Business Week Road Test?:Audi's Adrenal RS 4

For automotive journalists everywhere, running out of superlatives represents a profound crisis of conscience. But every once in a while, along comes a car so entertaining, so unexpected that it transforms the habitually loquacious into babbling idiots. Consider me flabbergasted.

This muting wasn't the effect of a throbbing BMW, glitzy Mercedes-Benz, or even a rowdy American hopped up on muscle nostalgia. It wasn't at the wheel of relentless Japanese precision or even a four-leaf-clover-rare exotic supercar. No, I was flummoxed by the RS 4, a product of the little German luxury brand that apparently can, Audi.

The RS badge is Audi's answer to the more powerful, sportier versions of mainstream vehicles that BMW and Mercedes sell under the M and AMG badges, respectively—and at a hefty premium. The RS 4 is an up-tuned version of Audi's S4, itself an up-powered version of the A4 sedan. Confusing? Yes. But the result is an experience so good it's likely to leave you saying, "M who? AMG what?"



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GermanNut - 10/23/2006 3:25:45 PM

+1 Boost

The world SO anxiously awaits the Audi R8 test drive and forthcoming RS6. This RS4 has set the stage for an unprecedented Audi era that will be filled with thrilling, fast and exotic looking vehicles ready to challenge the best from BMW and Mercedes-Benz head-on with equal parts style, comfort, speed and YES.....HANDLING.

chewy - 10/23/2006 3:40:44 PM

0 Boost

Anything new here?

AUDIMAN4 - 10/23/2006 3:47:25 PM

-2 Boost

"A product of the litte German luxury brand that can". That's how you can immediately tell this was written by an American--no one else would describe Audi as a "little company".

S4cabriofox - 10/24/2006 11:39:41 PM

+1 Boost

"It was a metaphor comparing Audi to Mercedes and BMW here in America."

Way to point out the obvious. AUDIMAN4 said that in his post.

zssz - 10/23/2006 5:17:22 PM

+1 Boost

The picture above shows an S4, not an RS4. The front looks quite a bit more aggressive on the RS.

NARunner - 10/23/2006 6:07:16 PM

+1 Boost

well yeah, not to mention its a B6, not a B7 (there was no B6 RS4)

S4cabriofox - 10/23/2006 9:08:12 PM

+2 Boost

It's a photoshop of a B6 S4 sedan... in Sprint Blue!!!

audiot - 10/23/2006 5:37:51 PM

+2 Boost

This is one of the best written car articles recently.

EL34 - 10/23/2006 6:08:11 PM

+1 Boost

Isn't the RS 4 one of the beautiful cars ever made.

chewy - 10/23/2006 7:20:34 PM

-1 Boost

Yes, the car pictured here is a phsop from several years back of how the RS4 could have looked. It has the B7 lookalike grill but B6 headlights. No such car was made by Audi. The RS4 does looks very agressive without going overboard.

AmazingBimmer - 10/24/2006 2:04:49 PM

+1 Boost

decent car. not for me, but decent car.

AlexTx - 10/24/2006 3:29:31 PM

+1 Boost

Drive one before calling it decent...it's more than that.

S4cabriofox - 10/24/2006 11:38:24 PM

+1 Boost

It's faster than an M5 around the Nürburgring, matches the M6, and blows the M3 out of the water.

Like he said, you run out of superlatives for this car.

You want one and I want one and we both know it.