Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi RS6 sedan
Good news and bad news go hand-in-hand, but in this case, it's not entirely unexpected.
According to Audi RS6 project manager Jens Koch, the twin-turbocharged V10 sedan won't be coming to the U.S. in its current iteration. Originally, Audi thought that the four-door body style would be more appealing to Stateside consumers rather than the Avant, but apparently there's too much energy and expense involved in making the V10 powerplant pass the more stringent sniffer standards here in the U.S.
On the upside, the third-generation RS6 is being developed for the global market, so the next iteration should arrive on our shores in 2012. Koch hinted that the RS6's weight problem and 5.0-liter V10 wouldn't carryover to the 2012 model, and that the next RS6 will be more "revolutionary" and "far more RennSport than anything previously developed."
Meanwhile, Audi will take the wraps off the RS5 this January in Detroit, with the next RS4 debuting shortly thereafter.
Audi plans to further its goal of taking on BMW's M division and Mercedes' AMG lineup with more Quattro-branded vehicles positioned above run-of-the-mill Audis, along with more clearly defined R-, S- and RS-derivatives. "S" badged variants will also be sportier than current S models, while the "R" lineup will be "significantly souped-up" and "RS" will be reserved for lightweight, track-friendly models.
CAR sat down with a "high-placed Audi source" at the European launch of the Q5 and was able to pry out a few details about the automaker's future products.
To begin with, the next RS4 will use a retuned version of the supercharged, 3.0-liter V6 due to be fitted on the next S4. Audi's unnamed engineering mole said that the decision to go with the supercharged six was primarily to provide higher torque at lower RPMs. With the base engine putting out 290 hp and 310 lb.-ft. of torque, it's assumed that the tweaked version should crest the 350 hp mark and just under 400 lb.-ft. of torque. How that will play in the inevitable comparison test between the RS4's V8-powered competition remains to be seen.
The A1 is still set to debut in 2010, but despite its aim at MINI, Audi won't resort to retro styling. Based off the next Polo, the A1 will spawn several variants, including three- and five-door hatches, a convertible and an off-roader. While Audi has no plans to build anything smaller than the A1, it does plan to increase the size of the A3, along with offering a Q3 CUV inspired by the Cross Coupe Quattro concept.
And what of the R8? The V10 version is on its way this fall, but a turbocharged variant isn't in the cards, nor is the V12 TDI. And while Audi has continued to deny that it's working on an R4, CAR's source says that there's still room in the automaker's lineup for another R-badged vehicle.
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi RS4 Cabriolet
Just about the time that a Misano Red 2008 Audi RS4 Cabriolet arrived in the Autoblog Garage, the very last examples of the breed were rolling off the assembly line at the Quattro GmbH facility in Neckarsulm Germany. During my trip to Germany a couple of weeks prior for the launch drive of the new Audi A4 Avant, we had an opportunity to sit down in Neckarsulm with the General Manager for Development of Quattro GmbH, Stephan Reil. Quattro is Audi's in-house tuner division, comparable to AMG for Mercedes-Benz and the M Division at BMW.
Quattro GmbH has several divisions, one of which is responsible for development and part of the production of Audi RS models such as this RS4 Cabriolet and the new RS6. Another group is responsible for all aspects of a car from development to production and quality control. The first product of this latter team is the Audi R8 that debuted last year. The third group is responsible for accessories like the S-Line products and the last department handles individualization of new cars. When customers order a new Audi, they can have it customized in innumerable ways such as custom colors, upholstery and pretty much any add-on you can think of that adds plenty to Audi's bottom line. There is also a group apart from the vehicle groups that is responsible for lifestyle products, which could be anything from umbrellas to Jeff Kuhlman's (Audi of America Communications Director) favorite, the Audi cigar cutter. Read on after the jump for my impressions of the RS4 Cabrio and to learn what Reil had to say about Quattro and how they came to build this car.
It's tough to top Top Gear (as Gear producers are about to find out), but until Clarkson, Hamster and Captain Slow get back on schedule, the crew at WebRidesTV is back to cure our insatiable lust for all things automotive and in motion. Sure, it doesn't have TG's production value, but everything looks cooler with heavy vignetting.
This latest installment pits the Audi RS4 against the Lexus IS F, in what could be their best shootout to date. It's the battle of the middleweights and you can view the film in full after the jump.
Top Gear drives Germany's three small super saloons... well, in the M3's case, it's a coupe, but you get the picture The cars go against each other, as well as Emerson Fittipaldi's Lotus F1 racer that won the 1972 World Championship, and has the same horsepower as the sedans. There's also the Stig, a Stig-ette in a white bikini and helmet, Clarkson dining on an apple run over at the apex of a turn, a measurement device that we can't mention here, and lots of unkind things said of M3 drivers. But it's just in time for Christmas, and it's in three parts, which means you can make Top Gear Christmas cheer can last all day. Especially if you have a new M3 on order.
