Fab
September 14th, 2005, 20:00
I guys, I will do my best to share with you my yesterday test drive of the RS4. English is not my native language so my apology for any bad wording or spelling.
It’s been a 3 hours drive from Geneva to Lucerne (Buochs precisely) before to reach a military airport reserved for the RS4 sports days. What a big smile on my face and a great excitement when I arrived there and saw approx. 15 avus grey RS4 waiting for the ride.
My first impression is that the car looks soooo great under natural exterior light compared to photos or auto shows. Simply beautifull !!! Fantastic powerfull look.
After a briefing about safety and basic driving recommendations we go for a 1h30 drive on the airport where a 1.3 km specific track is waiting us. The track is made of great straight lines for full throttle and various slalom areas and corners for handling with a final “garage stop” for full braking power testing. To make the story short everything you may dream in order to have a first feeling of the RS4.
Let’s briefly speak about the interior. As we all know it is great as Audi standards but with the specific RS4 features. But what a great feeling in the sports seats. Small precision all cars are with standard chassis (no super sport suspension).
Start the engine : you turn the key, push the clutch and finally, push the start button. What a great sound !! I can’t wait to start the drive. We slowly follow each other to reach the track and I call feel the car is perfectly smooth with a special feelling about the incredible power potential of the beast.
I start the first run : 1st gear up to 7000 rpm (max. autorized by the audi guys….), 2nd to red line, then 3rd to approx. 140 km/h and suddenly the first high speed “right left” but the car doesn’t move. Then slalom (with ESP ON not allowed to switch it off…) the car handles perfectly ways ahead of my S4 biturbo with sports springs. Then full braking : incredible power, really powerfull brakes and they keep going during the full session with at the end a small fading but only after some 25-30 hard core breaking with 28 degrees outside.
The engine is absolutely outstanding with a great sound which becomes incredible with the S mode. I found the S mode very easy to handle (I red some bad comments about the ability to handle the extreme responsiveness of the throttle) I will be driving all the time with S mode. The power is present, believe me and the torque is impressive and instantly available at any rpm. I am used to enjoy my 510 nm on my S4 ABT but the 430nm of the RS4 seem to be much more powerfull. The power is there at any speed and keep pushing as if it never ends. I could not go faster than early 3rd gear but the accelration is fantastic.
Handling is great and corners are so easy to pass. The steering weel is a bit to easy but you have to get used to it I guess….
My overall impression is that the RS4 is a perfect compromise between power, handling and great look it is really homogeneous. Great job Audi !
I will be sooooo loooong to wait until delivery (avant planned for April/May 2006).
:rs4kiss:
Ciao
Fab:thumb:
It’s been a 3 hours drive from Geneva to Lucerne (Buochs precisely) before to reach a military airport reserved for the RS4 sports days. What a big smile on my face and a great excitement when I arrived there and saw approx. 15 avus grey RS4 waiting for the ride.
My first impression is that the car looks soooo great under natural exterior light compared to photos or auto shows. Simply beautifull !!! Fantastic powerfull look.
After a briefing about safety and basic driving recommendations we go for a 1h30 drive on the airport where a 1.3 km specific track is waiting us. The track is made of great straight lines for full throttle and various slalom areas and corners for handling with a final “garage stop” for full braking power testing. To make the story short everything you may dream in order to have a first feeling of the RS4.
Let’s briefly speak about the interior. As we all know it is great as Audi standards but with the specific RS4 features. But what a great feeling in the sports seats. Small precision all cars are with standard chassis (no super sport suspension).
Start the engine : you turn the key, push the clutch and finally, push the start button. What a great sound !! I can’t wait to start the drive. We slowly follow each other to reach the track and I call feel the car is perfectly smooth with a special feelling about the incredible power potential of the beast.
I start the first run : 1st gear up to 7000 rpm (max. autorized by the audi guys….), 2nd to red line, then 3rd to approx. 140 km/h and suddenly the first high speed “right left” but the car doesn’t move. Then slalom (with ESP ON not allowed to switch it off…) the car handles perfectly ways ahead of my S4 biturbo with sports springs. Then full braking : incredible power, really powerfull brakes and they keep going during the full session with at the end a small fading but only after some 25-30 hard core breaking with 28 degrees outside.
The engine is absolutely outstanding with a great sound which becomes incredible with the S mode. I found the S mode very easy to handle (I red some bad comments about the ability to handle the extreme responsiveness of the throttle) I will be driving all the time with S mode. The power is present, believe me and the torque is impressive and instantly available at any rpm. I am used to enjoy my 510 nm on my S4 ABT but the 430nm of the RS4 seem to be much more powerfull. The power is there at any speed and keep pushing as if it never ends. I could not go faster than early 3rd gear but the accelration is fantastic.
Handling is great and corners are so easy to pass. The steering weel is a bit to easy but you have to get used to it I guess….
My overall impression is that the RS4 is a perfect compromise between power, handling and great look it is really homogeneous. Great job Audi !
I will be sooooo loooong to wait until delivery (avant planned for April/May 2006).
:rs4kiss:
Ciao
Fab:thumb: