2008 Audi RS4 Reviews

Audi's RS4 and RS5 are getting on in years and are soon to be replaced by all-new models. As a swansong, the brand has developed the Competition Plus pack that brings more focus and emotion to the top-spec BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 rivals.

The speed of a performance car with the practicality perks of a station wagon? Sounds like a winning formula to us. Does Audi's RS4 Avant really deliver the best of both worlds? We put one to the test to find out.

Take one station wagon, add a powerful engine, a smart transmission and all-wheel drive. Drive, smile, repeat.

It's been five long years since Audi had an RS4 Avant in the arsenal. The new one carries on from the earlier car as a wicked compact carry-all with plenty of attitude and enough schtonk under the bonnet to keep Benz's C63 AMG wagon honest - at a saving of about six grand.TECHNOLOGYThe $149,400 RS4 Avant might not have the cubes of the 6.2-litre Benz but it's nearly as fast thanks to a pearl of an engine beating under the sleek bodywork.It's a 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 petrol unit with direct fuel injection, variable valve timing and the capacity to rev as high as 8250rpm. It means the Audi RS4 gives you gorgeous long runs through each of the seven cogs accompanied by one of the most stirring exhaust notes you'll hear this side of a V8 Supercar.And, Audi provides a 'dynamic' mode with open exhaust to its drive select system just to make sure you get your full dollar's worth. Something else in the RS4's favour over the Benz is quattro all wheel drive and a seven speed dual clutch manumatic transmission called S-Tronic - with paddle shift of course.The engine is good for 331kW/430Nm and a 0-100kmh sprint of 4.7 seconds. It consumes an average of 10.7 litres of 98 premium per 100km which is good all things considered. Some concession to the environment is made with the Audi RS4's regenerative energy harvesting from braking and deceleration but there's no stop/start plus the car weighs in at a portly 1800kg.EQUIPMENTThat's partly explained by the generous level of Audi RS4 Avant kit inside that features radar cruise control with braking, Nappa leather sports seats with power front adjustment, Bluetooth phone and audio, carbon dash inlays, a superb flat bottom wheel with multiple functions, park plus with reverse camera and an auto tail gate.There's plenty of driver assist stuff including blind spot warning and cornering lights. The drive select system has four modes including `Individual' which allows drivers to choose precisely how they want their RS4 Avant to feel.DESIGNIt's a striking looker too highlighted by big 19-inch alloys and recurved LED daytime driving lights in the current Audi idiom. Some undercar components are in aluminium to cut weight and the suspension is quite sophisticated with a type of double wishbone front and multi link trapezoidal at the rear.Large brakes are fitted with six piston calipers up front. Plenty of options are available including three Dynamic Sports Packs selling for $7200.DRIVINGThe drive experience is impressive. We tried a number of settings and opted for auto mostly with dynamic when the mood took us. It gets out of the blocks rapidly hussling up through the gears with an exhaust burble on the up change, a throttle blip on down changes.Ride quality is impressive even on the hardest setting. All dynamic functions including the brakes and steering are top shelf allowing experienced drivers room to explore when the opportunity arises.It's low and lithe to look at but comfortable too with room for five at a pinch and a large load space down the back. The auto tailgate is handy as is the radar cruise control and convenience key that unlocks the car at a touch of the door handle. Start is by dash button. Keep the key on your pocket.VERDICTSuperb package - practical, good looking, sexy, sporty, super performance and handling. Now, back to reality, where's that Corolla...Audi RS4 AvantPrice: from $149,400Warranty: 3 yearsWeight: 1870kg0-100Km/h: 4.7 secEngine: 4.2-litre 8-cylinder, 331kW/430NmTransmission: 7-speed S tronic, FWD Thirst: 10.7L/100km

