Auto News & New car review

This road test should actually have been about the Audi Q8 but Serendipity stepped in and I now know what I want for Christmas.

 

This road test should actually have been about the Audi Q8 but Serendipity stepped in and I now know what I want for Christmas.

 The Audi RS 4 saloon was first introduced at the end of 2005 and, since then Audi has completed the family by giving us the Avant and Cabriolet versions. Whatever the body-style, the engine and drivetrain are the same and are the real stars of the show

There are plenty of performance cars on the market today. I don’t mean the Zonda’s and Koenigsegg’s, but the real-life stuff, such as the Subaru Impreza WRX STi or the Mitsubishi Evo IX, either of which provide instant gratification for performance fans.

 The RS 4 quattro offers the same exhilarating performance but in more refined surroundings, as befits the Audi badge. However, you do pay a good bit more for the pleasure. At £50,930 the RS 4 is almost twice the price of the 2.5-litre, turbo-charged, Impreza WRX STi.

The Audi, on the other hand has a big 4.2-litre V8, naturally aspirated petrol engine that makes a delicious noise through the twin, oval tailpipes. The RS 4 was the first of Audi’s B-segment cars to have both a V8 block and FSI technology, thus creating a car with punch and fuel efficiency.
When FSI (Fuel Stratified Ignition) first arrived on the scene, it was associated with the Le Mans-winning diesel engine in the R8. It was such a leap forward, that it could have been alien, whispered to the people at Audi, by little grey men. It wasn’t long before FSI became available in the company’s road-going cars. Now it also works with petrol units, to great effect.
There is no arguing with the output figures of 420PS (414bhp) at 7,800rpm and 430Nm (317lb ft) of torque at 5,500rpm. For sure, it’s a big engine but what makes the RS 4 special is the engine mapping and the clever FSI direct injection system, which makes 90 per cent of the peak torque, that’s 387Nm, available from just 2,200rpm through to 7,600rpm. Moreover, the free-revving nature of the engine means that you have to get to 8,250rpm before you reach the cut-off point. It’s not cruel - the car begs you to try it.

On the road and where legal, these figures translate as a 0-62mph time of just 4.8 seconds and the top speed is limited to 155mph. However, these are still just numbers that cannot adequately convey the feeling from the driver’s seat. Solo driving is the best way to enjoy the RS 4, as the gasps and whimpers can be very off-putting, unless your passenger is a seasoned rally navigator.
That’s not to say that the ride is harsh or that there is any lack of control, it’s more that the RS 4 is always ready to get back to its rallying, quattro roots. Dynamic Ride Control, sports-rated dampers and springs and Audi’s 4WD quattro system ensures that traction is maintained and the car stays on the right path.

 The ESP system has been re-vamped from that in the regular A4, to kick-in later and for a shorter period of time allowing for more fun and exploration of the performance envelope before the system says, ‘that’s enough now’ and intervenes. As always, these gizmos are not completely foolproof but it is a very brave or foolhardy driver that would push the car to the point of no return.
Add in the extremely focused steering and the precise 6-speed manual gearbox and the confidence grows with every country mile. On motorways, you find yourself grinning, inanely safe in the knowledge that with so much torque and V8 power on hand, safe overtakes involve little more than a scrunch of the toes on the aluminium accelerator pedal.
Then there’s the ‘S’ button on the dashboard. Press it and things get even spicier. The exhaust note changes as the throttle-control mapping is adjusted for better response and the side bolsters of the already hip-hugging RS bucket seat inflate, moving in to grip the thighs that little bit tighter.
Pressing the ‘S’ button, however means that the fuel consumption figures of 13.7 mpg, 30.1 mpg and 20.9 mpg for the urban, extra-urban and combined cycles, respectively, will be well out of reach. As with the Volkswagen Golf R32, ‘S’ means fun whilst watching the fuel gauge needle drop and the exhaust pipes emit an outrageous 324g/km of CO2.

As stopping is of equal importance as going, especially in the likes of the Audi RS 4, the car is fitted with a self-drying brake system visible behind the scantily clad 19-inch alloy wheels. The huge discs are ventilated and measure 365mm at the front and 324mm at the rear.
But, back to going. Getting into the RS 4 is the one thing you want to do but it does involve heaving yourself over the high seat bolsters while ducking under the roof, especially if, like me, you like to sit quite high. Once settled into the leather-covered, manually adjustable seats, the driver is faced with a rake and reach-adjustable steering wheel, which is flattened at the bottom, so it doesn’t catch on your knees.

 Don’t ask me why, but in the RS 4 you have to turn the ignition key and press the ’start’ button on the central tunnel in order to hear the roar of the exhaust before take-off.

 The test car’s fascia featured the £1,975, Satellite-Navigation Plus, which sits well amongst the carbon-fibre trimmings. Opting for this system then enables the further choice of TV reception for an extra £705. Who wants to watch TV? The optional 6 CD autochanger (£320) that resides in the glovebox is more than enough entertainment for the quiet moments when the ignition is turned off. Alternatively, you can stick with the standard BOSE sound system with a single CD/radio and no less than ten speakers.

 Rear passengers also have comfortable, supportive seats but not a great deal in the way of legroom. It is unlikely but should the driver need extra luggage space, the load capacity can be increased from 460 to 720-litres by folding the rear seats.

 The Audi RS 4 has no need for big ostentatious spoilers; instead it has the tiniest lip integrated into the boot lid. There are some exterior clues as to the car’s performance but they are subtle. The RS 4 sits 30mm lower than the standard car and has wider front and rear tracks, it also features the new face of Audi with a big front grille and mesh-covered air intakes. However, the best show of strength is in the RS 4 badges located on the front back and sides. They leave other road users in no doubt as to what’s underneath the bonnet.