TCC Drives the 2007 Audi RS4 (A BMW M5 Beater?)

[expyfan]

http://www.thecarconnection.com/Vehi...84.A10414.html

2007 Audi RS4

A faithful point-to-point supersedan — but is it better than the M5?

I'm utterly and completely smitten by the RS4. Not only is the best looking supersedan on the market, it's also one of the fastest and most faithful point-to-point cars in the world. The driving experience is simply phenomenal, the V-8's cultured howl is simply addictive and yet it's as comfortable and well equipped as you could want, without resorting to the technological overkill that plagues the M5. To me, the Audi RS4 is like an Evo in Armani: Intimate, pure, fast and fun, but oozing style and class as well.

[acascianelli]

I thought the RS4 was to compete with the M3, the S6 is supposed to be the M5 competitor. The M5 can top 200mph, I don't think the RS4 could do that. Not to mention 60hp more traveling to half the wheel would make it pull harder at speed.

[Kowalski]

Originally Posted by acascianelli

I thought the RS4 was to compete with the M3, the S6 is supposed to be the M5 competitor. The M5 can top 200mph, I don't think the RS4 could do that. Not to mention 60hp more traveling to half the wheel would make it pull harder at speed.

The Audi RS4 IS a BMW M3 rival. There is a new M3 coming this year with a 4.0 V8 415 Bhp engine. Only 5 bhp less than the Audi. Audi's alternative to the M5 will be revealed next year with the forthcoming Audi RS6, which will feature a V10 Twin-Turbo 550 Bhp engine.

[Michael_S]

Originally Posted by acascianelli

I thought the RS4 was to compete with the M3, the S6 is supposed to be the M5 competitor. The M5 can top 200mph, I don't think the RS4 could do that. Not to mention 60hp more traveling to half the wheel would make it pull harder at speed.

I'm pretty sure you're right.

[Kowalski]

Sportauto: Audi RS4 at Nordschliefe
The mighty Audi RS4 amazes me again!

Click on the Thumbnails (below):



At the Nordschleife the Audi RS4 can full advantagee out of its powerful 4.2-lites V8 engine which also will power the Audi R8. Thanks to the permanent 4WD there is no under- or oversteer, it just gets a bit unstable when braking very hard. The sports suspension plus and the optional Pirelli P Zero Corsa sports tyres allow the Audi driver to go to the limits and to be neary as fast a Porsche Carrera S at its home track.

Also fited with the optional ceramic disk brakes the RS4 showed no fading even at the race track.

The RS4 is no drift king so loses at a short track like the Hockenheimring against the more powerful Dodge Viper but also handles better than such a heavyweight like the much more powerful Mercedes SL 65 AMG.

0 - 200 - 0 km/h in 21.8 secs., quicker than the Corvette C6 and the SLK 55 AMG thanks to the better traction of the permananet 4WD and the better brakes.

Aerodynamic balance:

The RS4 is no super sportscar but a sedan producing no downforce at 200 km/h. It gets lighter in front than in rear thanks to the rear spoiler changing the balance positively.

1.25 max. lateral acceleration on track is not bad for a car that weigh 1728 kg. The Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres have benen modified and now offer a better wet handling than under dry conditions.

36m Salom:

The RS4 handles well, the adaptive damper control makes it as fast as the CLK DTM AMG, looks like the RS4 also is directly derived from the DTM race car.

At the wet handling track it even handles better than the Porsche Carreras and takes the provisional pole position for that test thanks to the 4WD and the new Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres.

SportAuto, Nürburgring (Nordschleife):

Audi RS4 ------------------------------- 8.09 min
BMW M6 -------------------------------------------------- 8.09 min
Ferrari 360 Modena --------------------------------------------- 8.09 min
Honda NSX-R -------------------------------------------- 8.09 min
Lamborghini Diablo SV ---------------------------------- 8.09 min
Viper GTS (1997) ---------------------------------------- 8.10 min
Mercedes SL 55 ------------------------------------------ 8.12 min
Viper SRT-10 --------------------------------------------- 8.13 min
Aston Martin V8 Vantage ------------------------------ 8.13 min (without R-tires)
BMW M5 E60 --------------------------------------------- 8.13 min
Corvette C6 ---------------------------------------------- 8.15 min
Corvette C5 Com. Edition -------------------------------- 8.18 min
Ferrari F355----------------------------------------------- 8.18 min
BMW M3 E46 ---------------------------------------------- 8.22 min
Mercedes C55 --------------------------------------------- 8.22 min
BMW Z3M Coupé ------------------------------------------ 8.22 min
Porsche Boxster S ----------------------------------------- 8.23 min
Mercedes SLK 55 ------------------------------------------ 8.24 min
Subaru Impreza WRX STi (265hp) ----------------------- 8.24 min
Audi RS4 (old) --------------------------------------------- 8.25 min
Mitsubishi EVO7 -------------------------------------------- 8.25 min
Nissan 350Z ------------------------------------------------ 8.26 min
BMW M5 E39 ------------------------------------------------ 8.28 min
Lotus Exige -------------------------------------------------- 8.32 min






8:09 min. It's exactly the same as Ferrari F360. This in other words, means the Audi RS4 is the fastest 4-door Saloon to go around the Nuburgring.

[acascianelli]

Originally Posted by Kowalski

The Audi RS4 IS a BMW M3 rival. There is a new M3 coming this year with a 4.0 V8 415 Bhp engine. Only 5 bhp less than the Audi. Audi's alternative to the M5 will be revealed next year with the forthcoming Audi RS6, which will feature a V10 Twin-Turbo 550 Bhp engine.

The Lamborghini Gallardo uses the same V10 that is in the S6 and it is allready at 500hp in the Gallardo. Turbocharging is probobly not necessary for getting another 50hp out of the motor. Not to mention that there probobly isn't enough room in the front of the C platform (A6/S6) for the extra plumbing for 2 turbochargers. I'd like to see a twin-turbo version of the 4.2L V8 thats in the RS4 in an RS6. Or better yet, blow the doors of the super-saloon world alltogether by introducing the first Diesel super-saloon.

[CobaltSScrazy]

i'm curious as to what the cts-v's time is around the "N"...and how it compares with this bad boy.

[Kowalski]

The CTS-V lapped the Nordschliefe in 8:35.
The Corvette C6 lapped the same circuit in 8:15.

[Michael_S]

Originally Posted by Kowalski

The CTS-V lapped the Nordschliefe in 8:35.
The Corvette C6 lapped the same circuit in 8:15.

An extra few 670 pounds and 17 inches of length probably explain the difference.

The CTS is larger than the previous generation 5-series. One of the ways the M3, S4, and RS4 have a performance edge is just the smaller dimensions.