New Audi RS 4 Faces Up to BMW M3

By Motoring Channel Staff - 23/02/2005

New dimensions in driving dynamics combined with a hard charging 300+ kilowatt engine will make the new Audi RS 4 hard to beat.

Perhaps even for BMW's all new M3.

Combining the latest high-performance motoring qualities offered by quattro GmbH in a thoroughbred sports saloon with supreme everyday driving qualities in the premium segment, the new RS 4 is the top-of-the-range model in the new A4 series, a development all-new from the ground up.

Numerous technical achievements – many of which hail from motorsport – give the new Audi RS 4 its unique class and character.

While many of its features look similar to the new Audi A4, the RS 4 is far more than just a "fast" derivative of Audi's highly successful midrange saloon that competes against the likes of the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series.

The single-frame radiator grille at the front of the car, the rear section with the distinctly horizontal orientation of the car's lines and the side surfaces with strong-but-smooth shoulder lines all prove that the RS 4 is a member of the A4 family.

However, there are plenty of differences at the front end of the car, such as the radiator grille, which now has a diamond look.

There's also the additional air dams in the front apron to help keep the engine aptly supplied with fresh air, as well as new wheels developed specifically for the RS 4, all of which clearly set the car aside from a 'normal' Audi A4.

The newly designed rear air dam, which encompasses two large tailpipes, as well as the discreet but highly effective spoiler integrated in the boot lid, bear testimony to the saloon's dynamic driving potential, and together with the positively massive (and aggressive) single frame grille at the front of the car, accentuated thanks to the RS 4's deeper bodykit, it comes across as a very decisive-looking German bahnstormer.

Compared with the Audi A4, the entire body of the car has been lowered by 30 millimetres, which also helps give it a more menacing look, and at the same time the development engineers at quattro GmbH have widened the car's track both front and rear, having to flare the wheel arches to keep the wheels covered.

Looks are essential to a car of the RS 4's calibre (and price), but performance is the number one concern, and in 2005 the new RS 4 won't disappoint. A high engine speed concept has been introduced for the first time in a production Audi, using FSI technology, so as well as developing a maximum output of 309kW (420hp), the V8 revs up to an engine speed of 8250rpm.

With its displacement of 4163cc (4.2-litres), this outstanding engine exceeds the magical barrier of 100hp per litre, which is quite an achievement in a production saloon. Maximum torque of 430Nm arrives @ 5500rpm in this very compact engine, with 90% of the engine's torque consistently available between 2250 and 7600rpm.

Compared to the current $137,900 M3, the new RS 4 will dominate, but as for the next-gen V8-powered M3? It could be a very tight race indeed. Here are the specs:

The broad range of torque (90% between 2250 and 7600rpm) results in excellent muscle and pulling force at all times, enabling the driver whenever he – or she – wishes to drive in truly relaxed style without frequent gear changes.

Audi has chosen its trendsetting and groundbreaking FSI, or fuel stratified injection technology for the RS 4 saloon, which is akin to direct gasoline injection. This ensures even more effective combustion of the fuel/air mixture and, as a result, an even better power yield - hence the 309 kilowatts of power.

The RS 4 accelerates to 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds and will reach 200km/h in 16.6 seconds. Top speed is cut off electronically at 250 km/h.

A further essential point in the brief given to Audi's development engineers was to optimise the car's power-to-weight ratio, avoiding every superfluous gram on the Audi RS 4.

Accordingly, virtually every component was checked and cross-checked for minimum weight. The front wheel arches and the engine compartment lid are made of aluminium, just like most components on the chassis and suspension.

The specially designed RS bucket seats, in turn, are not only very light, but also offer extremely good body support in every situation.

The result is a power-to-weight ratio of just 3.93 kilos per bhp – a figure truly reminiscent of a thoroughbred sports car, which would not even have been conceivable just a few years ago in a midrange saloon.

The challenge, of course, is to get all this power on to the road in perfect style and with optimum handling. And for no less than 25 years, Audi's answer to all the particular requirements in this respect has been that magical name "quattro".

The latest generation of Audi's permanent four-wheel drive - featured for the first time in the RS 4 - offers asymmetric/dynamic torque distribution and a self-locking Torsen centre differential, making a significant contribution in enabling the RS 4 with its sports suspension to enter new dimensions in driving dynamics.

In this case quattro drive is further enhanced by Audi's DRC (Dynamic Ride Control), significantly reducing both body roll and dive.

Audi spent a lot of time developing a new brake package, one that ventilates well, so as to keep them overheating and fading.

An 18-inch brake system ensures optimum stopping power, the cross-drilled, inner-vented brake discs at the front measure 365mm in diameter, as opposed to 324mm brake discs at the rear. Flow-optimised ventilation geometry incorporating special jets on the underfloor of the car ensures first-class cooling of the brakes under all conditions.

As a result, brake fading is significantly reduced even under extreme loads, for example on the race track, which will no doubt please the track day addicts out there.

Also, quattro GmbH has carefully realigned the latest generation of ESP to the particular properties and features of this high-performance sports saloon. With the system intervening later and for a shorter period than on a conventional car, driving dynamics are improved significantly.

The integrated dry braking function in wet weather, in turn, ensures additional safety on the road, with the brake pads being unnoticeably placed on the brake discs at regular intervals in order to dry the brakes for instantaneous use whenever required.

Inside, the RS 4 combines the straightforward function of a sports car with the luxurious ambience typical of all Audi models. The dominating materials are leather, aluminium, and carbon. But at the same time the RS 4 comes with all the additional qualities so typical of a genuine sports car.

This superiority becomes clear immediately when you take your seats in the car: the RS bucket seats with their high lateral body supports provide excellent comfort during hard cornering. A further feature of these bucket seats is the control button on each seat for inflating the side support elements adjusting perfectly to the driver's anatomy. The sports steering wheel tapering down at the bottom and the engine starter button on the centre console, in turn, are also clearly reminiscent of motorsport, just like the aluminium pedals.

There are even a number of driving settings, and pressing the sports button in the steering wheel, the driver is able to modify the gas pedal control map, giving the engine even sharper and more direct response.

Apart from a wide range of advanced safety components, the RS 4 - previously only available as an estate (wagon) - means that buyers get a number of standard features, including high-comfort automatic air conditioning, central locking with remote control, and electric window lifts at the front.

Further features of the RS 4 include the proximity parking system at the front and rear, the Concert radio system, as well as sports suspension with variable damper control (DRC).

Furthermore, the purchaser of an Audi RS 4 can also opt for a particularly high standard of comfort amenities such as Audi's navigation system plus or dynamic adaptive light headlights literally guiding the driver round bends in the road.