Design
Self-assured and highly functional
In its design, the Audi RS 4 combines superior function with equally superior aesthetic looks: at very first sight, this outstanding car makes a clear pledge to uncompromising, ultimate performance. In particular, the RS 4 demonstrates its enormous power and performance potential where such qualities really count, thus boasting features such as:
• Flared wheel arches
• Bumpers in RS design with the ornamental grille in diamond look
• Flared side-sills as well as door cut-out trim strips matched to the sills
• A rear spoiler integrated in the rear lid and side panels
• A twin-chamber exhaust system with oval tailpipes
• Exterior mirrors on twin-support arms and finished in matt aluminium
• Newly designed 18-inch five-arm wheel rims (and optional 19-inch wheels
in seven-arm double-spoke design)
• The “RS 4” model designation front and rear
• Trim strips in matt aluminium
The sporty and aesthetic look borne out so clearly by this exceptional saloon is combined with an equally high level of functionality.
Large intake openings at the front end of the RS 4 guarantee optimum cooling of the V8 FSI power unit, widely flared wheel arches offering ample space for the 18-inch wheels featured as standard. With its wider cross-section, the twin-chamber exhaust system ensures a smooth flow of combustion gases with resistance reduced to a minimum. And last but not least, the entire body lowered by a significant 30 millimetres versus the Audi A4 allows an even higher level of lateral acceleration and excellent driving dynamics.
Despite this uncompromising pledge to sporty performance, the new RS 4 clearly shows its close relationship with the Audi A4: The striking single-frame radiator grille and the sweeping lines of the headlights carried over from the Nuvolari prototype all accentuate the family heritage of the new RS 4.
Audi offers the new RS 4 in no less than nine exterior colours ranging from discreet Avus Silver all the way to brilliant Imola Yellow. And through Audi's virtually unrestricted exclusive customisation program, quattro GmbH offers even the most discerning customer a virtually unlimited range of individual colours and combinations.
Interior
The premium sports car through and through
Premium quality typical of Audi, combined with the sporting performance naturally expected by the demanding purchaser, upgrades the interior of the RS 4 to the highest standard. Indeed, right from the start when getting into the car you notice immediately that you are entering sports car country of the highest level of excellence.
The bucket seats with their high-rising side sections give your body excellent security at the side further enhanced by special seat side cushions on the front-seat backrests. These cushions can be inflated individually by means of two control buttons on the seat or by pressing the sports button on the steering wheel and thus align themselves perfectly to the driver’s anatomy. A further special feature is the sports button serving to modify the map control line of the gas pedal for an even higher standard of engine responsiveness and an even more sportier sound from the exhaust system. The RS bucket seats are available either in full leather throughout or in a combination of leather and cloth. Thoroughbred sports seats are available as an option.
The attention to detail Audi gives to its cars comes out clearly in the choice and finish of the materials used, the interior being dominated by exquisite leather, aluminium, and carbon. The steering wheel tapered at the bottom developed exclusively for the Audi RS 4 is covered almost throughout by perforated leather. Carbon trim appliqués inside the car serve to additionally accentuate the sporting qualities of the RS 4, with a wide range of further trim options providing almost unlimited freedom of choice (Piano finish black, Fine grain myrtle nutmeg, aluminium matt).
The cockpit in RS design incorporates a lap timer in the driver information system, thus offering useful assistance for the really ambitious driver of the RS 4 trying out his car on the race track.
The driver information system welcomes the driver upon entering the car with the exclusive RS welcoming logo. And reflecting the tradition of a genuine sports car, the eight-cylinder power unit starts at the touch of a button.
This starter button integrated in the centre console is indeed a further reminiscence to motorsport, an area where Audi has been so successful in recent years. And yet another feature carried over from motorsport are the aluminium pedals which are not only most appropriate for a car of the calibre of the RS 4, but also very efficient in the further reduction of weight.
Safety
Superior traction in every situation
The safety package Audi has put together for the RS 4 is both comprehensive and highly sophisticated. Particular attention was given in the development of this high-performance saloon to the overriding need for active driving safety. With quattro permanent four-wheel drive offering more traction in a critical situation to begin with than a conventional drive system ever could, variable power distribution to the two axles now enhances this benefit to an even higher standard than before.
The Audi RS 4 also comes with the latest generation of Audi’s electronic stability program, ESP 8. Geared specifically to the RS 4, this superior stabilisation function consistently balances out the car by intervening specifically on the individual brakes. In addition, it comprises ABS, electronic brake-force distribution EBD, the electronic differential lock EDL and ASR traction control. The dry braking function also integrated in the ESP system ensures even better brake performance and stopping power on wet roads, the brake pads being placed against the brake discs almost unnoticeably to the driver in regular intervals to remove water and keep the brakes dry for immediate action whenever required.
The tyre pressure monitoring system is also featured as standard, sensors on the wheels measuring air pressure in intervals of three seconds. In the event of an acute loss of pressure, the driver information system gives the driver both a visual warning sign and an acoustic warning.
Extra-large brakes ensure stopping power quite comparable to that of a thoroughbred sports car. The cross-drilled, inner-vented brake discs measure 365 millimetres in diameter at the front, and 324 millimetres in diameter at the rear.
Flow-optimised ventilation geometry incorporating special Naca jets ensures optimum cooling of the brakes, literally preventing even the slightest fading also under extreme loads (i.e. very high temperatures). With the brakes coming in floating configuration, frictional heat is kept away from the wheel bearings to avoid any distortion and brake “studder”.
