RE: New Audi RS4 binned, says rumourmill

[Mikeyboy]

Shame if they have cancelled it but I would rather they had spent their development money on a production version of that E car they had at the shows a couple of years ago. That was a looker and was looking like an interesting step between the TT and R8.

[goron59]

AliV6 said:

Not that fussed tbh! I never really warmed to the RS4...Imo the M3/C63 is far better in every way...

The RS6 Saloon is a lovely car though!

In every way? Really? M3 is much better on a track where sideways is an option, but on wintery UK country roads? I don't think so.

[goron59]

If true, I'm kind of glad.

The B7 RS4 was an awesome piece of kit and a new one would have a lot to live up to. If it's just going to be a four-door (optionally estate) RS5, it's not really worth the effort.

[dibbly dobbler]

GetCarter said:

I know he WOULD say this (he has my deposit!), but my dealer says RS4 Avant definately launched this year. Rumours are tosh.

Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 5th January 15:18

Get yourself into a B8 S4 Steve and spend a few grand of the money you save on a remap and you'll be sorted. A fettled B8 S4 would despatch a B7 RS4 as I understand it (Dr G said so and he knows about this stuff ) and would surely be sufficient to see Charlie squashed up against the rear window

[535dBoy]

GetCarter said:

I know he WOULD say this (he has my deposit!), but my dealer says RS4 Avant definately launched this year. Rumours are tosh.

Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 5th January 15:18

I do too and I think he is getting bored of me hassling him!

He is the bus devt manager and was in Germany late last year and he was told by them 2nd/3rd qtr of this year

[Riggers]

535dBoy said:

GetCarter said:

I know he WOULD say this (he has my deposit!), but my dealer says RS4 Avant definately launched this year. Rumours are tosh.

Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 5th January 15:18

I do too and I think he is getting bored of me hassling him!

He is the bus devt manager and was in Germany late last year and he was told by them 2nd/3rd qtr of this year

Hope you're right...

[tom felty]

BMW said that about the last M5 but there still was one
hope this isnt true :'(

[Dave Hedgehog]

if true prices of second hand RS4 should start to rise time to buy

[VeeDub Geezer]

Mermaid said:

The S4 is competent but does not have the depth of the B7 RS4 or legendary RS2. More a 335iM than an M3 IMO.

Forgive me, but isn't that the point?

[urquattro]

Mermaid said:

Chris Harris said:

Agreed S4 is the current highlight of the faster Audis. Much prefer it to the RS5.

The RS5 should perhaps not have sported the RS moniker.

The S4 is competent but does not have the depth of the B7 RS4 or legendary RS2. More a 335iM than an M3 IMO.

JJust had a look at the torque data in earlier post, RS2 = 315 bhp and max torque from 2300 rpm from a 1994 design. I know it happens as the car vamishes quietly into the distance, always.......

[oola]

goron59 said:

In every way? Really? M3 is much better on a track where sideways is an option, but on wintery UK country roads? I don't think so.

Got to agree with you. M3's are great when driven hard and fast which becomes tiring ... been there, done that. I think the only positive thing about the current M3 is the DCT gearbox. The saloon looks awful and coupe looks too feminine for my tastes. BMW were the leader in the performance saloon stakes but the game has moved on and the gap has closed. The B7 was a breath of fresh air in terms of its aggressive design and was a little between E46 and E90 production so comparisons aren't so simple.

The only car to catch my eye in that league is the C63 which I experienced at first hand last week when a mate picked his up from MB Oxford. For me, in estate, its almost the perfect car for 12 months of the year ... and you don't need to be at 7/8/9 10ths for it to feel and sound fantastic. Even the auto box is a giant leap forward.

So, I'm hoping the B8 avant is just what I want ... high revving V8, aggressive looking, new fangled gearbox (forget manual's, they're for air cooled Porsche owners with beards) and decent handling. Not much to ask for!;)

[VeryRisky]

I don't buy the story - they've just launched the S6 & S7 and having the RS6 coming in soon would make it hard to shift the stock.

As for the current range, we changed my wife's S5 V8 Manual for a S4 Avant V6T S-Tronic. It's hard for me to compare them as I did a lot more driving in the S5 and a Coupe is going to handle differently.

However the S4 certainly is fun as you can be cruising smoothly along but if you put your foot down it turns into a monster in a blink. Still doesn't make as nice a noise as the S5, though!

[adz13091982]

red355 said:

B7 Rs4 V8 set such a high benchmark it was always going to a difficult act to update.......