It’s my belief that for a rounded motoring life a family should run three vehicles: a compact runabout for day-to-day operation; a sporty vehicle for weekend fun runs and a versatile wagon or ute for transporting stuff.Financially a hard ask? Impossible in a single vehicle? Take a look at the latest version of the Audi RS 4 Avant, not only do you get all of the above for convenience but a modern classic to boot.Who will own the new RS 4 Avant? Audi says essentially male and female high achievers who are rewarding themselves; sports active trendsetters. Already lining up are swim star Ian Thorpe and celebrity chefs Matt Moran and Shannon Bennett. Hallowed company by any standard.VALUEThe Audi RS 4 Avant is priced at $149,400. Options, adding up to $7200, on offer include Dynamic Ride Control which, together with the sport suspension plus, reduces body movements mechanically and, therefore, without lag. The system is combined with variable damper control, which can be switched between three stages.In addition, Audi drive select has the ability to turn the kitten into a wild cat through the steering, the S tronic transmission, the throttle valves and the exhaust sound flap.The driver can dial up ‘comfort’, ‘auto’ and ‘dynamic’, and if the car is equipped with an MMI navigation system, a fourth mode, ‘individual’, which can be configured within limits by the driver.Big brakes all round borrow much from the racetrack, especially in the way they dissipate the heat generated under constant hard treatment. Callipers. painted high-gloss black and bearing RS logos, are made of aluminium. Optional are carbon fibre ceramic discs and six-piston callipers in Anthracite Grey.DESIGNWith the body 20 mm lower than the volume A4, the RS 4 Avant comes standard with ten-spoke 19-inch aluminium wheels fitted with 265/35 series tyres. Audi offers optional 20-inch wheels in three styles with 265/30 tyres, two featuring a polished titanium look. All tyres have been optimised for rolling resistance without compromising handling or braking.The already elegant exterior of the RS 4 Avant has been sharpened compared with the A4. Focus of the front is the hexagonal single frame radiator grille, while LED daytime running lights ring xenon-plus headlamps. LEDs are repeated at the rear of the vehicle.The two large, elliptical tailpipe tips of the dual exhaust system are integrated into the diffuser, which extends upward towards a honeycomb insert. The car’s profile features flared side elements with sharp horizontal upper edges, standing in tribute to the all-wheel drive pioneer, the1980 Audi quattro.The interior is totally in black unless fitted with optional lunar silver headlining. Carbon inlays are standard, while the top model takes S sport seats in black leather and Alcantara.Leather trim extends to the multifunction sport steering wheel flattened at the bottom. The shift paddles are in aluminium look. Pedals, air vents, the MMI buttons and many other controls also feature the same finish.TECHNOLOGYThe figures speak for themselves – combined fuel consumption of 10.7 litres per 100 kilometres (responsible runabout); the sprint from zero to 100 kilometres an hour in 4.7 seconds (sports star); and 490 to 1430 litres of cargo room (ute with a roof).Since its inception 12 years ago with the Audi RS 2 the main focus of the RS Avant has been the powertrain and with the latest incarnation, the third generation RS 4 Avant, things are no different.Under the bonnet is a high revving naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 punching out 331 kW at 8250 rpm, with 430 Nm of torque available between 4000 and 6000 rpm spearing the top-dog Avant from zero to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds on its way to a governed top speed of 250 km/h. This can be increased to 280 km/h on request to Audi.Mated with a seven-speed S tronic transmission, backed up by launch control which gets the car off the mark with optimal traction at the push of a button.Power is put to all four wheels via the latest Audi quattro permanent all-wheel drive system with self-locking centre differential which under normal driving conditions sends 60 per of engine torque to the rear wheels. If things become messy up to 85 per cent of the torque can be pushed rearwards, or up to 70 per cent to the front.On top of this an Audi sport differential is capable of distributing power between the rear wheels so that on a bend it directs the majority of the torque to the outside wheel and pushes the RS 4 Avant into the curve, negating oversteer or understeer.Steering boost changes with speed, the electric motor in the steering gear consuming no energy when driving straight ahead. This can cut fuel consumption by as much as 0.3 litres per 100 km.DRIVINGAt the Australian launch the RS 4 Avant was put through a series of tests, including slalom and numerous track laps, by the media at the Sydney Motorsport Park at Eastern Creek and on surrounding public roads.Thanks to the active drivetrain, handling remained neutral, while the electromechanical power steering provided excellent feedback on track and road.Added to this was an Audi bonus: flaps in each of the two tailpipes of the dual exhaust, at higher loads and engine speeds – or at the push of a button in the Audi drive select system – opened to provide a richer resonant sound.And with the dynamic Audi drive select mode active the transmission gets the engine to give a great throttle blip on downshifts. Stirring stuff.VERDICTAt $149,490, dipping significantly from the $170, 000 of the previous model, the new Audi RS 4 Avant adds up to a value package for those wanting versatility with style and sporty performance.Audi RS4 AvantPrice: from $149,400Engine: 4.2-litre 8-cylinder, 331kW/430NmTransmission: 7-speed S tronicThirst: 10.7L/100km

