The Audi RS 4 – The Sports Car for 365 Days a Year
 |
|||
|
|
|||
Taking a new approach, once again clearly proving Audi’s “Vorsprung durch Technik”: quattro GmbH’s new Audi RS 4. An outstanding new saloon boasting numerous innovations for absolute superiority on both road and track. This latest model developed by Audi subsidiary quattro GmbH combines motor sport technology with a high standard of practical value for everyday use. In creating this car, Audi’s engineers have succeeded in placing an intelligent all-round concept on the road able to thrill its driver in every situation, whether on the race track or in the big boulevards of the world. The Audi RS 4 continues the tradition of quattro GmbH in bridging the gap between motorsport and everyday motoring. It is a car which brings together strong emotions and perfect function in an ideal synthesis of both worlds, a car which meets all the demands made by the driver of a premium saloon in general and of the most outstanding Audi in particular in the world of motoring today. At Audi, the “RS” abbreviation stands for ultimate performance of the highest calibre, supreme technological innovation and truly unique driving dynamics. To quote just two examples, the 420 bhp eight-cylinder is Audi’s first high-speed power unit, and it comes with Audi’s highly innovative FSI technology. A further forte of this exceptional V8 is its extremely compact dimensions. The RS 4 is also the first car to feature Audi’s new generation of permanent four-wheel drive with asymmetric/dynamic distribution of torque, a concept particularly suitable for a sports car of the calibre of the RS 4. And with each and every component of the new car being checked for minimum weight, the result of the consistent weight reduction process is a power-to-weight ratio of 3.93 kg per horsepower. The RS 4 is a truly unique, intelligent car concept with superior drivetrain qualities offering driving dynamics of a standard not to be found anywhere else in this segment.
Power Unit FSI for even better power and performance The engine is crucial to the power and performance of every sports car – which is precisely why quattro GmbH features a compact V8 with direct gaso¬line injection in the new RS 4. Indeed, FSI fuel injection technology now reaches a new level of perfection in this 420 bhp high-speed eight-cylinder, gasoline being injected directly into the combustion chambers of this top-end product boasting a young but already extremely successful technology, creating an absolutely smooth, balanced, and consistent fuel/air mixture in the process. And thanks to the cooling effect of the directly injected fuel, Audi’s development engineers have at the same time been able to increase the engine’s compression ratio. The result is an even more effective combustion process and an even better power yield all in one. This is borne out in particular by the engine’s even greater responsiveness, the elaborate fuel injection technology further optimising the development of power and performance in every situation on the road. Audi’s FSI technology is already to be admired in the world’s most successful racing car, the Audi R 8 bringing home victory in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans no less than four times in the last five years alone (to mention just some of the car’s outstanding achievements). Clear facts and figures prove the impressive potential of this outstanding eight-cylinder: maximum output of the 4.2-litre power unit is 420 bhp. Peak torque is 430 Newton-metres at 5500 rpm. And no less than 90 per cent of this maximum torque is maintained consistently throughout a wide range of engine speed from 2250 all the way to 7600 rpm. Performance on the road is naturally equally impressive, the RS 4 accelerating to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and reaching 200 km/h in 16.6 seconds. The ongoing surge of power and performance is then gently cut off by electronic control at 250 km/h. The high-speed engine principle The RS 4 is Audi’s first car to feature the high-speed engine principle, the power unit reaching speeds of up to 8250 rpm. The significant advantages of this principle are superior power at high engine speeds, consistent and smooth development of power and performance, as well as superior responsiveness throughout the entire speed range. Further fortes are the car’s outstanding agility and fast-revving response as well as an engine sound reminiscent of motorsport ¬ the sound that the driver of such a car simply expects. As a result of these qualities, the eight-cylinder power unit provides maximum thrust and performance in virtually all driving situations. The ultra-compact V8 The V8 power unit is ultra-compact in its dimensions, fitting snugly into the engine compartment of the RS 4 without requiring any changes to the body of the car. The camshafts and ancillary units, with the exception of the alternator, are all driven by a chain for easy maintenance. An all-new development, the eight-cylinder powering the RS 4 comes, inter alia, with modified pistons and connecting rods, as well as a new crankshaft together with its bearings and new cylinder heads. A double-chamber exhaust system with extra-large pipe cross-sections helps to boost engine output and performance to an even higher level, these significant improvements all adding up at the end of the day to give this 4163 cc power machine an output per litre beyond the magical 100 bhp limit. The car’s power-to-weight ratio is equally impressive: 3.93 kg per horsepower is a figure only the most thoroughbred sports cars were able to offer just a few years ago. It almost goes without saying that the V8 featuring FSI fuel injection technology complies in full with the Euro 4 emission standard. |
||||||||
