Safari B5 Audi RS 4 Avant is Ready for Whatever You Throw at It
Watch Matt Farah take a Safari RS 4 Avant for a snowy rip around Monticello Motor Club.
Like loads of legendary European hardware, the B5 Audi RS4 Avant never made it to our shores during its production run. And since the oldest examples aren’t yet 25 years old, you’re still unlikely to see one at your local cruise in. The example in this video arrived in Massachusetts via Japan, and according Haggerty host Matt Farah, it was federalized so it could be legally operated on our roads. Let’s have a moment of silence now, because wow, that process couldn’t have been cheap.
Of course, eagle-eyed Audi fans will pretty quickly see that the changes meant to appease Uncle Sam weren’t the only changes — far from it. This high-performance people mover has been given the full Safari treatment, so it should be comfortable pounding through slush during a daily commute, bashing down some fire roads toward a favorite camping spot, or even venturing into metropolitan Boston to catch a Bruins game. Yup, the roads in Beantown are wicked bad.
This build was done by the wizards at AI Design, who lifted the suspension, fabricated a light bar, shod it with off road-friendly rubber, and added a matte green wrap. Importantly, other than riding a few inches higher than stock, the suspension doesn’t have any additional travel, so it won’t wallow like a trophy truck when it comes time to turn. Other than those mods, this RS4 is relatively stock, as nothing has been done under the hood.
Obviously, this car might not sit well with some purists, but I happen to think it’s killer. Because while I love the idea of a low-slung sports car, I live in Seattle, where the weather is awful a lot of the year, and when I’m not dodging potholes, I’m traveling down streets which feel like a washboard. So the idea of a performance machine I can drive with impunity sounds incredible — especially since I wouldn’t have to worry about curbing a wheel.
That dream is one of the reasons I liked this overlanding Audi Allroad so much, and when I have the garage space, I’d love to build something similar. But if you aren’t convinced that a safari build could be a total kick in the pants, watch Farah take this RS4 for a rip around a snowy Monticello Motor Club. Because if that doesn’t look like fun, you should totally check your pulse. As someone who’s driven that excellent circuit in “ideal” conditions, I’d jump at the chance to experience it like this… Enjoy!
Photos: YouTube