Few cars have made as spectacular an introduction as the RS4 when it was revealed at a special ceremony in Audi’s hometown of Ingolstadt. A bright yellow RS4 appeared at the top of an icy ski ramp and charged down to the bottom, dramatically spinning in circles in front of spectators in the snow with the 4.2-liter V8 howling. Then, nonchalantly, the RS4 turned around and headed back up the steep, slippery incline without any trouble whatsoever. That’s the beauty of Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive, which provides stupendous grip (and in this application, a rear-wheel bias) to complement the powerful engine fitted into the relatively compact sedan. Aggressively flared fenders, extra air intakes, and of course a more powerful engine tune separate it from the already high-performing S4 upon which it is based. Of course, you don’t need to have a ski ramp with a crowd of screaming Audi fans egging you on to enjoy the RS4—it’ll be happy to demonstrate its cornering prowess and substantial acceleration on any track you can throw at it.
