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Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:54 pm
by Nobber
Gonna stick my neck on the line here and no doubt will get shot down in flames and verbally abused but....
I find the RS4 a little bit....well boring!
Don't get me wrong, it's very capable, very practical and solid but it just doesn't give me the same smile my Leon used to or the same buzz of driving it.
They do say you should never drive any of your dream cars, I seem to think they are right.
Cheers
Nobber
Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:57 pm
by Macdaddy
If that's the case your driving it wrong!
Personally find it way better than my R32 which in turn was better than both Leons!
Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:03 pm
by Nobber
Maybe I am then but the driving style is pretty much the same every time, get in, press the S button, turn stereo off, start it up, let the oil warm up and then give it the death wherever possible.
Is there more too it?
Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:08 pm
by Ice_Coffee
Have you ever considered joining the RAF, I reckon a typhoon is just about the only vehicle to satisfy a thrill junkie like you.
Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:09 pm
by Nobber
Too old and too fat I think IC.
Perhaps I need some PES and Miltek injected into the equation.
Anyone want/need a kidney?!?
Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:01 pm
by ArthurPE
I'm not sure how you can get anywhere near 70% of this car on public roads
so yes, normal driving in ANY car is boring, Enzo, et al, trodding along at 40 mph is well, err, boring
but even at 40 mph it feels solid, the engine sounds good, and when rev'ed to 8k in 1st (and sometimes 2nd, after all that is close to 70 mph) it brings a smile
taking 30 mph round-a-bouts at 60 feels pretty good
Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:47 pm
by adsgreen
Second the above from Arthur.
The problem is the RS4 is so capable that on the public roads it's really hard to get anywhere near it's limits safely. Take it on track and it'll scare you senseless (in a good way).
One of the things I love about Elises is that you can have a lot of fun whilst keeping hold of your license.
Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:39 pm
by PetrolDave
adsgreen wrote:Second the above from Arthur.
The problem is the RS4 is so capable that on the public roads it's really hard to get anywhere near it's limits safely. Take it on track and it'll scare you senseless (in a good way).
Third that - if you think the RS4 is boring try an S4. I got bored of my S4 after less than 3 months, after getting on for 5 years my RS4 still makes me smile.
My commute goes through a tunnel on a quiet road, so it's windows and sunroof open and WOT whenever I can - that brings a Cheshire Cat grin to my face.

Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:39 pm
by mac4RS
Ice_Coffee wrote:Have you ever considered joining the RAF, I reckon a typhoon is just about the only vehicle to satisfy a thrill junkie like you.
Have we still got some planes left to fly??
I think you are certainly doing something wrong... On 'normal' roads, the RS4 is at nothing more than a canter.
Remember, this is not a car with all the huffing & puffing of a turbo, which IMHO makes you feel you are going faster than you really are.
Take this car onto a track - it's in another league (sound & performance).
Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:53 pm
by adsgreen
the other thing to consider is that FWD is light years away from 4WD and RWD.
in a FWD car its easy to overdrive it such the car feels a little loose. It's not hard and it's not the correct way to drive a FWD fast but it feels like you're on the ragged edge. If you overcook it all that happens is you get a bit of nice safe understeer and maybe some tyre squeal.
Try the same in 4WD and you'll get nothing until you get very close to the edge (much closer than what you get in FWD) which in the RS4 is a very rapid pace.
Do it in a RWD and you'll be scaring yourself in a bad way. A colleage of mine traded his hot FWD hatch in for an Elise after I'd been raving about them. No joke - got less than a mile before a mini roundabout and bootfull on the right foot had a big impact with a lamp post. Quite an embarrassing walk back to the dealer.
I can drive swimbo's mini cooper s down local country roads in such a way that feels like you're in a rally and you get a big grin. Was quite funny when I realised that the RS4 was doing the same run quicker without me even trying.
Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 7:03 pm
by ArthurPE
I enjoy the car everytime I get in it...
plodding off to work or a 'spirited' mountain drive...
80 in this car is boring
80 in some cars is terrifying
that is how high the RS4's limits are
and that is the beauty of the thing, an all weather daily driver with Porsche envelope capabilities
Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 7:17 pm
by PJC
ArthurPE wrote:I enjoy the car everytime I get in it...
plodding off to work or a 'spirited' mountain drive...
80 in this car is boring
80 in some cars is terrifying
that is how high the RS4's limits are
and that is the beauty of the thing, an all weather daily driver with Porsche envelope capabilities
Having a sprited drive in the damp / wet following a Maserati 4200 it was tip toeing everywhere the RS planted and full of confidence came to a roundabout give it the beans the traction and control was fantastic. If you want fun then now days the track is the only place to get to the limits of its abilities.
Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 8:55 am
by edge
Ice_Coffee wrote:Have you ever considered joining the RAF, I reckon a typhoon is just about the only vehicle to satisfy a thrill junkie like you.

Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 9:02 am
by P_G
Sounds like you have answered your own question nobber in that it is very capable and very practical, moreso as most here have alluded to than other cars. Find a twisty 'B' road, a track or some German derestricted Autobahn's to get the exhiliration you found in the Leon.
Either that or you are just so accustomed to the turbo shove in the back that you only get from 5500rpm onwards in the RS and in anything more than 3rd you'll be doing illegal speeds. A non res exhaust system will heighten the experience no doubt.
Re: Am I doing something wrong?!
Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 9:57 am
by Nobber
I think your right PG, I've been a turbo junkie for so long, in fact the last non turbo car I had was a Toyota Corolla GTi on a D plate some 15 years ago!! I've just become so used to driving them and modified ones at that.
I'll investigate a Miltek and a trip to MRC I think, get it de-coked and mapped. The noise is certainly infectious and needs to be heard!