2008 Audi RS 4

2008 Audi RS 4 Pictures

MSRP:: $66,910 - $81,900
Invoice:: $61,422 - $76,168

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Overview:

The Audi RS 4, introduced to U.S. shores in 2006 and based on the A4 sedan, represents the high-performance level of the German automaker�??s compact sports sedan line. For the 2008 model year the RS 4 will be offered in a limited-production Cabriolet model, while the sedan will add two new trim packages.

One might mistake the RS 4 for an A4, as the latter is the basis of the former, but it's unlikely. The bulging fender flares necessary to cover the RS 4's 1.5-inch-wider front track, 1.9-inch-wider rear, and 19-inch wheels are a giveaway, as is the RS 4's all-around 1.1-inch-lower stance. Integrated front and rear spoilers are telltale signs of the performance orientation of this Audi sedan.

A glance through those 19-inch wheels reveals pizza-pie-size ventilated, cross-drilled 14.4-inch front brake rotors with 8-piston calipers and 12.8-inch rear rotors, all of which can haul you down from 60 mph to a dead stop in only 107 feet. If you ventured underneath the car, you�??d spy the NACA brake ducts that direct air to those rotors to reduce their temperatures by 170 degrees at speed - you won't find those on a normal A4.

A quick peek under the hood will no doubt result in shock and awe �?? neither a turbo 4-cylinder nor a V6 sits over the front axle. Rather, by means of some sort of secret arts, Audi engineers have shoehorned a 4.2-liter V8 into the A4's engine compartment. This all-aluminum, direct-injection, DOHC, 32-valve, high-compression V8 produces 420 hp, with 90% of its 317 pound-feet of torque available from 2,250 to 7,600 rpm, redlining at an awe-inspiring 8,250 rpm. All of this power flows through the only available transmission, a buttery-smooth six-speed manual. Audi claims 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds, but Edmunds and Motor Trend reviewers did it in 4.5 seconds. The RS 4 is electronically limited to 155 mph.

Once the clutch hooks up, a specially tuned version of the famed Audi quattro all-wheel-drive system powers the wheels. For the RS 4, the center differential was changed from a viscous unit to the faster Torsen differential, with a 40/60 rear-biased torque split, as opposed to the typical Audi 50/50 split, yet the full 100% is available to either front or rear axles.

In addition to the handling dynamics of a rear-wheel driver, the RS 4 also incorporates Audi's Dynamic Ride Control, in which the diagonally opposite (front right to rear left/front left to rear right) dampers are linked with a gas-charged reservoir. This fully mechanical system adjusts shock valving according to the car�??s dynamic forces �?? Audi says this drastically reduces lean, squat, and dive.

Steering is exceptional, with some reviewers claiming the RS 4 displaces all-time-champ BMW in its road feel and precision. Audi uses its Servotronic system, which increases pressure based on vehicle and steering speed to offer great feedback and response during fast driving.

Reviewers inevitably compare the RS 4's handling to its lighter rival, the BMW M3. Being a heavier car, the RS 4 handles in a much more composed fashion. A Motor Trend editor claimed it was such a competent handler as to be "one dimensional" in a video review, in that the car's mechanicals and not so much the driver directly engage the road - "more a sport sedan than a sport racer." Yet it certainly handles. At Edmunds it came in second to their fastest-ever slalom speed, posted by the very light and nimble Mitsubishi Evo �?? and that was only 0.1 mph faster than the Audi. (less) (more)

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History of the Audi RS 4

[Edit] Audi's RS line first appeared in the 1990s in Europe with the RS2 and the RS4, both Avant wagons.  These were twin turbo V6 engines with quattro all-wheel drive and were meant to be the top-line performance cars, the next level up from the S-class of cars.  They were not available in the U.S. however.  But with the success of the 2002 RS6, Audi decided to bring back the RS4 and bring it to the U.S. for the first time.
The new Audi RS4 is just that.  All new and more of a supercar than ever.  Introduced at the 2006 NAIAS Auto Show, the RS4 is only offered as a sedan, though an Avant wagon and convertible are in the works.  Though it's based on the new A4 platform, the RS4 is quite different once you get behind the wheel.  For the first time in RS history, there is no turbo engine.  The RS4 gets an innovative FSI direct fuel injection 4.2-liter, 420-hp V8 engine that hits 0-60 in 4.7 seconds.  The FSI purportedly improves engine power and fuel economy at the same time.  It is still all-wheel drive, but with a new and improved quattro technology and Dynamic Ride Control with a 40/60 front-to-rear torque differential, to give the RS4 the grip and handling of a rear-wheel drive racer.
One of the problems with the old turbo RS4 was that its heavy weight got in the way of true performance status.  With this in mind, and fully aware of its BMW M3 rival, Audi has been very weight conscious with its new RS4, giving it aluminum body parts and suspension and paring down some of the standard features found in the S4 in order to maximize engine output and road handling.  On the outside, wider 19-inch wheels, fender flares, side skirts, lower ride height, huge quadruple oval pipes, and air intakes increase aerodynamics as well as distinguish it from the more staid A4 on the road.
Audi can't completely give up its luxury image, and despite the paring down, the RS4 still comes well loaded with power features, power seats, a sunroof, remote locks, and parking assist.  Leather sports seats have adjustable side bolsters.  Clearly with the RS4, Audi is trying to find that perfect combination of personal luxury and optimum racing performance to please every facet of a driver's life -- whether it's an upscale business meeting, comfortable family trip, or the need to let loose and tear up the open road.

Discussion Board

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Is this a European import that should never have happened?

12 posts. Created by Rufus7. Last post on May 3, 2008 at 11:50:35 AM

What are the best snow tires for this car.

2 posts. Created by BoxsterBoy. Last post on Mar 9, 2008 at 7:02:34 PM

This is a great car - what do people think?

1 posts. Created by BoxsterBoy. Last post on Aug 31, 2007 at 2:26:20 PM

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