Audi Showcase, Thruxton 12 Nov
Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 2:17 pm
As a customer, I was invited along to an Audi showcase at Thruxton this week.
Arrived a bit late, but missed nothing. Started out on the track.
1st up a guided drive in a RSQ3 with the instructor driving, it didn't feel that stable. This to me is a contradiction of a car, an RS small SUV? Next up I get to do 2 laps in the Q3 with lane change, ABS test, high speed cornering. Happy to get out, didn't like it.
Next up, into an RS4, having never driven one was quite excited, and rightly so, awesome car, sadly let down by a miserable instructor who basically curtailed any enthusiastic driving ( 100mph was enough! ), hated Audi's and confessed so openly. I was an inconvenience. When he did the flying lap however he was a very very fast and a highly capable driver, and put the RS4 through its paces. Big Like from me.
Then from the track to the skid pan. S1 to show the Quattro ( all toys to off ) and a Toyota GT86 on winter tyres. GT86 great fun, S1 quite predictable and boring. Along with the RSQ3, another car on my don't buy list ( perhaps harsh to judge on that section however ). I would have stayed in that Toyota all day on the pan!
Then Offroading in a Q5 3.0TDI, super capable car, but sadly only a driven tour, not a self drive, H&S wins the day! Great car, owned one, would do again too.
After lunch we went off on a road trip, 7-8 cars per group. I was on my own, so got to jump in last, so ( despite being one of very few customers I believe ) I missed out on the two cars I really wanted to try, the V10 R8 and the RS5. I started the tour in the RS4, which I grew to love more and more, felt like a lively C6, loved the 20 mins in that. Sadly it went down hill from there as I spent the next 40 mins behind the wheel of two RS7's ( sadly cars switched out and two RS7s in sequence, another car on the "not to buy list" for me. I found it none engaging after the RS4. My fear was, OMG is my new C7 this lacking? The drive home, proved not so. The RS6 is much more engaging and taught. The 7 in dynamic was very soft.
So for me a few lessons from the day:
- There are too many RS cars now, and some should in my view not have RS badges: Q3 is that and not an RS, the A7 should stay as that, and the A1, not sure.
- Anti Social, disinterested people who don't like Audis, should not do Audi days.
- The RS6 and RS4 are awesome cars. Thankful that one of the best drives of the day was there and back in my car.
Having done one of these events in China, we spent much more time in the cars being taught at each station ( cornering, ABS test, Slalom ) got to drive the car off road and where given a lot more freedom in the cars, and it was all customers. We had multiple hot laps with each of us driving and no miserable Fu&^er saying slow down when you hot 100mph, yes it was damp, but Quattro?
So all in all a nice day, not amazing, and having hoped to get to exercise an RS6 on the track and a go in an R8, I left having done neither. Happy to have driven the RS4 and question how they can make that car any better, but I thought that about the C6 RS.
Arrived a bit late, but missed nothing. Started out on the track.
1st up a guided drive in a RSQ3 with the instructor driving, it didn't feel that stable. This to me is a contradiction of a car, an RS small SUV? Next up I get to do 2 laps in the Q3 with lane change, ABS test, high speed cornering. Happy to get out, didn't like it.
Next up, into an RS4, having never driven one was quite excited, and rightly so, awesome car, sadly let down by a miserable instructor who basically curtailed any enthusiastic driving ( 100mph was enough! ), hated Audi's and confessed so openly. I was an inconvenience. When he did the flying lap however he was a very very fast and a highly capable driver, and put the RS4 through its paces. Big Like from me.
Then from the track to the skid pan. S1 to show the Quattro ( all toys to off ) and a Toyota GT86 on winter tyres. GT86 great fun, S1 quite predictable and boring. Along with the RSQ3, another car on my don't buy list ( perhaps harsh to judge on that section however ). I would have stayed in that Toyota all day on the pan!
Then Offroading in a Q5 3.0TDI, super capable car, but sadly only a driven tour, not a self drive, H&S wins the day! Great car, owned one, would do again too.
After lunch we went off on a road trip, 7-8 cars per group. I was on my own, so got to jump in last, so ( despite being one of very few customers I believe ) I missed out on the two cars I really wanted to try, the V10 R8 and the RS5. I started the tour in the RS4, which I grew to love more and more, felt like a lively C6, loved the 20 mins in that. Sadly it went down hill from there as I spent the next 40 mins behind the wheel of two RS7's ( sadly cars switched out and two RS7s in sequence, another car on the "not to buy list" for me. I found it none engaging after the RS4. My fear was, OMG is my new C7 this lacking? The drive home, proved not so. The RS6 is much more engaging and taught. The 7 in dynamic was very soft.
So for me a few lessons from the day:
- There are too many RS cars now, and some should in my view not have RS badges: Q3 is that and not an RS, the A7 should stay as that, and the A1, not sure.
- Anti Social, disinterested people who don't like Audis, should not do Audi days.
- The RS6 and RS4 are awesome cars. Thankful that one of the best drives of the day was there and back in my car.
Having done one of these events in China, we spent much more time in the cars being taught at each station ( cornering, ABS test, Slalom ) got to drive the car off road and where given a lot more freedom in the cars, and it was all customers. We had multiple hot laps with each of us driving and no miserable Fu&^er saying slow down when you hot 100mph, yes it was damp, but Quattro?
So all in all a nice day, not amazing, and having hoped to get to exercise an RS6 on the track and a go in an R8, I left having done neither. Happy to have driven the RS4 and question how they can make that car any better, but I thought that about the C6 RS.