Audi RS4 Brings Practical Performance To Frankfurt

Audi’s ‘RS’ performance division traces its origins not to a fire-breathing, woefully impractical supercar, but to a humble wagon, the RS2. The brainchild of an Audi and Porsche collaboration was powered by a 2.2-litre 5-cylinder engine that made over 300 horsepower back in 1994! The trend of making family cars go nuts is alive and kicking, as proven by yet another product of an Audi-Porsche consummation – the new-gen RS4 Avant.

It ditches its predecessor’s V8 (and also 80kg in weight) in favour of the same engine you’d find in the Porsche Panamera 4S and the RS5: a 2.9-litre biturbo V6 producing 450PS and 600Nm, driven to all four wheels through an 8-speed auto box. Off the line, she’ll hit the ton in all of 4.1 seconds, touching a top speed of 250kmph (280kmph with the RS dynamic package). 

The RS4 Avant also gets the RS sport suspension as standard, making it sit 7mm lower than the A4 basic model with the sport suspension. Hear the stance car enthusiasts breathe heavily! Speaking of which, that squat stance is no accident. Designers took inspiration from the Audi Quattro IMSA GTO while carving the RS4 Avant, with the wide wheel arches (30mm wider than its predecessor’s) and plus-sized air intakes adding a nice dose of aggression. Call us perverted but that rear end is the real showstopper, thanks to the RS-spec diffuser, RS roof spoiler and cavern-sized oval tailpipes. Yes, go ahead and prefix RS to those too. 

It rides on 19-inch wheels with hello rim crack 20-inch wheels available as an option. Drape all this in the Nogaro blue pearl effect paintjob, reminiscent of the 1st generation of this performance wagon, and you’ve got a bedroom wall poster that the whole family would let you buy.

The RS4 Avant goes on sale this year with a base price of EUR 79,800 (approximately Rs 61 lakh). Deliveries in Europe beginning early next year and since we do get the RS6 Avant, here’s hoping this sensibly desirable four-ringer makes it to India.

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