2007 Audi RS4 Reviews

Audi's RS4 is just about the only model in the German manufacturer's lineup that the BBC's Top Gear seems to like. But I guess when you get to drive the creme de la creme of the motoring world, one can afford to be choosey.For our money, the RS4 (a super duper V8-powered version of the bread and butter A4) is an amazing piece of machinery. The 4.2-litre V8, which pumps out a prodigious 309kW of power, is simply stunning. Power delivery is brutal and the note from the drain pipe-sized twin exhausts is music to the ears. Let's just say that at full noise the RS4 sounds more like a V8 supercar than any Aussie fare.In Audi speak, the car is “race technology in plain clothes”, or as we see it a wolf in sheep's clothing. “While many of its features look similar to the new Audi A4, the RS4 is far more than just a fast derivative of Audi's successful mid-size saloon,” Audi spokesperson Anna Burgdorf said.“The car is an almost entirely brand-new development tailored to the highest performance requirements.”Priced from $164,500, the RS4 comes in three guises: sedan, cabriolet and station wagon. Our test vehicle was the most expensive of the trio, the cabrio priced from $187,500.Unlike many cars of its kind it retains a soft, fabric roof which can be raised or lowered at the push of a single button. The trend these days is to hard, metal roofs that stow in sections, but of course they come with a weight penalty.Before slipping behind the wheel of the RS4 for the first time we were urged to remember to push the “Sport” button, which is located on the steering wheel.As well as sharpening throttle response, it opens a set of baffles in the twin exhaust system that elevates the note of the engine to a deep rumbling bass, a bit like an orchestra coming together for the grand finale of the 1812 Overture. Boy, does that small button make a difference.Maximum power output of 309kW is achieved at a lofty 8250rpm, while peak torque of 430Nm arrives at 5500rpm. Ninety per cent of this torque is available between 2250 and 7600rpm.The V8 in our test vehicle and, indeed all RS4s, is mated to a six-speed manual change (there is no automatic).The cars sits on 19 inch wheels, 30mm lower than a standard A4, with power fed to all four wheels through the Quattro all-wheel dive system. It's biased 60 per cent towards the rear most of the time, but the Torsen style centre differential sends more power to the front or rear wheels as required.Dynamic ride control is fitted to reduce body roll.Big eight piston stoppers are fitted to the front of the car, with 365mm front and 324mm rear discs. Thankfully, they're a match the car's prodigious power, with the ability to pull it up quickly and in a straight line. That's a good thing, otherwise we'd be reporting to you from the bushes.Straight line performance is staggering, with the dash from 0-100km/h taking just 4.9 seconds. At 1845kg the cabrio is actually 195kg heavier than the sedan and is a tenth of a second slower not that you'd notice.What is noticeable, however, is a surprising amount of flex from the roofless body, which is only exaggerated by the firm and at times down right harsh suspension.That's the price one pays for wind in your hair motoring.