Audi's RS4 Avant is a good car, but is it much better than its predecessor? Every year I drive about 100 cars, but the actual number is much larger than that. Or much lower. It depends how you count.Most models come in a variety of body styles. If I drive the sedan, does the coupe count as a different car? How about the wagon? Or convertible?The problem multiplies when you factor in engines and transmissions. Both can change the character of a vehicle completely. By the time you get to the differences between the bottom and top of a well-populated range, say the span from a BMW 320i to an M3, there's an awful lot that separates them. But where do you draw the line?VALUEWhen I play the motoring parlour game of, “If I had to buy one of (brand), which would it be?”, the RS4 Avant is usually the Audi answer. Compared with a standard A4 Avant, it has been lowered, has aluminium-rich suspension, a wider track and a sports rear differential.It's a practical wagon that's not too big, not too showy, has all-wheel drive and a big, high-revving naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8. Just the thing for a trip to Ikea. And since Audi has given up its former ban on producing more than one RS variant at a time, it's also very like the RS5, the RS5 Cabrio and probably some other RSs I haven't encountered yet.Which leaves you wondering why there has been a five-year gap since the last RS4. There is one way, though, that you'll know the difference between the 2013 car and the one from 2008: price. At $149,400 plus on-roads, this one is about $20,000 cheaper. On that basis, I'm prepared to say it's absolutely all new.DESIGNWhen is a new car really “new”? When every last nut and bolt has been redesigned from scratch is one answer. But that rarely happens, if ever. A proportion of the same bits carry over from one generation to the next.Car companies like to gloss over this. Regardless how minor an upgrade, every car is “new”. The term has become so devalued that “all-new” is now the default. And that means “Mostly stuff we've used before” as well.Often, large swathes of engineering are carried over and only the pressed metal is different. If that's indistinguishable, then you're really in trouble. This problem is starting to creep up on Audi. Any Audi you see on the road is unmistakeably from the Ingolstadt maker, so distinctive are its designs.But which one? Is that the new A3 or the old?Inside it's a similar story. The Audi cabin was lauded as best-in-class a few years back. Then Audi set the backrest to a comfortable angle and put its feet up. The materials and layout have barely changed and the novelty of having to press a button umpteen times to change the fan speed has long worn off. Now when I enter an Audi cabin I'm craving innovation.TECHNOLOGYThe newcomers include two of the fastest diesels you can buy in the A6/A7 3.0 TDI, which develop 230kW thanks to clever turbocharging. They leverage Audi's race success with diesels at the Le Mans 24-hour race, which it has dominated since 2006, and employ some of that know-how to hit 100km/h in a whisker over five seconds.They feed an increasing fondness for diesel engines in Australia, with 43 per cent of Audis now sold with one. At 4.7 seconds to 100km/h it's quicker than the previous RS4, too, by 0.2s. A seven-speed double-clutch automatic transmission replaces the previous six-speed unit and the engine has been reworked to deliver 21 per cent better fuel economy.DRIVINGAn A7 example driven to Sydney from Canberra left me cold. The engine sounds good when you're giving it an absolute hiding, but most of the time it doesn't sound like much at all. There's a distinct lack of drama or excitement.The suspension was unsettled by country roads and the ride was poor even in comfort mode. There's the performance of a V8 but the diesel lacks the fizz of an old-fashioned petrol donk and I looked forward to the next day, when the latest RS4 Avant was available.It's terrific to be driving a non-turbo engine for a change and this one revs freely, delivering sound and power in equal measure all the way to 8250rpm. Now I'm sure if I drove old and new back to back the differences would be glaring. I'd probably notice the extra couple of hundred kilos for a start.This one feels like a heavy car. It would certainly be more than simply, “It's been a long time since I've filled up -- 21 per cent longer than I thought it would be.'' But it wasn't possible to do that, so the way I feel about the RS4 is unchanged.On one hand, it has the sort of performance any enthusiast would like in any vehicle, regardless of function. It's a wagon, but it goes like stink. If you must go shopping, then it might as well be in one of these. It's a prize fighter in civvies who knows he can whip anyone in the room. Because of that, it's the sort of car you end thinking can be exploited fully only on a track.Then you go to a track and it's confusing because it doesn't seem quite right there either. The all-wheel drive system is amazing and you can feel it shuffling torque from front to rear as grip levels change. In some fast corners this can also be a bit disconcerting. It's not the simple equation delivered by a rear or front-drive car, where you get a sense of its limits.In an RS4, it's difficult to work out where they are. The all-drive system always seems to have tricks up its sleeve. The result is invariably that you go steaming into corners a bit too quickly and get understeer -- going straight on when you want to turn. You're going faster in the first place because it's possible, and because it's difficult to tell how fast is too fast.I remember this from other performance Audis and perhaps it's a question of familiarisation. A few laps wasn't enough last time and isn't enough this time.VERDICTIs it new? Well, some of it is. The bits that deliver an extra 18kW and burn less fuel. In approach and much else, it's the same.Audi RS4 AvantPrice: from $149,400Vehicle: Performance wagonEngine: 4.2-litre 8-cylinder petrol, 331kW/430NmTransmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, AWDThirst: 10.7L/100km 

