RS4 Now Available With Your Choice of Open Skies or Extra Cargo SpaceWith 414 horsepower, an 8,200 rpm redline, a naturally aspirated FSI
 |
| You have no idea how badly we want to drive this car. (Photo: Audi Canada) |
V8, routed through a six-speed manual gearbox and distributed through the world-famous quattro all-wheel drive system, could there be a more perfect performance Audi than the RS4?
The 2006 RS4 picks up right where the RS6 and previous RS4 left off, providing drivers with the ultimate in high performance all-weather motoring, but with Audi having honed in on the steering, handling and power delivery to make this the finest RS-car they've ever built. The stunning sedan, arriving in dealerships starting this summer, is a car that we absolutely cannot wait to drive.
Actually,
 |
| The RS4 Avant, pictured in its trademark eye-searing blue paint. (Photo: Audi Canada) |
there is one way that it could be better; Audi could stuff all of the RS4's powertrain, suspension and styling into an Avant. RS-series cars (the production ones, at least) have always been offered as wagons, or as Audi calls them, Avants. The first of the batch, the 90-based RS2, was only available in Avant form, as was the B5-generation (2000) RS4. Audi switched things up with the V8 twin-turbo powered RS6, initially offering it as an Avant, and later on, for the first time ever as a sedan - the latter being the one that came here. Now the production order has reversed. Audi launched the new-shape RS4 in sedan form earlier, and is following up with the Avant and a new Cabriolet convertible. Both new models feature the same changes needed to transform an S4 sedan into an RS4, including adaptive dampers, rear-biased quattro all-wheel drive as well as upgrades to the engine and transmission.
With the announcement of the RS4 Avant, Audi has added supercar
 |
| Flat cargo area means you can fit more Ikea flat pack in Avant's bay than ever before. (Photo: Audi Canada) |
levels of performance to class-leading levels of practicality and storage space. Like the A4 Avant, the RS4 features a versatile trunk area that has flat walls free of intrusions from the rear wheel well arches. Underneath the carpeted floor is a plasticized sub-floor for storing wet or dirty items, while small cargo is contained in the bay through a web-like net, or chrome-plated tie-down hooks. Unfortunately, the A6's ingenious cargo area solutions, which include a cargo 'seatbelt' and hard metal divider, aren't available.
An intriguing if not unexpected addition
 |
| Open-top RS4: 8,200 RPM loud and clear. (Photos: Audi Canada) |
to the RS-car range is the RS4 Cabriolet. Unlike the Avant and Sedan models, the RS4 convertible is probably pitched towards a slightly more relaxed crowd. While it has the same tuning-fork 19-inch wheels and aggressive bodykit, it comes with less sport-oriented seats, though the race-style buckets of the Sedan and Avant are optional. The RS4 Cabriolet also features Audi's new Acoustic Roof as standard equipment, which when raised delivers quieter interior noise levels than the sedan or wagon. But for warm sunny days, the roof can be retracted in a mere 21 seconds, and at speeds of up to 30 km/h, allowing those in the cabin access the engine's beautiful song without obstruction.