Audi's RS4 is well documented as a fast, fun and lively executive express.But what happens when you slice the roof off, replace it with cloth and remove two doors?You end up with the RS4 Cabriolet. And 26 of them have been imported into Australia for lucky drivers who can afford to place an order for one.But how does it compare with what it was before the surgery.There are a few variants of the RS4.First there's the sedan — a serious performance car at the pointy end of the market. It goes like a rocket, handles fantastically and is subtle enough to the eye not to attract every radar you pass.Then there's the Avant (something most of us would instead call a station wagon). In many respects, the Avant is even better.It loses none of the handling and is the same as the sedan in nearly all respects — except you can pack your entire family and bucket loads of luggage within the confines of the wagon's generous load area.Then there's the two-door RS4 Cabriolet. It's basically a sedan minus two doors — and comes with an electronically retractable soft-top roof.But in removing the roof, Audi has also removed part of this special car's soul.Let's first look at the engine. No troubles there. It's the same 4.2-litre, direct injection V8 as the other RS4 models. It's one of the best-sounding, best-performing, highest-revving V8s available today. This beast would take on just about anything short of an exotic performance machine worth twice the money. And it sounds twice as good with the roof down.Matched to a wonderfully slick and smooth six-speed gearbox, this high-revving juggernaut propels driver and passenger from standstill to 100 clicks in under five seconds, pumping out 309kW at 7800 revs and 430Nm of torque at 5500 revs.In other words, it's fantastically fast. In fact, with few exceptions, it's about as fast a production car as money can buy.And the faster you push it, the faster it wants to go. The 0-100 speeds are terrific. But get the engine revving over around 5000 and it's a bullet.But apart from perhaps getting more attention from fellow drivers, it's hard to see the value for an extra $20k or so over the Avant.In many respects, it's less car for more money.While it's beautifully appointed, with first-class leather seats and enough gadgets to please any tech-obsessed teenager, the removal of the roof takes away a lot of space and makes the car less stable. And it pretty much loses its back seats.Despite the seats being adjustable, heated and wrapped in the same gorgeous leather as the front, there's simply no room for anybody larger than a small child.Rather than a reasonably spacious four-seater sedan, the Cabrio is essentially a practical 2+2.Then there's the boot which, while is reasonable in size, is immediately eaten up by the roof when it is folded back.This is another reason to consider whether or not the additional money — and we're talking the price of a small car here — is justified.But more disappointing is the impact the lack of roof has when you hit the road. Like many soft-tops, which were originally designed to have traditional tin roofs, the RS4 chassis has more flex than its hard-top brother.This makes handling less responsive and inspires less confidence when you want to hit the steering wheel-mounted sport button and throw the thing around a little.The lack of any tin above the seats also leads to rattling and squeaking in the dash below the windscreen.This was immediately evident in our test car, which had been driven less than 10,000km when we picked it up.To be fair, this car had been driven all of its life by drivers who don't own it, so it may be treated a bit more carefully by those who actually fork out the money for their own.As far as soft-tops go, however, the cloth roof on the RS4 is excellent. It goes up and down at the push of a button (even while you're moving, albeit at less than 30km/h), soundproofs the car well and has a high-quality feel to it.And, even though there's the odd rattle and shake, the quattro system makes it stick to the road like it's been glued.A highlight is the electronic stability controls, one of the least intrusive systems we've experienced.But even when it does manage to slip somewhat, you would hardly know the electronic nanny had stepped in, if not for the light on the dash.And, as any real performance car should be, it's nice to see Audi has stuck to its guns by only offering the RS4 range in a manual — in this case a six-speed job with some excellent ratios to make the most out of the monster engine.In the end, the RS4 in any variant is a stunning car.But without a roof, and despite the additional $20,000 or so on the cost, the cabriolet is simply an inferior drive to the sedan or Avant.Now, if only there was a road somewhere in this country where we could actually test even a small part of the RS4's potential...

