09 Sep 05
It really is all about the engine. No question, the latest RS4s new-look nose, shark-like spoiler gills, pumped arches and pimped wheels will make a big noise kerbside, but the real deal is under that alloy bonnet.
And lurking not so quietly under that broad sweep of aluminium lies a 4.2-litre 420bhp V8, replacing the old RS4's 380bhp twin-turbo V6. But the number thats really got my attention is 8250rpm, which is where the stratospherically high rev limit for this remarkable engine lives. A V8 capable of those sort of revs used to be the preserve of race cars, and isn't far off what the Ferrari F430's phenomenal V8 spins to. In fact, Audi claims this is the highest revving engine they've ever stuck in a production car. A good start, then.
Indeed. This latest RS4 looks even more aggressive than the model it replaces, with the family-look single-frame grille flanked by deep, louvred spoilers. It's a rear-view-filler destined to clear the outside lane, as we discovered.
