New Audi RS4 scooped- Autocar.co.uk

[brava09]

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...llCars/256301/





Audi’s wave of high performance new saloons and estates shows no sign of slowing with scoops of the new RS4 leaking out while testing at the Nurburgring.

Given away by the outrageous extended wheelarches, this RS4 Avant is understood to use the same running gear as the RS5 coupe.

That means a 444bhp 4.2-litre V8 pushing out 317lbft of torque and mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic transmission.

The RS4 is tipped to appear only in a five-door estate bodyshell, with the RS5 to continue as the hot, two-door coupe and the forthcoming 440bhp S6 to cover the market niche for a hot four-door saloon.

With the RS4 and S6 in the development pipeline for launch next year in the UK, Audi is covering all corners of the market with a hot S7 version of its executive-sized five-door fastback and an S8 version of its A8 luxury saloon. The S6 is tipped for spring sale in 2012 followed by the RS4 in the summer.

However, the S6, S7 and S8 trio will feature more restrained styling than the RS4 and be tuned to offer a more refined and relaxed high performance driving experience. The S6 will be available in both saloon and Avant form, the latter expected to take around 60 per cent of sales.

Power for the S-models will come from a new 4.0-litre V8 boosted by a single-turbo. A higher output 555bhp twin-turbo version of this new engine will appear first in an entry-point Bentley Continental GT later this year.

When and if Audi decides to launch an RS6 version of the A6, this powerful lump can expect to offer Audi an M5-rivalling super-saloon.

In a bid to match the launch impact of the M5 at this September’s Frankfurt Show, Audi has been planning to launch the S6, S7 and S8 at the same show, although whether the RS4 will appear, too, is unclear.

Julian Rendell

[GewoW]

Potential to destroy the m3 after the flop tat is the rs5 just went down the drain.

[brava09]

Another article, this time from Evo ...so not so sure about not going with the 3 liter supercharged V6

http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/26...spy_shots.html


Are these the first pictures of the new Audi RS4? It looks likely from these images taken at the Nurburgring that Audi is some way down the road in developing a successor to the much-vaunted RS4 that ceased production in 2008.

The new car’s details are not known at present outside of Ingolstadt, but we can take an educated guess as to what drivetrain might lurk behind the S4 badged mule. The 21in RS5 wheels, wider track and larger front intakes are a give away as to this being something a little more than it is letting on…

Whether the production car will feature the RS5’s engine, a 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 with 444bhp, or the smaller capacity 3-litre supercharged V6 from the S4 with the wick turned up, is yet to be seen. It should boast a four-wheel-drive quattro drivetrain and twin-cltuch S Tronic gearbox, though.

It will have to compete on pace with its talented German compatriots, BMW’s 414bhp M3 and Mercedes’ 457bhp C63 AMG. We’d wager a pricetag north of £52,000 is likely, aiming it squarely at the competition. There will be saloon and estate variants, the latter ‘Avant’ photographed here.

Although Audi only built the last RS4 between 2006 and 2008, the German manufacturer managed to sell around 10,000 of them, and our Fast Fleet long-termer certainly charmed its keeper, John Barker. After the disappointment of the current RS5, let’s hope the new, third-generation RS4 is a return to form.

[ADV.1 Matt]

I hope they improve over the previous RS4 and make significant improvements over the RS5.