2007 Audi RS4 Sedan quattro
Posted By AutoWeek
As-tested price: $68,875
Drivetrain: 4.2-liter V8; awd, six-speed manual
Output: 420 hp @ 7800 rpm, 317 lb-ft @ 6000 rpm
Curb weight: 3957 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 17/15.7 mpg
Options: None
OUR TAKE: Not all cars are created equal, and that’s a great thing. Otherwise, they’d all be commodities, tools and we’d be bored out of our collective ever-lovin’ car gourds.
The RS4 ain’t no tool, no simple widget. Hell yes it is a hammer, though, and will just about pound anything into the ground with a simple stomp on the throttle.
Not all foods are created equal. There are meat and potatoes people who only want their steak grilled well done and their potatoes mashed with gobs of butter. But thank goodness for the rise of foodies; conversations about paella and clotted cream and the merits of a skirt steak versus a flank steak now fill the air. No, that’s not for everyone, but for the discerning few.
The RS4 is a car for the discerning palate, and that’s not just because of its cost. Pâté is going to run you more than liverwurst, and for good reason. It’s worth it, but not to everyone.
The backbone of the RS4 is the bulletproof A4. From there it gets a full AGH—Automotive Growth Hormone—treatment with body kit and suspension, brakes… the whole hi-po shebang. The transformation is incredible and spectacular; there is absolutely no reason why someone should not consider the RS4 if they’re looking at these kind of rarified cars.
Put the short-throw shifter into gear and launch it; the all-wheel drive bites the tires to asphalt in a smooth giddy-up motion, making sure there is no excessive tire spin. Nothing is lost in terms of traction and speed; you will suck the doors off other performance variants whose drive wheels are limited to just two.
Watch the tach climb to near 8000 rpm and hear the motor. You shift by sound and thrust; you can hear it dance at the top of its range, not gasping for air but wanting to get to the next gear and go faster. What a rush.
Yeah, we’ll take the pate, a bottle of ’01 California Cabernet, a La Gloria Cubana Wavell and this RS4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This story posted by LeaseTrader.com, the automotive service company that lets people transfer out of their Car Leases early. If you're looking to swap a lease or transfer out of your car lease, please visit www.leasetrader.com.
Print | posted on Monday, October 29, 2007 11:24 AM