Was there 1 particular moment..

[neilparf]

Mine was Top Queer, Jezza and his mountain pass in the Misano Red. Oooooooeeerrr.

I still have that episode on my SKY planner recorded from Dave HD. After that it was a google frenzy researching everything B7RS4... Never looked back. It's the only car I've had that comes close to the 2009 R1 I have sat next to it...

[22B]

My first encounter was about 5 years ago when a red B7 RS4 passed me one day and the noise as it went by was just sublime, the seed was sown....

Then a year or so later I was over at my annual Mull Rally trip and there was a guy staying at the same B&B (John from near Banchory) who just happened to have a B7 RS4 daytona saloon. After a brief chat he very kindly offered me the keys to take it for a drive! I declined (!) as I didn't want to risk it on the narrow Mull roads and especially so with all the young would be rally heroes flying about everywhere, so John, who is a rally driver himself, took me out for a high speed blast. I just couldn't believe how well that V8 revved, and as for the noise!That was it, I simply had to have one and started my search as soon as I got back. That was in October and after only 3 months searching I very fortunately came across the unique beast I've had for4 years now.

[Bladerider]

I remember the RS2 coming out and thinking "quite fancy one of them to use as a delivery vehicle as I had my own Shop at the time.

Ironically it was years later that I got my Allroad for precisely that purpose although I had become an aerial contractor by then, I liked the Allroad so much I decided I would have one of the new "Big Off-roaders" that my stealer kept telling me about - the Q7 - but it was so delayed I needed to get something else before they looked ready, so switched my deposit to an RS4 Avant in Daytona. However I think Audi had trouble satisfying the US market or something and Avant production dates kept getting pushed back (I think ironically they started Q7 deliveries before my RS iirc) and I was so fed up of the never ending delays, false dawns and lies from the dealers who knew they had a "must have" product and quite literally couldn't give a toss about the £1500 of mine they had been earning interest off for two years that I cancelled my order and bought myself a Porsche GT3 and a Mazda6 for my engineers to use while I went back to my trusty Vito.

That situation lasted a year and I bought a new 535d Msport Touring which was a much better car than Audi made at the time with the steptronic and I would still have it if I hadn't have died and been in hospital and had to give it up. Then a while after I found the RS4 I have now for sale, in Daytona, in good nick at a price that didn't hurt and I have been happy with it ever since. D_K can confirm as he nearly bought my other half's TTQS and I told him about my RS4 aggro's at the time.

So not a "gonna have one" lightbulb, more a slow grind into the inevitable petrolpump love affair !!

Its by no means the fastest car Ive had, nor the best or quickest cross country (its probably joint quickest there lol), nor the most exclusive, costliest or fuel hungry, but it probably mixes all those things together in a way that would be hard to beat with anything except another RS of some description, I'll probably get a C6 next just for the experience, then maybe a B8 for the look, but I doubt I will get rid of my B7 while doing it. It seems to be a keeper, which I find surprising.



J.

[Dom81]

Evo Magazine edition 7, July 2000 - The Ring Masters. Sold me on an RS4, but that was obviously the B5 - with a full order book, and at a time when I was locked in to company cars. Ordered a B6 S4 through the company in 2004, and put down a deposit on the B7 RS4 the day the book opened - but with a request for 2007 delivery to save dual running.

So, a seven year wait and worth every moment!

[rocket1]

some good stories there guys. i,m the same neilparf, i have a 2 year old fireblade and while in a straight line the bike is just flying i think on a point to point basis i,d be as quick in the rs, in the corners i,d be all over the bike. fortunately i can keep both and switch and change. i,ve had bikes for 31 years now but if i had to reduce the collection think the bike would go first! keep em coming lads!

[Awd4]

A poster of Michele Mouton and her Quattro on my bedroom wall when I was a teenager probably prepared me to own an RS of some sort one day..
Fast forward to 2007, walked in Audi Grange Dublin showroom and saw 2 B7 for the first time in the flesh, an avant and my phantom black saloon... two weeks later Audi had taken back my 4 months old A4 2.0 TDI avant and I drove off with the black widow - never looked back

Top Gear and this review by Jonny Lieberman definitely had their influence too
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2006/10/audi-rs4/

[RichT128]

My first drive was with Audi Portsmouth after my wife announced she was pregnant and I decided my TTS wouldn't work as a family car. Still remember it racing away as the revs picked up!

They told me that the day after the top gear episode the BMW garage down the road had six M3 orders cancelled!

Tried an M3 before I bought my RS4. Still think the M3 looks ace but the drive was a little soulless for me.

[daveh]

A lot of "top gears" in there but how many people bought a misano one after seeing that feature?! Not me for one! Sprint blue all the way. Possibly because of the other top gear feature where they had the shootout with the m3 and amg.

[NJMAudiRS4]

After seeing a B5 drop a couple of cogs on the M5 going south he just went, ever since then I wanted one, after seeing top gear with the new B7 really yearned for one, couldn't afford it though so had to save the pennies, also followed the long term test in EVO mag with John Barker, now got one at last, definately worth the wait.

[toyneg]

pulling up to the lights in my old A4 1.8T against a Mugello RS4 with what sounded like a Milltek, the sound was enough for me to decide i was having one of those