02 Mar 05
The most powerful Audi A4 ever sat proudly on the company's Geneva stand. With 414bhp and 317lb ft available from the RS4's unblown V8, there's no shortage of thrust: 60mph arrives in just 4.6 seconds, whilst top speed is pegged to 155mph. This puts distance between the S4's relatively tame 5.6sec dash to 60mph, and takes the game to the all-conquering BMW M3.
The RS4 gets the new generation of Audi's quattro 4x4 system which puts more power to the rear wheels during normal driving. The RS4 sits on a wider track and completely overhauled suspension, and rides more than an inch lower than a standard A4. Aluminium construction on the RS4 has shaved weight from all over the standard A4's body, too. All of which means the RS4 should be much sharper through corners than the old model.
The styling is certainly meaner but doesn't compromise the A4's understated elegance. Bumpers have been redesigned front and rear, with the front getting a large air intake and large-bore exhausts poking out from the back. New-design 18-inch alloys conceal huge 14.4-inch brakes. Inside, the driver sits snugly in adaptive sports seats and gets typically lavish specification, from climate control to an F1-style button ignition. The model won't go on sale until this autumn.
