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RS4 Required For Drivers Republic V8 Super Saloon Shootout

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 5:43 pm
by jackWood2
Hi,

Steve, an Ex-RS4 owner and forum regular, and now MD of the new online enthusiasts motoring magazine www.drivers-republic.com , is looking for a willing volunteer.

Drivers Republic are putting together an article and video feature pitting the current crop of V8 Super Saloons (M3, IS-F, C63 with Diff, etc) against some recent great V8s (such as the RS4 B7 and M5), together with a very promising concept contender!!

The car will be needed at Silverstone some time during the w/c 6th October, and will be featured both in articles and video on the DR website and in Times Online.

Of course the car will be driven round the track, with the aim of providing a comparative lap time to the other cars, as well as providing telemetry recordings, similar to those seen in other videos on the DR website. This request is not just for a pretty car for a photo shoot!

If anybody is interested in spending time in the company of Steve, Chris Harris and Richard Meaden, et al at Silverstone, for what could be described as a “money-cant-buyâ€

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 9:25 pm
by P_G
Are they sorting the insurance out for the cars or is that up to the owners?

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 10:35 pm
by PhilT
P_G wrote:Are they sorting the insurance out for the cars or is that up to the owners?
Indeed. Who will drive them, and why wouldn't Audi UK stump one up?

Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 8:02 am
by jackwood
I'll ask about the insurance.

And I can only assume that Audi have no interest in stumping up a car because it is not a current model?

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 5:26 pm
by jackWood2
Sorry for the delay in getting some answers. Here is some more info:

Audi do not have any RS4s on their fleet, other than an Avant. The guys are really looking for an RS4 saloon.

Insurance is indeed covered by Drivers Republic.

The cars will be driven by Richard Meaden, Chris Harris and Jethro Bovingdon, and the focus of the article has moved to be predominently road based. The car will only be put around the track to set a time if the owner would like it to be done.

The Car will be required for Tuesday 7th Oct. That is next Tuesday, a week today. The test route is to be confirmed.

This is a great opportunity for any petrolhead to spend time with some of the most knowledgeable journalist in the business, driving some of the greatest super saloons currently on sale, plus a very exciting new concept!!

Please PM me if you are at all interested, or contact Steve, Chris, Richard or Jethro directly on the drivers-republic.com websitte.

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 7:58 pm
by P_G
Would love to but I have a meeting in Warrington that day and drive an Avant, the 'proper' RS4! :wink:

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:21 pm
by jackwood
Me too, hence why I volunteered to ask on here to try and find someone with a saloon. Trust me, I would be doing this myself if an Avant would do!! :)

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:11 am
by tartan_rob
Is there any re-compence for earnings etc. I have a Saloon and willing to go but as I am self emplyed, I don;t fancy loosing out on income for it....

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:42 pm
by jackWood2
I doubt it. I would certainly assume there will be fiscal reward for being involved. Maybe a tank of fuel?

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:53 pm
by SR71
I could do this as I'm on a day off that day but much as I like what DR are doing, I ain't loaning my car to anybody!

Even with insurance, it'd be a PITA sorting things out if anything happened....

I need my car for my imminent (he says optimistically) snowboard trip....

I have to say though, I don't get this notion that the B7 RS4 is "old" technology....

Is it old because its 4.2 only revs to 8250rpm not 8500rpm?

Is it old because its only got a manual box?

Is it old because its FSI?

Is it old because its 4WD with three diffs and no LSD?

Is it old because, as a result of its stroke, its pistons move faster than those in a F1 car?

Is it old because its mpg is better than any of the other cars in the test?

Or is it old because its not in production anymore?

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:09 pm
by DoctorD
Hi chaps, as you can see from the discussion thread it looks like most people would like us to include an RS4 in the test, the bad news is that we haven't found one yet...

http://blog.drivers-republic.com/?p=119

If anyone is able and willing, then we are planning on conducting the road route test (including photography) down near Chepstow on Tuesday 7th.

Our priority is finding a car for the 'road route', so it would be driven mostly by yourself with either chris, richard or jethro driving it for a few miles to reaquaint with how it feels by comparison (nothing overly exuberant or likely to cause undue wear). We have Silverstone booked on Wednesday evening, but we don't anticipate using an owners car on track unless of course the owner chose to.

As Jack has already mentioned Audi no longer have an RS4 Saloon on their fleet to lend us, otherwise of course we would be using one of theirs.

If only I still had mine... (ah, but it was an Avant ) :cry:

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:44 pm
by SR71
DoctorD,

You have a PM.

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:35 pm
by pippyrips
If it's chepstow it's just up the road from me so I might be able to help, assuming sr-71 hasn't already?
If so j, what's the chances of tagging along?

Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:21 am
by Andyuk911
Ha Ha .. looks like if you don't have a RS4 ... all you will get is 'why did they not include a RS4 in the test' , LOL

Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:35 am
by svassileou
Sorry - can't help (but would have loved to had I the right car). Assuming DR will be road testing along the B4235; fantastic road (at the right time of day).