Quattro GmbH, Audi's high-performance subsidiary, is responsible for all manner of RS, S, S-line and "Exclusive" hotness for the automaker and has seen a substantial increase in sales over the last seven years. Back in 2000, it sold about 2,500 units. In 2007, it has produced just over 360,000 models imbued with Audi's distinct brand of performance street cred. Those numbers are expected to further rise with even more models being S- and RS-ified, including the R8, which is currently being produced at a rate of 27 vehicles per day.
Auto Motor und Sport sat down with Werner Frowein, the director of Quattro GmbH, where he let loose that the former strategy for RS model production will be laid to waste in the coming years. Traditionally, RS cars are produced in the last two years of the vehicle's lifecycle, but a new shift in production will allow new models to benefit from the RS-treatment after the first two years of their run. The TT-RS and RS5 are two of the models on the horizon, while an RS version of the R8 has been rumored since its introduction earlier this year. More RS is hardly a bad thing, unless premium gas prices continue their northward trajectory.
When it comes to comprehensive suspension tuning, Hotchkis has established itself as a premium player for both domestic and imported performance rides. Their WRX sway bars have proven to be some of the strongest and lightest on the market (not to mention three-way adjustable), and they've constantly been ahead of the curve by offering new products for vehicles soon after they appear on the market. Unfortunately, they're not as good about keeping their website up-to-date or being able to rattle off the diameter of their sway bars when inquiring minds, well... inquire.
Regardless, by the end of 2007 Hotchkis will begin offering sway bars for the E92 BMW 335i and they've got prototype bars for the Infiniti G37, due to be on sale in the beginning of 2008. They're already offering Stage One kits (springs and sway bars) for the Volkswagen GLI and the new Scion xB, and have begun to sell sway bars for both the Mazdaspeed3 and Audi RS4.
Say it ain't so. One of our favorite cars in recent memory might be going out of production. Autocar UK is saying that Audi has pulled the plug on the sweet RS4 supersedan. According to them, the convertible and wagon versions are still being produced, but they don't know for how long. With the new RS6 and RS5 on the horizon, it's possible Audi has decided to cut RS4 production to gear up for those new models, but the RS4 has been pretty successful for automaker by all accounts and it seems surprising it would be cancelled altogether. Besides being one of the best driving vehicles on the planet, the V8 RS4 is also one of the best sounding vehicles made. Right up there with the Vantage and F430. The RS4 offers performance figures that are nearly the equal of those two sports cars as well, all while providing a back seat and proper trunk. The 414-hp RS4 sedan went on sale in the UK in October of 2005, and showed up in the States around summer 2006. That's a pretty short run for such a great car. With its rumored turbo V10, the RS6 will undoubtedly be awesome as well, but the RS4 will be sorely missed if this news is true.
Hear that? It's not the sound of a 420-hp German V8 pushing wind through our hair. No, it sounds a lot, ok, exactly like, us sobbing. There will be no U.S.-spec RS4 Cabrio. At least that's the rumor the Audi fanboys (and we do mean that in a good way) over at Fourtitude are reporting.
They speculate that because of unfriendly exchange rates, Audi could be keeping its hot little droptop off our shores. It's a real shame that international monetary policy can so easily rid us of the joy we would have felt watching rear passengers try to hold their personal belongings as our right foot quickly buried that aluminum pedal deeper into the carpet.
Fourtitude adds, though, that Audi could, of course, change direction and begin shipping the new RS4 this way. Anyone know anything about manipulating currency markets?
Most of you are as likely to remember Jamiroquai lead singer Jay Kay for his choice of headgear than you are for his Stevie Wonder-esque falsettos and funky pre-Maroon 5 err... Maroon 5. We imagine that's alright by Jay, because he and his mates have met with considerably more success overseas after the whole 'Virtual Insanity' bubble burst Stateside.
Need proof? He of the large lids has gained the financial wherewithal to become a well-regarded exotic car buff, with a stable full of Ferraris, including an F40, F50, and an Enzo in his past. Of course, he also picked up the Audi RS4 seen above, perfect for hauling the band's gear and evading the paparazzi.
Better still, the haberdasher-frequenting Brit has also penned an automobile-inspired song appropriate for today's landmark calendar entry, Black Devil Car. It's a catchy little ditty with a chorus that goes...
Riding around In my black devil car I can't hear a sound Because her foot's pushing down too hard And white angels cry For her black devil heart She wants me to stop She should never let me start She should never let me start
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