Audi RS4 Avant

The Wild One

From all the agile and powerful Audi Quattros I have experienced lately, this one was the purest – and wildest.

Guys, when I got the chance to drive seven stunning Quattros back to back, I prematurely decided, which one I would like the most. Well, the R8 was out of the competition. Only people with an income level of a Tony Stark can have it in their garage. Among others.


No, I thought the RS6 Avant, with the powerful V8, will definitely be my choice of them all. But while beating the bends of Clarence Drive – in the wet and dry - in this Nardo grey RS4 Avant, I changed my mind. This is it. The high-performance estate is the perfect family sportscar – and R700 000 (for a mere 0.5 seconds from 0 to 100km/h) more affordable than its bigger sibling, the RS6 Avant. And with 1.7 tons it is quite a bit lighter, so I didn’t really miss those 150hp less, in the narrow bends.


You are young, successful, love fast cars, just got your first child and obviously ‘sold’ the RS4 Avant as a family car. And that could be a problem. Imagine forgetting about the toddler in the baby seat and driving the Quattro in a species-appropriate way. You will never get the puke smell out the interior. Or the stains out of the beautifully red-stitched leather sport seats.


Sharing the twin-turbo V6 engine with the S7 and RS5 Sportback, but obviously feeling most at home in the RS4. It makes this one more of a hooligan. Younger, wilder and louder.


The first ever RS was the RS2 25 years ago. The sport wagon was built in cooperation with Porsche and even assembled in Zuffenhausen, with Porsche wheels, brakes and suspension, among other parts. The natural RS2 successor is the RS4 Avant, since 1999.


Whenever I am driving an Audi, I feel very close to a Porsche. Sitting behind the wheel, I can see, that the Porsche and Audi guys are having friendly beer outings on a regular base.

I am sure most of you thought the sun always shines, when we are filming. Not quite. We also have rains down in Africa. Especially in Cape Town. And when it rains it pours down in buckets. But thanks to Quattro I have still fun on the road.


ENGINE

2.9-l. twin-turbo V6 paired with an 8-speed tiptronic

POWER

331kW & 600Nm

TOP SPEED

250km/h (280km/h optional, for R35 200 extra)

This high-performance station wagon is the perfect family sportscar. And in the RS4 the twin-turbo V6 heart, it shares with both the S7 and the RS5, beats in the most magnificent way. This one is the hooligan among all those sophisticated Quattros.

And while there are cheaper and faster RSes around, the RS4 is the purest of them all. In true spirit to the original RS2.


TECH SPECS

Audi RS4 Avant

Engine

3.7-l. six-cylinder turbo, paired with an 8-speed auto PDK

Engine

2.9-l. l. twin-turbo V6 paired with an 8-speed tiptronic

Power

441kW & 800Nm

Top Speed

280km/h

0-100km/h

in 3.8 seconds

Price

from R2 354 500 (as driven R2 744 280)

Watch this one and our other cool videos

on our LossKARn Youtube Channel

Driven by Dieter Losskarn

And visit our blog page:

losskarn.co.za/blog

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