By Otsile Kadiege

Back in 1999, quattro GmbH (now Audi Sport GmbH) took the veils off the first-ever RS 4 Avant. It broke onto the motoring scene with a widened body and a 2.7-liter biturbo six-cylinder engine developed in collaboration with Cosworth, which at the time had an impressive output of 280 kW. The sportiest version of the first RS 4-generation hit the market in 2001 with the RS4 Sport which included an even lower suspension, bucket seats, sport exhaust, and a suede steering wheel.

Fast forward many moons later, Audi Sport unleashed the RS 4 Avant edition 25 years which echoes the memorable design of this vehicle. It also gains more power and a sharpened suspension set-up.

RS 4 Avant edition 25 years exterior

Outside, the limited edition high-performance station wagon boasts a wide range of exclusive design features like “RS 4 edition 25 years” lettering engraved in the windows between the C- and D-pillars, gloss black window trims, Audi rings and lettering in gloss black, darkened rear LED inlays, Matrix LED headlights with darkened bezels, machined 20-inch alloy wheels in Palladium matte, and removed roof rails.

It also comes with an appearance package Carbon matte which was exclusively designed  for this edition. It features front blades, side flaps, and sill extensions, as well as the diffuser clip and wing mirror housings in Carbon matte. To commemorate the color of the RS4 Sport, today’s edition model also comes in Imola Yellow. Nardo Gray and Mythos Black are also available as exterior colors.

RS 4 Avant edition 25 years interior

Like the exterior, the interior also features exclusive touches like yellow decorative stitching, which is reminiscent of the black/yellow leather Alcantara combination from the 2001 RS4 Sport. For the first time, the floor mats have an RS 4 logo, and the traditionally red Audi Sport rhombus and black RS lettering are now also yellow in the edition model. The steering wheel rim, the leather armrests on the doors, the center console in dark black Alcantara, and the gear gaiter all feature stitching in the same color. Customers can choose the exclusive option of ordering an Audi exclusive flat-bottom suede steering wheel with center marking from their Audi partner. This is provided with yellow decorative stitching and the upper part of the gearshift is finished in black suede.

The RS bucket seats with honeycomb stitching and the carbon backrest come with deep black leather/Dinamica combination with contrasting yellow stitching. Directly below the headrest is RS 4 lettering in the same color. The logos on the entry sills and the RS projection from the entrance LEDs are white.

Matte lettering on the center console indicates each individual car’s sequential number, from 1 to 250. Customers who purchase an RS 4 Avant edition 25 years can select a white background for the tachometer and speedometer via the MMI – a tribute to the 1994 Audi Avant RS2, where the analog dials initially came in white.

RS 4 Avant edition 25 years performance

The V6 biturbo in the new RS 4 Avant edition 25 years has an uprated output of 346 kW and a maximum torque of 600 Nm. That is an increase of 15 kW compared to the RS 4 Avant. The pinnacle of the series accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in a claimed 3.7 seconds, 0.4 seconds faster than the Audi RS 4 Avant. The vehicle has a top speed of 300 km/h and the standard RS ceramic brake system handles negative acceleration. The RS sport exhaust system plus with tailpipes in matte black generates an intense sound pattern.

To put all that power on the road, the RS 4 Avant edition 25 years comes standard with the Pirelli P Zero Corsa high-performance tyres designed for the road and the racetrack.

The Audi RS 4 Avant edition 25 years comes standard with the RS sport suspension pro, a manually adjustable coilover suspension. This gives the anniversary model a 10-millimeter lower ride height than the RS 4 Avant. Furthermore, customers can manually lower the ride height by an additional 10 millimeters for an overall ride height that is 20 millimeters lower than the series model. The vehicle also comes with the quattro sport differential and an updated software in the transmission control unit for faster shifting times. Exclusively for the limited edition model, the negative camber on the front axle was increased to two degrees and stiffer control arms were installed.

Availability

Produced in cooperation with Audi exclusive, the RS 4 Avant edition 25 years rolls off the line in Ingolstadt alongside the A4, S4, and RS 4. However, only 250 units will be made and Audi South Africa is yet to confirm if any units will be reserved for our market.