Rs4 Test In Le Mans

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

Hello everybody !!!

For my first post I would like to share with you the wonderful day I had today. I was invited by Audi France to test the new RS4 on the Le Mans Bugatti track 4 months before the launch in France.

On the way to the track, I met 3 members of the Audipassion team: 1 with a yellow S4, a 440 HP MTM nogaro blue RS4 , a 440 HP MTM Avus grey , and my RS4 (stock )

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

new picture of the crew

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

my RS4 in front of the gate

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

the event was organised by Audi France
the prgram was: visit of the paddock in the morning , quick lunch and serious matters for the afternoon !!!

3 RS4 were available: red , black, and datona grey
on top on that, and to compare, 5 S4 were available

The pilots of the RS4 were famous ones: Patrick Tambay, Yannick dalmas and I fogot the name of the third one

[rks838]

Did you actually drive the new RS4? If so, how was it? How'd the Daytona Gray RS4 look?

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

The rule of the game was the following (I started the series with Yannick Dalmas in the Grey one )

1) Yannick warmed the engine during one lap and explained us the Bugatti track (it was my first track experience, what a first time !!!!)

2) I was my turn: 1 lap to feel the car and 2 laps into Sport mode (quick answer of the throttle, change of the configuration of the seat )

3) Yannick showed me what driving a car on a track is
Whoooooooooooa

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

the black one

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

the grey one

[7:53 RS6]

What a kick as day RS4 is growing on me, the black one.

Please more info on how it was to drive, and how the pros did lap around, i hope big drifts in the bends.

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

After my laps, I also had the opportunity to have a drive with the head of the developpement department of the new RS4 (30 persons team) into....the Le Mans Pace car

The car is the same that the preseries we tested , but it was slightly lower and the noise was slightly different (freie auspuff !!!)

[rks838]

I think I like black the best.

I noticed that the seats are not the sport versions, b/c they have adjustable headrests and no 4-point seatbelt pass-throughs. How did they feel? I think the U.S. will only get the non-sport seats, so I'm interested in hearing about them.

Sorry to bombard you with questions - just eager to hear about this car

[Erik]

Bonjour Arnaud and welcome! This is quite a first post.

Merci beaucoup! :asian:

The black RS4 is so...stunning!

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

so the best for the end, my impressions
keep also in mind that it was my first track day

1) the engine is much more linear compared to my "old" RS4 but slightly less than the S4 I also tested.
The engine is full at all level and the noise between 5000 and 7500 is amaising and much more present in the car compared to my RS4.

Gearbox is excellent, with a much more short shift


2) Engine is fine but I have been much more impressed by the handling and the breaking power , especially compared to the S4 . There is a deep gapbetween the 2.

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

I have few pictures of the seats
The grey and the red cars had the sport package withe racing seats which are adjustable (narrow the portion where you are seated, sorry my english is poor)

the red one had recaro seats, the same ones as my current RS4

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

for the fans of the black color

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

the engine !!!!

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

BLACK AGAIN

[Arnaud Avus RS4]

To put the performance of the RS4 into perspective , Audi let us also try the S4. I tried the Sprint blue with manual gearbox but was mostly impressed by the auto gearbox tested on the black/red leather Avant