Audi RS4 (B7): Spotted
Probably the finest RS4 there ever was isn't going to get cheaper - move now!
In our world of eagle-eyed policemen and wanton thuggery, the idea of a Q car has a lot of appeal. However much we like the idea of showing off, discreet speed is often better than waving your knickers in the air, and if your car looks unexciting then fewer people will want to vandalise or steal it. The premise is: have more than you show, speak less than you know.
Now I know we peddle out the old clichés when it comes to buying used cars from our classifieds - and we've all read hundreds of times about that wonderful old Maserati or Lotus you can buy for the price of a new Qashqai - but just occasionally you find a car that seems to offer so much bang for the buck that it does make you stop and wonder, especially if it offers that discreet speed we're after.
I mean this immaculate RS4 B7 is up for £16,495 which, if spent on a new car, would buy you next to no performance in the real world, other than an Up GTI perhaps, and yet this humdinger of a four-door saloon will get you from 0 to 62mph in 4.8 seconds and sprint with eager ferocity up to its limited top speed of 155mph. This one's not too old and not too knackered, and it hasn't been stolen, as far as I can tell, all of which makes it great value. True, its enormous and attractive alloys do hint at its performance potential, and those sills and skirts don't help its Q-car capabilities, but to the casual observer it's still a boring old A4 in style and substance, and you could always debadge it for maximum under-the-radar motoring.
Under the bonnet is that luscious 420hp naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8, good for 8,250rpm. There's a six-speed manual gearbox, with a usefully positive action and well-chosen ratios, and Quattro-drive to all four wheels. That performance is not only easily accessible it's also truly phenomenal, with instant power available at almost any point in the car's speed envelope. The boundless grip and superb handling are equally impressive as well - the four-wheel drive system pushed 60 per cent of the power to the rear wheels, unless it was needed more urgently elsewhere.
You really do ride a wave of responsiveness, power and aural pleasure piloting an RS4. It's an agile, subtle and delightfully well-balanced driver's car, and if you can afford to fuel it and insure it - both of which will admittedly cost you a lot - you'll have tremendous fun with it. All without drawing too much unwanted attention.
SPECIFICATION - AUDI RS4
Engine: 4,163cc V8,
Transmission: Six-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 420@7,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 317 @5,500rpm
MPG: 20.9
CO2: 322g/km
First registered: 2006
Recorded mileage: 72,000
Price new: £50,730
Yours for: £16,495
See the full ad here.
Mark Pearson
Never threw up massive bills, just a number of stupid smaller ones, like the detector for the tyre pressure sensor behind the bumper... £200.
Avant or saloon for best investment? I'm thinking saloon as all the others have been avant only
An RS4 has to be an Avant...and Sprint Blue ones are the fastest. Flat bottomed steering wheel and wing backed buckets are essential. As are carbon inlays etc IMO.
I occasionally toy with getting a later version RS4 (there's no other car at present that fits the bill properly)....but the B7 is that bit smaller outside and the controls across the board are just so good.
Mine's done 95k mile or so now. Yes they cost a chunk to run, but there are few better all weather semi-practical (the wing back buckets mean near no room in the back if the driver's over 6ft) cars out there at any price.
He was very pleased with it and spent a little more money getting the suspension refreshed (don't these have some special active suspension or something?). then parked it on his drive. Next morning he got up and the car was gone, no sign of any disturbance, no broken glass, keys still in the house, nothing out of place at all. Just gone, never to be seen again.
Apparently its quite a common phenomenon with these, additional security measures are well advised if you buy one.
I have to say that it was the most unreliable car I have ever owned and also the most expensive to fix. A screw holding one of the flaps in the manifold worked its way loose and ended up in the bottom end scoring the cylinder beyond repair so a brand new engine was fitted, along with the clutch and flywheel as well as a new manifold. Audi contributed £10k towards the £22k bill.
The DRC went as most do, headlight, window switches, oil cooler, radiator fans, stereo, driveshaft, propshaft and a raft of other things failed.
The customer service from my local Audi dealership in the Highlands was abysmal.
I never looked back when I traded it in for a RWD Mercedes but may end up eating my words on the snowy days this winter.
On the plus side the noise was incredible, it handled brilliantly even in snow and was a great car for a family of four
Go in to it with your eyes open if you do intend to purchase, they are not cheap cars to maintain.
This I’m afraid is no q car and looks thuggish. It’s a no from me.
Another mate had the earlier B6 Avant which really was stealthy. His missus did a lot of short trips in that one, though, which resulted in a huge bill for some sort of top-end rebuild so he got shot of it in the end which was a real shame.
The scrotes delibarately looking for one will know exactly what it is and it being in black and debadged won't stop you waking up with them at the end of your bed wanting your car keys.
I (foolishly) traded it in 12 months later and got bummed to the tune of over £10,000. Point to point it was devastating.
I recall at the time that it was a toss up between the RS4 and a beautiful Maserati Gran Sport. I probably did too much research because I got cold feet with the Maserati worrying about reliability and repair bills. In hindsight the Maserati would have been a pretty good place to put my money (it was up for £27,000 and I paid £37,000 of the RS4!
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