...suppose I'll have to keep my Avant a bit longer

22-24 mpg is easier to stomach compared £10ks of of depreciation

22-24MPG - I wish!! More like 18-20mpg

[Andyuk911]

Less at 1.67 leptons ...

[va1o]

I reckon it will come in Avant form only in a couple of years as suggested in the article. The revised B8 has only just come out.

[bobberz]

I don't see why they couldn't do both an RS6 and an RS4?

I sure hope the rumour suggesting that it will be Avant only and Euro only is wrong; would be a shame to miss out on another bonkers -RS car here in Americaland.

We missed out on the RS2, only got the original RS6 in saloon form and it only was available for a short time, and we didn't get the V10 RS6 at all! Not fair!

[kz1]

Chris Harris said:

If it's true, there's some method in the decision. The M3/C63/RS4 class is arguably the one that's been hit hardest by the financial climate. These are everyday cars, not weekend toys, and people seem increasingly unwilling to pay for the fuel and depreciation. There's far less finance available too - and cars like the RS4 have always depended on the dreaded-drip. The RS6 sits a class higher, the average owner appears to be better protected from the economic downturn, but sales have been modest in the UK.

Then there's the emerging markets: China won't be interested in a new RS4, so Audi probably feels R&D budget is better spent elsewhere. Having said that, the car looks nearly finished, so the cash seems to have already been spent.

I reckon they might be re-thinking the powertrain too. The C63 has 480bhp (power pack) and 368lb ft, the new M3 will have some potent turbo motor, which would leave something based on the RS5 struggling to match them. Maybe they're waiting to lop two cylinders off the new turbo V8?

Or maybe this is just a ruse to get us talking about Audi RS cars and Audi will show a new bi-turbo V6 RS4 at Geneva? Hope they do, I loved running a B7 version for Autocar back in 2006. Apart from the R8, every subsequent Quattro Gmbh model has been a disappointment for me.

I think that siting the downturn in the economy as a factor simply can't be true. What about buyers of more than one car i.e a sportscar for the weekend and a family car for the working week. Surely the rs4 is the perfect do everything car? Any wealthy car nut feeling the squeeze would love a revised rs4 sitting in the garage? And besides, there are so many rs4 fans, what else fills the gap, if you need a fast, fun, compact estate that is? Sure the rs6 is a great car, but I traded "down" to an rs4 simply because its a better drive. I really do hope this is just a clever ruse to get us all talking about how great the rs4 was before the launch of the next model. Put simply the rs4 is the best car in the 'real world', and finding a good low mileage used one is already becoming difficult, an iconic car that deserves to sire offspring. Surely this can't be the end of the rs4 bloodline? As you may have guessed, I am an rs4 fan!

[EC2]

Obviously no idea what is going to happen or not.

The B8 A4 came out in 2008 so the new one should be due in 2015 so an RS4 in 2013/2014 would still work based on past experience.

However, are Audi concerned that the RS5 has not been well received and are going to pass on the RS4?

For me the B8 A4 is a big disappointment. The B6/B7 (essentially the same car) was a much better product in it's marketplace IMHO. Maybe Audi agree?

[GetCarter]

va1o said:

I reckon it will come in Avant form only in a couple of years as suggested in the article. The revised B8 has only just come out.

When I put my deposit down, I was told it was Avant or nothing as there were no plans for a saloon. Just had a mail from the dealer. Expected 4th Quarter 2012

[L7lnh]

oola said:

Got to agree with you. M3's are great when driven hard and fast which becomes tiring ... been there, done that. I think the only positive thing about the current M3 is the DCT gearbox. The saloon looks awful and coupe looks too feminine for my tastes. BMW were the leader in the performance saloon stakes but the game has moved on and the gap has closed. The B7 was a breath of fresh air in terms of its aggressive design and was a little between E46 and E90 production so comparisons aren't so simple.

The only car to catch my eye in that league is the C63 which I experienced at first hand last week when a mate picked his up from MB Oxford. For me, in estate, its almost the perfect car for 12 months of the year ... and you don't need to be at 7/8/9 10ths for it to feel and sound fantastic. Even the auto box is a giant leap forward.

So, I'm hoping the B8 avant is just what I want ... high revving V8, aggressive looking, new fangled gearbox (forget manual's, they're for air cooled Porsche owners with beards) and decent handling. Not much to ask for!;)

Having experienced on road and track standard and modified RS4, E92M3 DCT, E46M3 CSL the C63 is by far the most exciting road car to drive daily. Fact.