sharper throttle response and a highly tuned character the company hopes will be a hit with enthusiasts.


The V8 has Audi’s patented FSI (fuel stratified direct injection) system, conducive to high revs, and the redline is pegged at 8250 rpm, stratospheric for a 4.2-liter V8. Peak power is 420 hp (yes, that is 100 hp/liter). That is 76 hp more than the S4, and, crucially, given Audi’s quest to top its Munich rival despite the weight penalty of awd, some 77 up on the M3. Peak torque comes in at 317 lb-ft at 5500 rpm, and though that is down from the 2.7-liter biturbo’s 324 lb-ft at a meager 2500 rpm, Audi says the big-displacement V8 is plenty flexible. Indeed, the curve shows 285 lb-ft minimum from 2250 to 7600 rpm.

You might not need to play with the Getrag six-speed manual gearbox a lot then, despite the engine’s peakier quality. The drive channels through a twin-plate clutch and heavily reworked version of Audi’s quattro system. In a bid to make the car feel more entertaining, the quattro’s characteristics have been revised. Instead of dividing torque 50:50 front-to-rear, the new system doles it out in a rear-biased 40:60 split. Insiders admit there is a slight trade-off in overall traction, but it is a drawback they can live with for improved poise and more entertaining balance.

The RS4 is one fast sedan, regardless. The headline figure is 0 to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds, 0.8 second faster than the S4 and 0.4 second under the time BMW quotes for the M3. It also tops the first-generation RS4 by a scant 0.1 second. Those who have driven it say the new car’s standing-start acceleration lacks its predecessor’s neck-straining, jet-like takeoff, which might be anticipated by the lower peak torque and lack of turbo boost. The greater mid-range shove yields the performance gain and the more responsive throttle action, free of turbo lag.

Audi says RS4 will hit 124 mph in 16.6 seconds—pretty stout for a car that seats four and has loads of luggage space. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, per the agreement among German manufacturers.

Along with the RS4’s new all-wheel-drive system is a heavily reworked suspension. The fundamentals are the same as the S4: a four-link arrangement up front and multilinks at the rear, but Audi says the mountings have been altered to take advantage of the added levels of drive being put through the rear wheels.

A major development is Dynamic Ride Control, which uses variable-rate dampers to alter the ride characteristics. The power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering also has been overhauled with a 13.1:1 ratio against the S4’s less direct 14.5:1. To round out the driving experience, Audi has fitted the RS4 with the latest electronic stability program from Bosch. It is designed for greater levels of slip and to cycle in shorter bursts, to provide what Audi describes as a more predictable on-the-limit character.


The brakes, too, have been upgraded to cope with the performance. The ventilated and cross-drilled steel discs measure 14.6 inches in diameter up front and 13 out back. We hear Audi is working with an outside supplier, hoping to offer carbon ceramic brakes, though they won’t be available at the RS4’s introduction.

Inside, this is no stripped-out road racer. The cabin builds on the S4’s, with a sumptuous combination of leather, aluminum and carbon fiber-look trim. The steering wheel has a squared-off bottom to emphasize the new car’s sporting pretensions. The front seats are replaced by hulking hard-shell ones promising loads of support. A button between the front seats starts the engine. Interior accommodation is the same as the S4’s, meaning generous space for four adults and a nominal 16 cubic feet of luggage space, increasing to 25 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Though the standard equipment level is high, items such as satellite navigation and adaptive headlights will be optional.

The RS4 goes on sale in North America in summer 2006. Prices haven’t been determined, but we’re guessing it will be in the $70,000 range, a healthy piece of change higher than the 340-hp V8 S4, which starts at $46,750.