Some cars beg to be driven on a race track. Audi's mind bogglingly good RS4 Avant is one of them. The 331kW wagon, yes it's a wagon sounds fantastic and goes extemely well, even if it does cost an arm and a leg. But then, you can't expect something for nothing, especially something as good as this?The original built in 1994 but not sold here was powered by a 2.2-litre turbocharged five cylinder engine. It was assembled at Porsche's Rossle-Bau plant in Zuffenhausen, with plenty of input from Porsche and could do the dash from 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds, with a top speed of 262km/h.It was followed in 2000 by a 2.7-litre Bi-Turbo that pumped out 279kW and was good for 4.9 seconds, with some help this time from Cosworth in the UK. Both of these earlier models were available only as a wagon. Then in 2005 the switch was made to a V8 and the decision made to diversify the model with the addition of a sedan and cabrio. The high revving naturally asipirated 4.2-litre V8  produiced 309kW of power and 430Nm of troque, revving all the way to 8000rpm, with 0-100km/h taking 4.8 seconds.The current RS4 Avant raises the bar yet again, delivering 331kW of power and 430Nm of torque in combination with a 7-speed double clutch style transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive. Unlike its predecessors, which came in manual form only, this one's an auto or at least a robotised manual.A good thing too because the DSG box takes all the hard work out of the equation, allowing the driver to get on with the job of well, driving. The result is a car that is happy to handle the shopping or if required launch from 0-100km/h in a rapid fire 4.7 seconds, not as quick as the original  but still plenty of fun.It's always intimidating to get behind the wheel of one of these cars, especially in the context of a race track. Here there are no limits on how fast you can go, apart from your own ability and of course the physical limitations of the car. The car's limits are very high (not sure about our ability though).We were among the first group of drivers to take on the challenging circuit at Sydney Motorsport Park, known to most as Eastern Creek. Tentative at first, by the fourth lap we were starting to feel right at home, discovering that the RS4 is as awesome as it is forgiving.In fact, it's so well balanced that we were able to guide the car around the second left hander, a double apex corner, with the car in full slide and only one hand on the wheel. How good's that?Amazingly, the new RS4 Avant is cheaper than the old one at $149,400. The previous one which disappeared in 2008 cost $168,100, but is still sought after, changing hands for more than $100,000.Even at this price there are still plenty of options including adjustable suspension. It can be bundled with 20 inch wheels and a sports exhaust for $7200 and there are not many buyers who won't tick that box. RS4's main competitor is the Benz C63 AMG wagon which will set you back $155,900, before options.If they weren't so damn expensive. $150K is a lot of dough in anyone's language, but if you've got it  you certainly won't be disappointed. The RS4 Avant combines the practicality of a wagon, with the performance of a sports car and a reputation that will be the envy of all your mates.