Passive safety of the highest standard
Passive safety was also given particular attention in the development of the RS 4. The stiff body structure, deformation behaviour with perfect harmony of all features, the most advanced restraint systems such as new two-stage frontal airbags, and, finally, the sideguard head airbag system ensure occupant protection of the highest standard. The head airbag system at the side covers almost the entire side window area from the A pillars all the way to the C/D-pillars. The airbags themselves are inflated by a hybrid gas generator subsequently maintaining airbag pressure for several seconds in the interest of ongoing protection.
Given these qualities, sideguard provides significant protection even in a secondary collision with the car subsequently rolling over after the initial impact. And in conjunction with the new RS bucket seats, the belt system offers such a high standard of safety and restraint in a collision from the side that the RS 4 does not even require side airbags in order to meet the strictest crash standards and requirements.
The floor assembly, finally, provides a safe and sturdy foundation, extra-large sills with an aluminium profile inside serving, together with stable crossbars, to transmit and, respectively, absorb impact energy in a specific, predetermined process.
Features and Equipment
Light and comprehensive
Although weight was one of the main considerations in the development of the Audi RS 4, the car boasts a wide and sophisticated range of equipment. Two features fitted as standard, for example, are the high-comfort automatic air conditioning and the Concert radio system. Central locking and electric window lifts, in turn, should be offered as a matter of course in this segment.
Aluminium pedals accentuate the sporting character of the RS 4 and serve at the same time to save even more weight. The acoustic parking system front and rear, in turn, protects the car from unwanted scratches when parking, and the particularly powerful xenon plus headlights ensure optimum visibility whenever required.
The “RS” symbol is to be admired not only on the sports leather steering wheel tapering down at the bottom, but also on the gearshift lever knob in leather with its aluminium look and on the trim strips in the door cut-outs. Two of the functions controlled directly from the ergonomically designed sports steering wheel are the lap timer and the sports button. Variable DRC Dynamic Ride Control, finally, raises driving behaviour to an even higher standard by significantly reducing both body roll and dive.
The Audi RS 4 comes on specially developed 18-inch cast aluminium wheels in five-arm design. As an option, the particularly demanding purchaser also has the choice of 19-inch wheels in seven-arm double-spoke design, again combining the benefits of low weight with beautiful looks.
Audi offers a wide range of special equipment on the RS, including, inter alia, Audi’s navigation system plus, the Symphony radio, various types of exterior mirrors (as an option also folding in when required), as well as sports suspension plus. The comfort package comprises amenities such as cruise control as well as heated seats at the front. Given all these qualities, the Audi RS 4 combines the performance of a sports car with the superior level of equipment of a premium saloon. Without having to forego any of the features and creature comforts they appreciate so much, the driver and his passengers will still enjoy driving pleasure in its purest form.
RS Models
The new Audi RS is the latest highlight from quattro GmbH. Indeed, ever since making its debut in 1999, the first RS 4, the first fully independent high-performance car developed by Audi’s sports-oriented subsidiary, not only hit the headlines but also re-interpreted the very definition of high-performance motoring.
In a truly impressive manner, the first RS 4 proved the great potential offered by Audi’s new sports car concept for the future.
But even the first RS model still developed and built by Audi itself thrilled fans and aficionados everywhere: The RS 2 Avant immediately caught the attention of experts through its outstanding performance. Launched in 1994, this five-cylinder turbo-powered performance car remained in production for well over a year. Engine output was 262 kW or 315 bhp even back then, no less then 2,881 purchasers opting for this sports car based on the Audi 80 Avant. Today the RS 2 has for a long time been a highly coveted classic with a large group of fans and enthusiasts.
The first generation of the RS 4 already showed what every RS is able to offer today: the features that make this car so unique – the uncompromising combination of emotions and functions. And even the very first Audi RS 4 Avant thrilled customers through its high standard of family orientation and everyday motoring qualities blended with driving performance offered up to that time only by the most thoroughbred sports cars.
Given this outstanding success, quattro GmbH was prompted to develop further RS models. And although the RS 4 remained in production for only slightly over one year, more than 6,000 thrilled purchasers opted for this sports car in its distinctive Avant look.
The subsequent RS 6 also won over a large group of thrilled enthusiasts very quickly, quattro GmbH even building a limited edition RS 6 plus with maximum engine output of 480 bhp. The RS 6 was incidentally the first RS model to be sold by Audi in both saloon and Avant guise.
This successful combination is now being continued with the new RS 4, worldwide sales of the RS 6 and RS 6 plus amounting to more than 8,000 units.
Creating the new Audi RS 4, quattro GmbH has proven once again that there is no need for compromise in developing a sports car fully suited for everyday motoring. Indeed, more than virtually any other models, the RS versions highlight the technical and technological skills and abilities of Audi, conveying a clear message to the customer.
The new Audi RS 4 also comes with a wide range of innovative technical features and emphasises the strengths of the brand through the use of FSI technology and the new quattro generation. And at the same time Audi is taking a new approach with this outstanding model, for example by introducing the high engine-speed concept already tested successfully in motorsport.
The most essential point to quattro GmbH in all of its cars is to consistently maintain a well-balanced overall concept. So far Audi has always offered the RS driver perfect and highly emotional driving machines with a high level of everyday motoring quality just right for a growing group of thrilled fans in the market. And Audi quattro GmbH will continue this philosophy with the new
RS 4.
Responsible also for the “S line”, “Audi exclusive”, and “Accessories” special features and product lines within the Audi Group, quattro GmbH makes a significant contribution in upgrading Audi’s high level of sporting performance and the dynamic image of the brand.
