A quarter century of performance

Time flies and so has the RS 4 Avant ever since it first hit the road 25 years ago. The first RS model to come from Audi’s performance arm, quattro GmbH (now Audi Sport), the original RS4 Avant* featured a 2.7-litre biturbo six-cylinder powerplant the brand developed with Cosworth, that produced a stonking 280kW of power. That powerhouse was installed in a widened Avant body that although more aggressive than a ‘standard’ Avant, still turned heads because of its practical performance car status. The vehicle not only created a stir and won an instant performance fan base, but started what would be an enduring model line that still excites today, 25 years later.

To commemorate that quarter of a century, Audi Sport has produced the aptly named, Audi RS 4 Avant edition 25 years, drawing heavily on the original, but imbuing the limited edition model with all the engineering development to come out of the intervening two and a half decades.

Just 250 units of the special edition RS 4 Avants will be produced, with the majority of those expected to be in the commemorative Imola yellow colour that adorned the very first edition. Nardo grey and Mythos black are also colour options.

The most significant feature of the RS 4 Avant edition 25 years is of course the powerplant which is again a six-cylinder biturbo, but this time the V6 displaces 3.0-litres and produces a massive 346kW and 600Nm of torque. That makes it the most powerful RS 4 ever produced with 15kW more power than the standard series model.

Added to that, the limited edition also gets the RS sport suspension pro, with a manually adjustable coilover suspension that gives it a 10mm lower ride height over a ‘standard’ RS 4 Avant. It also features a quattro sport differential and the negative camber on the front axle was increased to two degrees and stiffer control arms were installed. A firmly fixed subframe on the rear axle provides more precise suspension feedback and better overall performance and this is further enhanced by the improved Torsen differential.

The 25th anniversary edition rides on machined 20-inch alloy wheels in Palladium matte, which are the same wheels featured on the RS 4 Avant competition package, but customers will also get a kit composed of a second set of wheels, with Pirelli sensorised P Zero Trofeo RS semi-slick tyres and the Pirelli Track Adrenaline system. The tyres are specifically designed for the racetrack and come on exclusive 20-inch alloy wheels in matte black.

The exclusive Track Adrenaline system features sophisticated sensors in the tyres that provide the driver with real-time information about tyre pressure and temperature, a high-performance control unit and a dedicated phone app, supporting Apple Car Play and Android Auto. Through Pirelli Track Adrenaline, the customer will experience real-time information and recommended actions for optimal tyre management on the racetrack.

Visually, the roof racks have been completely removed and the badging all finished in gloss. Window surrounds are likewise finished in black and the rear lights feature a black inlay while the front Matrix LED headlights feature darkened bezels.

The appearance package carbon matte was designed exclusively for this limited edition model, with front blades, side flaps, sill extensions, as well as the diffuser clip and the wing mirror housings in carbon matte.

The model designation ‘RS 4 edition 25 years’ is engraved in the windows between the C- and D-pillars, while inside the matte lettering on the centre console shows each individual car’s sequential number, from 1 to 250. The RS bucket seats with honeycomb stitching and the carbon backrest come with a deep black leather and Dinamica combination and continue the traditional colour scheme with contrasting yellow stitching. Directly below the headrest is RS 4 lettering in the same colour, while the logos on the entry sills and the RS projection from the entrance LEDs are presented in white.

Indeed, those with a real feel for nostalgia can select select a white background for the tachometer and speedometer via the MMI – a nice little tribute to the 1994 Audi Avant RS2, where the analogue dials initially came in white. 

Those really wanting to ramp up the heritage feel can oder the optional flat-bottom steering finished in suede. This comes with a centre marking as well as yellow decorative stitching and the upper part of the gearshift is finished in black. Audi recommends wearing gloves when using this steering wheel, and as luck would have it, customers actually receive a pair of gloves with the RS 4 Avant edition 25 years made by Alpinestars, specially designed to go with the car and featuring matching yellow accents.

Not part of the car package but available from the Audi collection, there is also an RS 4 Avant edition 25 years chronograph available. Also limited to just 250 units, the watch features a carbon dial and yellow details and carries the RS 4 logo.

Although the bulk of the 250 units are expected to be snatched up by European buyers, those looking for the extreme performance of the RS 4 Avant need look no further than the RS 4 Avant competition plus packages available to order in Australia now and set to begin delivering in the coming months. With their RS sports exhaust, RS ceramic brake system and manually-adjustable RS sport pro suspension, offer almost all of the attributes of the edition 25 years. Indeed, this extreme track-focused package, available for both RS 4 Avant and RS 5 Sportback, take both of these models to new extremes and will delight the most demanding of performance enthusiasts.

*The original RS4 Avant, the RS4 was written without a space. The space was introduced for RS models in 2002.