Mini Test Road Test
Back in 1994, Audi tapped the engineering expertise of Porsche to develop the mad but engaging RS2, a 311-hp station wagon. Its 2.2-liter turbocharged engine was memorable for fierce reactions, big noise, and an uncompromising character. But when the RS2 (C/D, May 1994) concluded its limited run and the Audi 80 turned into the A4, we had to wait five years for the next "super Quattro"-the S4. Alas, that car (C/D, September 1999) somehow didn't seem so mad: 250 horsepower from a twin-turbo 2.7-liter V-6, basically the same powerplant you'd find in the docile and luxurious A6 2.7T. That meant it was quick but also civilized: quiet, easy to drive, not really an Ingolstadt hot rod.
Comes now the RS4 Quattro, the most powerful production Audi yet unleashed, producing 375 horses from its rather-more-stressed 2.7-liter V-6. Cosworth Technology, a division of Audi since last year, has tweaked the intake and exhaust flow to the five-valve heads. What's more, the crankshaft, the connecting rods, and the pistons are beefed up to withstand the larger KKK turbos. The result is a steady 325 pound-feet of torque from 2500 to 6000 rpm.
That stream of power definitely commands your attention. Launched properly, this little wagon claws its way to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds, and the speedo will show 100 mph in a sniff less than 12 seconds. Although a chip limits top speed to 155 mph, Audi's engineers say they regularly saw 179 during testing at Nardo.
Officially, the RS4 is made not by Audi but by Quattro GmbH, the company's in-house subsidiary that assembles cars to custom order. Alas, no RS4s are headed for America. The car's short life span means that the cost of U.S. certification cannot be justified.
At roughly $63,000, the RS4's price in Germany is steep but not colossal, and unlike the upcoming BMW M3-probably this Audi's closest competitor-the car comes as a wagon only, ensuring that golden retrievers throughout Europe will be treated to riveting demonstrations of speed. It's not often you see a wagon with emphatically flared wheel arches and a pair of ducts funneling air to inter-coolers. All the body panels, save the hood and roof, are unique.
Naturally, the suspension is lowered and stiffened, and the enlarged brakes (the front rotors measure an immense 14.1 inches) are state-of-the-art racing versions. The ride is borderline harsh, and the tires sing on anything but mirror-smooth tarmac, but the handling is sharper than any A4's to date.
The old RS2 perpetuated the notion that heavily turbocharged engines had two distinct phases-languid and explosive. Now, however, the RS4's 30-valve V-6 is unobtrusive and silent at low revs, building to its maximum output smoothly and progressively with virtually no lag. Acceleration is effortless in the way of, say, big V-8-powered Benzes, so that passengers are often unaware of the speeds being summoned.
The RS4 is a good car, perhaps a great one, but the passage of time-plus the evolution of electronics-has taken some of the wonder and excitement out of limited-edition hot rods such as this. The RS4 is efficient, quick, and easy to operate, rather than wild, colorful, and delinquent-traits that have imbued Audi's specials in the past.
