2001 Audi RS 4 (B5)
- Cylinders – six in vee formation
- Displacement – 2,671cc
- Power – 380PS @ 6100-7000rpm
- Torque – 440Nm @ 2500-6000rpm
- Max speed 155mph (governed)
- 0-62mph in 4.9 secs
- Transmission - six-speed manual
- quattro all-wheel-drive
- Weight – 1620kg
The 1995 A4 which proved so transformative for the positioning and reputation of the Audi brand also brought the mastery of quattro GmbH, its high performance division, to the fore again through the formidable RS 4 Avant, which headed the range from 1999.
Available in Avant estate form only, like the phenomenal 1994 Avant RS 2 which sired it, the RS 4 obliterated the performance boundaries of the day in its class with a mighty 380PS output delivered by an extensively modified version of the 2.7-litre biturbo V6 engine powering the S4 sitting just below it in the range. Just 400 UK specification examples were produced during this very special model’s two-year lifespan.
The task of upgrading the V6 to a level befitting an RS model fell not only to the engineers at quattro GmbH (the precursor to today’s Audi Sport), but also to experts at the highly respected Cosworth Technology in Northampton. The collaboration brought extensive modifications, including the integration of a new cylinder head and enlarged turbochargers primed for increased boost pressure, elevating peak power well above the S4’s 265 PS and pushing the 0-62mph sprint time below the five-second marker. A rapid-shifting six-speed manual transmission acted as the conduit between the engine and the Torsen differential-based quattro system, which brought typically high limits of adhesion for maximum exploitation of the plentiful power.
(Audi Press Release)
2001 Audi RS 4 (B5)
