Audi RS4 B7 Avant
(more pics :arrow:
http://www.motorworld.net/forum/show...=799038#799038)
This is a car I really wanted to test, and it was quite sad not to be able to drive the sedan during my first RS4 indepth. Luckily this time it was better, and even if it was an Avant, it was an opportunity not to be missed.
Specifications
Engine - V8, 4163 cc
Power - 420 hp @ 7800 rpm
Torque - 430 Nm @ 5500 rpm
Weight - 1710 kg
Fuel Tank - 63 l
Max Speed (declared) - 250 km/h (limited)
Acceleration (declared), 0-100 km/h - 4,9 s
Fuel economy (out of town / town / mixed) - 9,4 / 20,7 / 13,5
Tranny - 6 gears manual
Seats - 5
Doors - 5
Lenght / width -
Height -
Boot -
Exterior
Honestly, I know those 18" wheels doesn't look half as good as the 19 do. And yet, in pics it's really much worse. In reality the car isn't that bad, especially in a dark grey suit, which isn't flashy at all and goes well with "normal" wheels.
We were used with the B5 model, to only see Avant versions of the RS, but now that the B7 finally offers a sedan too, all of a sudden the Avant looks almost plain and boring, loosing much aggressivity IMO.
It still shows its muscles beware, but not as much as a red sedan would do.
The rear view with those big muffler tips reminds the RS6, and the side view because of the boot of course, is quite spoiled.
Still, when you'll have one in yours rearview mirror on a mountain pass, you will throw yourself to the side of the road because it's front section is obviously as good as the sedan's, and those flared arches are still there too!
Other than that, I love the no-chrome option, with the grille's border and muffler tips painted black.
Interior
Good! While in a Lambo you won't necessarily appreciate the Audish feel, in an Audi, even an RS4, it is good! Superior quality, good materials, perfect ergonomics, you feel at home and you know this car is made to last.
The seats are brillant, really perfect for a sporty ride, but I suppose on long travel you could also appreciate some softer and wider ones at times. In sport mode when they grab you, I find them almost too tidy.. prolly I am just too fatty for Audi standards.
At the back you have plenty of room and obviously in the boot you can throw as many golf club bags as you might desire.
How does it drive?
As often, I had not the opportunity to really reach its limits. It was a rainy day as you can see in some of the pics, and when the owner gave me the key, he took my BMW and was leading up the nice mountain road toward his home. And as you can guess, chasing an old 320i in a new RS4 is easy stuff. Of course at times I let the gap grow (anyway he was attacking quite a lot in my poor thing, not used to such shamefully low power). And closing even large gaps in the RS4 is just unbelievably easy. You are cruising and taking corners at normal to granny speed, you shortshifted to 4th and are using some 2000 or so rpm. You ear the engine growl, but it's muted, far away, barely perceptible.
You drop a couple of gears and you dare to reach for the carpet in the first straight line and :shock: I had of course the sport mode on, seats grabbing me strong, exhaust fully freed and right pedal ultra reactive. The "BOOM" that comes with the pressure of your foot is impressive, the rev needle quickly runs toward the red line, the growl transform itself in a mad scream and you quickly have to grab the gear knob if you don't want to see those 8 pistons exploding out of the engine bay!
Second and third gears are killer on such roads and you end up traveling too fast all the time. I sligtly misjudged the second hairpin and had to keep braiking also well into the corner. I felt the rear lightening a bit, but the sensation of rails was there, so, knowing how good the Quattro system is, I tried to give it some throttle even if the weight distribution was prolly not really ideal. No sweat, the RS4 launches itself up the road with just some very limited understeer. Even under heavy braking you don't feel like if the back could easily let go. And that understeer (wet, cold road, let's not forget), is very progressive and you can let it install with no problem, knowing you will quickly cancel it with some liftoff.
No shit, this car is business, the kind of car in which you jump and drive quickly knowing you wont kill yourself and will still eat pretty much any other car on the same road. It's like an Impreza I guess, just bigger and faster.
Steer is direct but still too Audish IMO. I'd like more weight in it honestly. The grear lever is precise and pretty short and the seats are some of the best I ever tested, althought slightly too tiny IMO. The sondtrack is beautifull, a V8 rumble with some high rev sensations on top of it!
Useless to add more words about it: it's a plug and play supercar!
What are the most positive features of the car?
Soundtrack
Poised
Easy to "understand" from the first moment
What are the most negative features of the car?
The wagon is a bit too "family car" maybe
Audish steering althoug much better than "normal" models
How do you think this car compares to its direct competition?
Honestly, offering a cabrio, a saloon and a break version, I don't see who could compete. Sure, most ppl will still turn toward the M3 to have a pure sportcar, but the new RS4 is really an addictive monster, and so much better than the previous!
Conclusion
One of the fastest yet less scary cars I ever driven. Really addictive thanks to the way it transform itself when when you switch from "cruise" to "race" mode. Mr Hide's car!