Audi RS4
Audis Latest RS4 Doesnt Need A Turbocharger To Generate Some Dizzying Power Figures. Andy Enright Reports
It was Henry Kissinger who first noted that power is the ultimate aphrodisiac and this mantra has been subsequently embraced by many motoring manufacturers desperate to one-up each other in the quest for horsepower. Some have come to understand that the side effects of huge power outputs can rather ruin the overall balance of a sports car while others have only recently accepted this wisdom. With the latest RS4,
Audi hope to marry power and control in one irresistible package.
Thats the theory in any case. Sceptics will point to the fact that theres still a heavy eight-cylinder engine sitting up front that will hurt handling subtlety, that the car adds the weight of an eleven stone passenger to that of a
BMW M3, and that Audis ace card their DSG gearbox isnt beefy enough to cope with the RS4s power output. However, before you write the £49,985 RS4 off as just another ill-conceived autobahn mauler from Ingolstadt, its worth considering the following. The rather unsubtle turbocharging has been ditched, replaced by a normally aspirated engine that revs to 8,250rpm and generates a monstrous 414bhp.
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A re-engineered four-wheel drive system deploys that power better than ever and more is routinely directed to the rear wheels, which promises to excise the stodgy understeer from the quattro drivetrain. Lower, wider and utilising aluminium body panels to keep weight down, the RS4 could well give
BMW and Mercedes something very serious to think about.
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Audi have finally accepted that performance car buyers want subtlety and feel as well as big horsepower figures"
The engine is a fascinating piece of technology. Utilising Audis FSI direct injection system means that the cooling effect of the injected fuel has allowed for the compression ratio to be increased. The RS4 is the first Audi to feature their high-speed engine principle which means that rather than concentrating on low-down slugging power, the engine has the sort of wail more reminiscent of a competition car in the upper reaches of the rev range. Driving an old RS4 demonstrates the difference very effectively.
With this car, all of the engines best work was done by 5,000rpm. Revving the engine any harder produces some rather unmelodic thrashing but not a whole lot more in the way of meaningful acceleration. The new RS4 is very different, revving like a
Honda engine with the throttle pedal at the extent of its travel. Unlike Honda, Audi have managed to crack the thorny issue of endowing a vocal, high revving powerplant with adequate low down torque.
Fully 90 per cent of the cars maximum 430Nm torque figure is available at any point between 2250 and 7600rpm. The end result is a car that will accelerate through 60mph in 4.6 seconds and on to 125mph in just 16.6s.
A gentle electronic limiter draws a close on this headlong rush at 155mph. The gearing and power suggests that without this limiter, 180mph would be fairly easily achievable. The lack of a turbocharger means that there isnt the same savage punch the old RS4 could generate at very low revs, but Audi insiders claim the mid-range and top-end urge of the RS4 means that on the open road and track it is quite simply in a different league. To get some idea of the thrust available, consider the fact that at 251bhp per tonne, the RS4 contrives to make BMWs M3, with 215bhp per tone, seem rather underpowered.
Where BMW has traditionally had Audis measure is when it comes to the sort of handling subtlety valued by those who really know cars. Communication, adjustability, directness and linearity of response have all been areas where Audi have often been a notch off the best in class but the Ingolstadt company has made great strides which change that with the latest RS4. One area that has been a perennial Audi complaint is braking performance. While outright braking power has never been questioned, the sort of repeated braking manoeuvres often required for track driving played havoc with the old RS4s stoppers, promoting fade and warping the discs terribly.
The latest car features improved cooling and floating discs that help prevent fading. Eight piston callipers on the front wheels grip enormous 365 millimetre discs. A new generation of quattro permanent four-wheel drive features an asymmetric/dynamic distribution of power and torque. In laymans terms, this means that a Torsen (torque sensing) differential can direct up to 100 per cent of the engine power and torque to one axle whenever appropriate.
More flexible than before, this aids grip, agility and speed of response. The old 50:50 normal torque split has been revised in favour of a more exciting 40:60 arrangement between front and rear axles, resulting in a car that feels more like a rear wheel drive sports car while still offering excellent traction. DRC (Dynamic Ride Control) features a central valve connected to all four dampers to offer excellent body control during acceleration, cornering and braking. Despite all this work under the skin, many will still be sold on the 18-inch alloy wheels, the mean stance, the spoiler kit, the flared arches and racy interior detailing. Many of these same customers will never have a clue what DRC is, what their torque split is, or will even know that theres a whole world to be explored beyond 5,000rpm.
Their loss. Although honourable mention should be made of the RS2, TT and the S3, the latest RS4 looks primed to be the first Audi since the iconic Quattro 20v to really grab the imagination of the performance car cognoscenti. However, with key rivals already looking to up the ante, the RS4s place in history is certainly not assured.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Audi RS4
PRICES: £49,985 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 329g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 4.6s / Max Speed 155mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 20.6mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags, side and curtain airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (length/width/height) 4589/1816/1415mm
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