This Is the 450-Horsepower 2018 Audi RS4 Avant America Can’t Have
It’ll go from 0 to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds and go from Germany to the U.S. in… never, apparently.
Last seen paying its dues at the Nordschleife, Audi has finally unveiled the 2018 RS4 Avant at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Here are the headline figures: 444-horsepower, 443 lb-ft. of torque, a 2.9-liter bi-turbo V6, 0-62 mph in 4.1 seconds, and a top speed of 155 mph. Since this is an Audi we're talking about here, it probably goes without saying that power goes to all four wheels and is delivered via a "sportily configured" eight-speed tiptronic transmission.
In addition to being quite a bit faster than the plebeian A4 on which it's based, the new RS4 predictably looks a hell of a lot faster than the base car thanks to wider fenders, a new rear diffuser, a pair of fat, oval exhaust pipes, and more aggressive, carbon and honeycomb-laden front and rear fascias that also feature vents on the outer edge of the lights. Gotta cool those LEDs somehow, amirite?
On the inside, the 2018 Audi RS4 Avant reminds its owner of its sporting prowess by outfitting the already-snazzy A4 interior with a pair of sport seats, a flat-bottomed leather steering wheel, and a version of Audi's virtual cockpit that can now be used to monitor g-forces, tire pressures, and torque. Oh, and the welcome light that comes on when you open the door now projects "Audi Sport" at your feet as you get in the car, just in case your date mistook your luxury super wagon as something... lesser.
Speaking of money, the new RS4 will start at €79,800. At this point, I could tell you that that's the equivalent of a little over $95,000 in today's American currency, but doing so would be utterly pointless since—surprise, surprise—this thing ain't coming to the U.S.
