Audi RS4

The Audi RS4 is the highest performance version of the company's A4, sitting above the S4 in the lineup.

B5 S4 (2000–2002)

Audi introduced the first generation S4 in 2000 as the successor to the fabled Porsche developed/RS2. The vehicle, like its predecessor, was available only as an Estate/Avant (station wagon), and was built on an existing platform, in this case the "B5" generation A4/S4. Base price was around 103,584 Deutsche Mark, and was not available for sale in the United States of America. The RS4 was available for sale in most of Europe and in some Latin American countries, including Mexico and Brazil.

Power came from a modified version of the B5 S4's 2.7 L, twin-turbocharged V6 engine tuned by Cosworth Technology, featuring enlarged intake/exhaust ports on the cylinder heads, turbochargers and intercoolers, new induction and exhaust systems and a re-calibrated engine management system; a six-speed manual transmission and Audi's Quattro all wheel drive system were part of the package. The modifications were enough to bump the engine's power output from the 265 PS (195 kW/261 hp) and 350 Nm (257 ft·lbf) of the S4 to 380 PS (280 kW/375 hp) and 440 Nm (325 ft·lbf).

Even with a curb weight of 1620 kg (3568 lb), the RS4's powerful engine gave it the performance of a sports car. The 100 km/h (62 mph) mark could be reached in just 4.7 seconds and the 160 km/h (100 mph) could be achieved in just 11.6. Brakes were also developed in house by Audi/Cosworth Technologies not by Porsche as with the RS2. It now has 360 mm (14.2 inches) discs at the front and 312 mm (12.2 inches) at the rear gave the RS4 braking to match, needing less than 50 m (155 ft) to come to a full stop from a speed of 110 km/h (69 mph).

RS4 production stopped in 2001, although the last several units sold were registered as 2002 models.

B7 RS4 (2005—)

After a long hiatus, the second generation RS4, now built on Audi's "B7" A4 platform, became available to European customers in the Summer of 2005. Price is roughly 66,629€ in Europe. It was introduced at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January and arrived in August 2006 in North America with a base price of $66,000.

The B7 RS4 is an almost complete departure from previous RS cars, as it was launched as a sedan, with an Avant and Convertible version arriving later. Only the RS6 has gone this route before, the previous RS4 and RS2 were available exclusively as Avants. In addition, power comes from an FSI equipped, normally aspirated 4.2 L V8. This engine is very powerful, producing a total output of 420 PS (309 kW/414 hp), over 100 PS/litre. The engine also produces 430 N·m (317 ft·lbf) of torque. Curb weight for the 2007 model is stated at 3957 lb

Audi factory numbers indicate that the vehicle will be able to go 0-100 km (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds. Since Audi's factory times tend to be conservative, most experts seem to agree that a time under 4.8 seconds is a likely possibility.

The RS4 aims to compete with BMW's upcoming V8 powered M3, Mercedes-Benz's AMG variant of the C-Class (currently the C 55 AMG and upcoming C63), Cadillac's CTS-V, and the upcoming Lexus IS-F.

There are unsubstantiated rumors of an RS4 "Plus" being introduced in Europe in late 2006. The RS4 Plus is rumored to be a lightweight version of the RS4 that is more setup for track use, but still street legal.

External links

• Official Audi international site