Well, you don't need to turn back time or wait for the latest Hollywood heart-throb to be in town to experience these overwhelming emotions. Just jump in Audi's latest wagon, the RS4 Avant. But don't be fooled by the term wagon, this is no soccer mum's car.It looks like your average station wagon. Sure the bright red paint, the silver roof racks, alloy wheels, silver backed mirrors and its sleek design make it look more sporty, but you don't expect it to be the flying bullet that it is.It's just like Clark Kent, fitting into the city crowd, but then showing its true colours when the cape goes on and you really let the superhero character rip.There's one word that really wraps up the whole definition of this Audi and that's fun.But at $168,100, it's expensive fun.There's a sudden rush of blood to the head as you give the throttle an ever so slight bit of pressure and feel your heartbeat quicken in the process. Give it even more and that excited feeling kicks in. But it's almost torture confining this beast to peak-hour traffic.The high-revving 4.2-litre, V8 engine not only has a rapid response and ever-so-smooth drive, it also has a sweet sound.The growl gets even better when you push the "S" button on the flat-bottomed racing steering wheel. That button, which I like to think stands for Superman mode, in reality stands for Sport.The characteristic of the accelerator changes, the flap in the exhaust opens up giving off an even sportier sound and the seat gives you that much-needed hug, with the sides squeezing in.The front sports bucket seats are superb for that sharp, dynamic, driving, holding you right in place with support from all angles.But it's not such an easy feat getting in or out of the car. After a week, there was still no mastering of this task, for it was done in a clumsy and unladylike manner every time, especially when wearing a skirt. You really stumble over the raised sides of the seat.Backseat passengers suffer a little from a lack of airconditioning, as the front plastic-backed sports seats tend to block the path of the air flow. A rear air vent would have been a worthy inclusion in this expensive car.The RS4 Avant sits 30mm lower than the A4, lowering the centre of gravity and providing better handling ability. It also has a wider track on the front and rear. It sits on large 19-inch wheels, with a seven spoke design.And with the weight kept to a minimum, it's able to shoot from zero to 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds, faster than many a Porsche. It produces 309kW at 7800rpm and revs right up to 8250rpm and 420Nm of torque from 5500rpm. But even lower down the tacho, high torque is still on hand, with 90per cent available between 2250rpm and 7600rpm, the result, a great amount of pulling power and a smile on your dial.The RS4 has the latest generation of the permanent four-wheel-drive quattro system, with 40per cent power distributed to the front and 60per cent to the rear.The controlled and steady positioning on the road comes into play as you tackle the corners, the sharp steering a great assistance.A Bose sound system with 10 loudspeakers, navigation with a TV tuner, high-intensity xenon plus headlights, parking sensors, ESP and Dynamic Ride Control are all standard.The RS4 Avant seems to be in a class of its own, with the functionality of a wagon, yet still an exciting performance, all rolled into one. It's a car for the truly enthused driver, who has a spare $168,100, that is.With this wagon, there's no need to sacrifice performance for your family.

They didn't have to ask twice. We'd take the "family wagon" no worries. Ha, who is kidding whom? A family wagon with near supercar performance and stunning looks makes a great combination.This is the car that has spurred the other two German super sedan makers to up the ante with their next 'bahn blasters - the Benz C63AMG and the new BMW M3, both of which are V8 powered.Audi now offers three variants of the RS4 with a cabriolet coming online about now.All have the same powertrain and similar chassis and all are equipped to luxury car levels.The Avant costs a cool $168,100 and is one of the quickest carry-alls on the market alongside the Chrysler 300C SRT8 that offers similar straight line performance but lacks all wheel drive. It sells for a lot less than the RS4 though.But what we have here is quality - quality engineering, manufacturing, design, pretty much everything you want in a modern mass produced car.The thing absolutely hammers and is capable of despatching the 0-100kmh spring in about 4.8 seconds.It has a six speed manual gearbox with a slick shift and lovely long runs through each gear thanks in part to the 8250rpm redline of the 4.2-litre V8.This engine, a joy to behold under the aluminium bonnet features direct injection and variable valve timing but is not turbo charged like previous Audi RS models.It deoesn' need it.With 309kW an 430Nm rumbling out of the engine bay, the power to weight ratio is well and truly in sports car territory.Aluminium is used throughout the vehicle in key locations - the bonnet, front guards, much of the chassis, the suspension, massive 19in wheels.It pays dividends in fuel efficiency, handling and performance.But going is only part of the RS4 Avant story because it also stops like few other mainstream cars and handles with the best of them despite the engine being positioned well in front of the front axle. The 365mm front brakes are something to behold.There's a Sport button on the multi-function wheel that opens up the dual outlet exhaust for a deeper rumble and also tightens the seat side bolsters to hold you more firmly in place.The Avant brings with it a degree of practicality but interior room is compact and the load space is relatively small. But the rear seats can be folded flat for a large load space.The Avant looks sensational with its muscular pumped-out guards, aero devices and low ride height. The alloy roof rails add an element of sensibility to the overt styling.Driving the RS4 Avant is a rare treat. It has all the right stuff, makes the right noises and really puts a smile on your dial.