is RS4 available in Germany yet?

[Nordschleife]

Simon

I leave the 'racist' comments to the poms. Its not racist to point out that if a car is developed for a market where the return to the manufacturer is much less than it is in other markets, then the manufacturer will be less keen on putting the features which cost money into the car. The US buyers will, after exchange and tax adjustments, be buying the RS4 for less than a well equipped S4 in Europe or Britain. Product planners are not altruists.

Back off on the racist comments too, please. As far as the US goes, I have American family and well appreciate the good and less good things about the country. Amongst the less good are what happens to cars which are targetted at American customers.

How very Panglossian of you to believe that we are better served by not pointing out that developing the RS4 for the US market has not been without cost to customers elsewhere. I damned if I can see what is racist about that.

R+C

[405Z]

I'm not from the US or Europe, so I can give a totally unbiased opinion here. I would like to know what the B5 RS4 offered which was so superior because of the fact that it wasn't "tainted" by the US market?

in Europe we get launch control with the SMG gearbox.

Well I hate to break the news to you, but North American M3's with SMG have launch control.

Introducing the RS4 to the US market means it is built down to a price instead of up to a performance/quality level

Please elaborate with examples.

if the product planners envisage selling the car in the US, then it is built with features for the American market and to the price the American market willl pay.

There will very likely be differences between North American spec cars and European ones, eg. seats, possibly steering wheel, rear power windows, an NO starter button for the US (which TOTALLY goes against one of your arguments about the starter button having no useful function and only being present due to the fact that Americans want this feature)

Small wheels

So if it were Europe only, it would ride on 345/30/22's???

The new RS4 has a frankly cheap interior

How so?

To seriously make this an interesting car they could have fitted lightweight body panels, like the M3CSL, a car that was NOT compromised by the US market requirements, so carbon fibre roof and body panels, lightweight glass, sports oriented suspension possibly with Ohlins 'lifts', engine optimised for 98RON with more aggressive engine management, cam profiles and exhaust systems, better brakes and brake ventilation, better quality materials inside, competition rear view mirrors, lightweight doors.

I forgot that the B5 RS4 had all these features. My bad.

Sorry, but IMO, your rant holds absolutely no water. You don't have a clue as to what you're talking about.

[feelou]

Come on boys. Why don't you start a dedicated thread to contain all this opiniated US-Europe BS.

Thanks

[kujo]

Jees, you are one miserable git!!

so carbon fibre roof and body panels, lightweight glass, sports oriented suspension possibly with Ohlins 'lifts', engine optimised for 98RON with more aggressive engine management, cam profiles and exhaust systems, better brakes and brake ventilation, better quality materials inside, competition rear view mirrors, lightweight doors.

Don't recall seeing much of that list on the previous RS4 or the RS2.

I am surprised our American friends on this board tolerate your frankly borderline racist comments.........

Racism, nationalism, what ever it is.....doesn't matter.
Everyone's cool on the net....

kj

[kujo]

I'll tell you how much I enjoy this car when I drive it in August at Catalunya !!!!!!
The Euro spec version to boot.........

The only one making this a Euro/US debate is Nord.
With constant rants about watering the car down for US.

whatever... I'll love tearing around town and Leguna Seca, Cal Speedway and others.....with this 'watered' down ride...

kj

[DavidT]

I am having a hard time believing that the words 'racism' and 'nationalism' have been used here so freely.

The argument as posed by Nordschleife is that the new RS4 has been built to be financially viable for the US (which we all surely accept has lower pricing) and therefore more cheaply than it would have been had it just been a ROW product.

Forget whether his is right or wrong, tell me, how has the argument moved to 'racism' and 'nationalism' from a simple example of market forces ?

[S2tuner]

Tell me, how has the argument moved to 'racism' and 'nationalism' from a simple example of market forces ?

It's called paranoia and self-victimization.


Mihnea

[kujo]

Well, I never brought up the word racism, but there are many comments on this board regarding Amercian Enthusiasts, as:

Not real enthusiasts
Morons
Idiots
'Americans can't drive because they have a 55mph speed limit'
Cars aren't made as good because we don't have Autobahn....
<beep>, I wished I'd saved the exact quotes.... it's stupid thinking really....narrow minded at best....

There has been tons of comments made about us 'lame' American drivers and how WE want this or that so it's made 'watered down'.

Funnything is, it's never said in another other thread or forum here, except when talked about the new RS4.

If you don't like the car, it's simple, you don't. Stick with the B5's....

Over on the RS6 forum, you don't talk about how that car sucks? Remember, it was sent to the US as well.

The whole things a joke to me at this point.

It's gonna be fun car to drive and to own.

Take care...... I'm outta here.

kj

[snbS4]

I am surprised our American friends on this board tolerate your frankly borderline racist comments.........

I quite agree!

You also seem to ignore that UK roads are crap - they are not smooth or sufficiently traffic-free to achieve anything like 200mph like our German neighbour's can on one or two of theirs.

Also, I remember Walter Rohrl saying that the steering was made less direct than he would have liked on the RS4 B5 (in particular) as although it was undeniably a very quick and capable car, direct steering meant it was too much of a handful at any serious speed for the majority of the wide-ranging abilities of its drivers!!

Every car is a compromise in one area or another depending on where it's focus is aimed but I strongly feel that to blame the relatively small US market for design flaws entirely is wrong.

Simon