First Drive Review
If you ever need to justify spending $85,000 for this convertible RS version of Audi's mainstream A4 sedan, try this: The RS 4 cabriolet (convertible in Audi-speak) is more exclusive than Audi's $115,000 mid-engined R8 supercar. That's right, just 300 of these RS 4s (mechanically similar to the RS 4 sedan, but with just two doors and a power-actuated softtop) will be sold in the U.S. while that many R8s will be sold before the end of 2007, with sales closer to 1000 likely in 2008.
Limited sales volumes or not, that still seems like a bunch of money for a car that has little chance of outperforming the forthcoming BMW M3 convertible, a car that will likely cost about $15,000 less. The RS 4 sedan, at $69,785, is also $15,000 cheaper, but Audi officials would like you to know that the RS 4 convertible comes only one way—loaded. Literally, the only option on the $84,775 convertible is $750 for a premium paint color.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves here with all these cold, hard facts. Have we mentioned, for example, our love for this engine?
What an Engine
About three seconds into our drive of the RS 4—top down, blasting up from San Francisco toward Napa Valley—we had a thought: Would it be possible to install this fabulous 420-hp, 4.2-liter direct-injection V-8 into any car and have it not be sweet to drive?
Smooth, refined, yet willing to quickly rev whenever you want, this 8000-rpm screamer also has a broad torque curve that works just fine when driving the car as your mother would. However, frequent excursions to the urgent 6000-to-8000-rpm range are extremely satisfying and highly recommended. Audi claims the convertible weighs 4100 pounds (120 pounds more than the sedan) and should sprint to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, 0.2 second slower.
One problem: With the added wind and road noise of the convertible, the already refined engine is basically mute below 3000 rpm at speeds higher than 50 or so mph. We think people stepping up to the high-performance RS model want to hear what they paid for, and this one should sing louder. Although this is just another reason to always keep it in "S" mode (with a button on the dash) that opens a butterfly in the exhaust to produce big V-8 bellows under hard throttle at low rpm.
