Top 10 Performance AUDIs: 7) B7 RS 4 (2006-2008)

B7 RS 4 (2006-2008)

There was no RS 4 version of the B6 chassis but Audi seems to have more than made up for it with the B7 version, unveiled in february 2005 and introduced in 2006, when they produced versions with not only Avant but also Saloon and cabriolet body styles This time the RS 4 saw a very different engineering approach, with  the use of a naturally-aspirated 4.2-litre V8 engine that was developed from the all-alloy V8 in the B6 S4. Extensively reworked and strengthened, including a new cylinder block, it was a quad-cam engine with four valves per cylinder, instead of five on the earlier variant, and variable valve timing with an alloy inlet tract with adjustable tumble valves. With two Bosch DI-Motronic MED 9.1 engine management control units and fuel stratified (FSI) direct injection, running on 98 RON unleaded,  it developed peak power of 420 PS at 7,800 rpm and maximum torque  of 430 Nm at 5,500 rpm – a heady performance that was accompanied  by a soul-stirring V8-cylinder engine and exhaust note. The outright performance of the RS 4 was matched by its superior chassis dynamics, with the Gen 3 Torsen diff featuring a 40:60 rearward bias for greater agility and with traction further aided by the EDL and ASR functions of the fully selectable Electronic Stability Control system, along with the active Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) damping system which was designed to counteract pitch and roll. Standard wheels were 9.0J x 19-inch with 255/35 ZR19 tyres (8.5 x 18s were an option) and along with 30 mm lowered and stiffened suspension, 365 mm Brembo brakes (ceramic discs were an expensive option), a wider  track (+37 mm front and +47 mm rear) and electro-hydraulic power steering, the B7 RS 4 was every inch a pure driving machine, considered by many to be more than a match for the BMW M3.

Almost inevitably, the B7 RS 4 received many accolades, including ‘World Performance Car’ in the International World Car of the Year awards in 2007 and was the subject of a great many special features and TV sequences. Who can forget the famous BBC TV Top Gear road-trip when Jeremy Clarkson raced the RS 4 up a twisting, turning 60-mile mountain road in French Alps, just failing to beat ace free-climber Leo Houlding to the top, only to then have him beat the RS 4 back down again by BASEjumping off the cliff he’d just climbed! The RS 4 might have been beaten, but it was considered far from a loser in the overall assessment  as Clarkson declared it better even than an M3…