Audi RS4 Cabriolet | Spotted
Nobody's favourite RS4, but who's to argue with unfettered access to that engine nowadays?
What's your favourite daft cabriolet? You know, the convertibles that really shouldn't have existed, had sanity prevailed in the planning. Or perhaps several, in fact. Think of cars like the Land Rover Evoque, VW Golf R, Peugeot 205 GTI and Maybach 62; they should never have spawned convertible versions, really, but they did. And their sheer weirdness makes them nothing if not interesting in a modern context, where curio projects so seldom happen.
The B7-generation Audi RS4 Cabriolet can probably be added to the shortlist. Not content to limit the V8-engined model to Avant-only status as per its B5 predecessor, Audi mirrored the lineup of the lesser S4 with the RS flagship, meaning saloon, estate and convertible were all offered. Which wasn't entirely out of the ordinary. The surprising thing was that having turned the RS4 into an unlikely performance car hero - an RS model that was as good to drive as it was to look at - Audi then also offered a much heavier one that was nowhere near as sorted in the handling department. Alongside the S4, which also featured a 4.2 V8 engine. Would the RS4 be any less fondly remembered without the drop-top?
Clearly Audi thought so, as it followed up the RS4 cabrio with an RS5 equivalent, also offering four seats, more than 8,000rpm and in excess of 400hp. It made no sense at all, and was widely derided at the time. Not many were sold either - yet here we are just a few years after the RS4 and RS5 all wistful about amazing engines being crammed into places they really shouldn't have gone.
Back when this Cambridge Green example was new 15 years ago (great colour, btw), customers could have opted for an M3 Convertible or CLK63 as well; they weren't the best of their ranges to drive by any means (quite the opposite) but what a staggering collection of V8 engines to share your airspace with. However they're served up in 2022, it's hard not to be intrigued.
This particular RS4, if very far from a purist's special, has been cherished. The original owner spent more than £60,000 on it in 2007 and has covered fewer than 60,000 miles since, with plenty of history and all the old MOT certificates to back it up. The only deviation from standard spec is an upgraded infotainment unit to allow smartphone mirroring, with the original system also supplied. Even in pictures (seemingly taken by a 2007 iPhone), the RS4 scrubs up really nicely. And how good do those wingback seats still look?
It's for sale at £27,995, indicative of the regard in which this RS4 generation is now held. It's actually comparable to the four-doors and Avants of a similar mileage, so perhaps the market likes the cabrio more than we thought. It's possible to spend up to £35,000, in fact. And even if the drop-top doesn't deliver quite the reward of the hardtop cars, it's still offering up that sensational V8 and a manual gearbox - that combination alone is all the more appealing by the day.
SPECIFICATION | AUDI RS4 CABRIOLET (B7)
Engine: 4,163cc V8
Transmission: 6-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 420@7,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 317@5,500rpm
MPG: 20.9
CO2: 322g/km
First registered: 2007
Recorded mileage: 57,952
Price new: £61,310 (this car)
Yours for: £27,995
No 4wd I guess.
I’ve needed 4wd once in five years. Even then I only went out for the lols.
No 4wd I guess.
I’ve needed 4wd once in five years. Even then I only went out for the lols.
No 4wd I guess.
I’ve needed 4wd once in five years. Even then I only went out for the lols.
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