Screaming wagons have been star turns at the four-ring zircus since 1994, based always on an existing model (in this case the amiable A4 Avant of 2008 vintage) though one that's spent a year training with Daniel Geale.VALUEStandard kit includes multimedia system, xenon lights, 19-inch alloys, electronic tailgate, parking system with rear camera and nice paint. A $7200 package adds alloy 20s, sports exhaust and suspension with dynamic ride control.TECHNOLOGYWhat's wonderful is that 4.2-litre 331kW V8 with better than 100Nm per litre, spinning a fluent dual-clutch seven-speed auto. The urge gets to the ground via the torque-sensing quattro AWD that shovels almost all the torque rearwards (or up to 70 per cent forward as needed).You can complain — and some surely will — that this performance shopping trolley has become too clinically efficient for fun's sake, as maturely staid as its station wagon shape has always misleadingly suggested. And it's true that if compared to the last and fabulous 2006 model, the new Audi RS4 Avant is almost top-heavy with tech, suffused with switches.We'd argue that away from the track (where limits can be relatively safely gauged) and on the public roads (which are way scarier in their random way), this RS4 is almost precisely what a performance-cum-family car should be. Especially one that reaches 100km/h from standing in 4.7 seconds.DESIGNIt has a weapons grade physique — flared arches to accommodate at least 19-inch but often 20-inch wheels, side skirt, vast aluminium mesh masked air intakes, matt silver accents and gaping tail-pipes.DRIVINGAs I make my usual hash of the hairpin turn two at Sydney Motorsport Park, the twin-clutch transmission automatically drops back and lowers to almost a croon the roar of the high-revving, naturally breathing V8. The RS4 Avant could be saying: "There, there, you silly middle-aged boy, let me sort this out."With minimal input from me, the super smart all-wheel-drive system abetted by rear axle differential hauls the uber wagon back into line and allows the next apex to be made with some sort of aplomb.It makes for an extraordinarily tolerant and  forgiving construct. If not idiot-proof per se, when pushed its behaviour pretty much defines progressive.Although this generation RS4 has been bought in for an unexpectedly low $149,400 — some $25K under the one previous — anyone who was lucky enough to know and thus to love its predecessor might wish for a less sophisticated version, one with a single button labelled "Sport" to turn all the juice on or off rather than the multi-mode frippery.VERDICTThis engaging yet cosseting car remains the coolest shopping trolley in town.Audi RS4 AvantPrice: from $149,400Engine: 4.2-litre V8 petrol; 331W/430NmTransmision: 7-speed twin clutch auto; 4WDThirst: 10.7L/100km

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...