It's Arrived

[hlbeckley]

Agree but then again I am a bit biased!

So don't be stingy with the photos:)

There are loads of his and mine sans black pack

I know I know but I am a junkie for these cars! I just went into Audi.de to spec the RS6 same result, looks best in sepang and prism! The right spec makes these cars look incredible, the white one I saw in flesh left me cold

[Ian_C]

Absolutely stunning!!!

[Revolution]

How does the pocket rocket of the RS3 compare...?

[RSphantom]

How does the pocket rocket of the RS3 compare...?

Well, where do I start. It's been an interesting first week with the RS4 so I'll try and break it down for you.

Picked it up last Friday and drove it on a fifty mile journey to the parents house. Initial impression was it was like being upgraded from economy to business class in terms of refinement. The ride is better (in comfort mode anyway) and the car feels a lot more solid while on the road. No more lighting up the traction control when pulling out of a roundabout as traction is superb. Engine is quiet at low revs but gives at epic roar above 3k revs. Interior is where I noticed the change the most. Seats are fantastic and the driving position is spot on, switchgear is miles more upto date. Like I said before its like being upgraded to business class. Anyway while driving in D I noticed that the stronic box wasn't changing up to 7th until it got to around 60mph so flicked the paddle to change up manually to 7th at about 50mph and no problem 7th gear comes up. Wait a few seconds for the stronic goes back into auto mode and it drops back down to 6th. Try it again and the same thing happens and this goes on for about the next 10 miles. Finished the rest of the journey and check the handbook to see if this has something to do with he engine being new and not allowing the engine to idle but nothing there. Drove the car over next couple of days and it continued to have the same problem. However, I'm liking the car more and more and against the RS3 it seems to have more go in the mid range. Unless you changed down manually in the RS3 the 60-80 acceleration never seemed that good as I thought the gearbox should have changed down an extra gear. In the RS4 just press the pedal and off you go. Other aspects I'm enjoying are the brakes which have a very solid feel to them and no more squeaking at low speeds or grinding when breaking from higher speeds, the headlights which now mean I can see again as their dipped beam vision is superb. Fuel economy even with the gearbox playing up is around 23-24mpg on a run but to be fair I haven't giving her the full beans yet so that may drop.

Anyway on Monday had a follow up call from the dealership to check everything was OK and I mention the gearbox issue. I arranged to call the following day as the master tech mechanic wasn't in and he would check it over for me. Went into the dealership and the master tech took the car out with me so I could explain what was going on, he told me that he hadn't seen this problem before but we also took out the demo car to compare. The demo changed up to 7th at around 38mph on light acceleration while mine still wouldn't change up until 60mph. He said he would contact Audi UK To see if they had an update for this but as mine only had around 140 miles on the clock to keep driving it for another couple of hundred miles to see if it changed. He would also check another new RS4 they had in stock to see if this was any different.

So I've now got to Wednesday and I'm travelling to see a client on a single lane A road when a lorry goes past the other way and kicks out a stone that smacks into the windscreen on the edge on the drivers side and now I've got a nice 6inch crack horizontal across the screen. I can't repeat the words used but not happy. Checked out my insurance and I've got to pay the first £175 for a windscreen replacement, again not happy. Then I remembered I had seven day complimentary insurance through Audi so I checked out the excess on this policy, only £50, still not happy but feeling a bit better. Rang the claim line for Audi insurance and got put straight through to Autoglass, gave them the details off the covernote and then had to get a callback because they couldn't find the correct screen.

So yesterday went back to the dealership again and while I was there arranged for Autoglass to fit the screen at the dealership so they can check its been fitted properly and I've also insisted that they supply an OE windscreen. Also as the gearbox is still playing up its now been left at the dealership so they can look at that as well.

All is not lost though as they have supplied me with the R8 V10 spyder to use until Monday when hopefully I will get the car back with everything sorted.

Now the R8 is an epic car with an epic noise and it is by far the best handling car I've ever driven. But the interior is straight out of a TT and the tech is back to the RS3. However, over the last two days I've never been as popular and I've had my photo taken more times than ever (or it might be the R8). It's definitely got the X factor but I still miss my RS4.

So overall, love my new car and can't wait to get it back in full working order.

The RS3 is a good car with a lot going for it but in my opinion the RS4 is in a different league (and price bracket) and for that reason it's slightly unfair to compare. On a dry day at the lights I would still expect the RS3 to smoke the RS4 but if was a mid range acceleration duel then I think the story would been different.

[Ian_C]

The demo changed up to 7th at around 38mph on light acceleration.......

Whats the point in having seven gears if seventh is still comically short like on the B6 and B7? Seventh should be an overdrive for doing 2000 rpm at 90 mph - diesel or Dodge Viper like!

Doesn't matter if you don't have instantaneous surge in seventh from say 60 mph - its not like it takes much effort to change down a cog being automatic with paddles......

[PetrolDave]

Whats the point in having seven gears if seventh is still comically short like on the B6 and B7? Seventh should be an overdrive for doing 2000 rpm at 90 mph - diesel or Dodge Viper like!

+1

[Revolution]

some interesting reading for me as I'm a prospective RS3 vs RS4 B8 (or GTR) buyer....

[Magnum]

A bit late to the party but congrats on a lovely looking car

[X1MYS]

Congrats mate very nice !!

[RSphantom]

A bit late to the party but congrats on a lovely looking car

Thanks Mr Magnum, your spec is amazing and I will look forward to the pictures when it comes.

The 599 looks fantastic too. How do you get on in Switzerland as I have never driven over there but from reports I here they are really hot on speeding etc