The new Audi RS4 offers more aggressive looks but retains its thumping power

Well, this looks familiar ish. It seems like only yesterday Audi trotted out its shiny new RS4 to the world all young and full of promise. Now it's a thing of the past because there's a new one [MUSIC] When I say new, it's more of a glow up. The first thing you notice is the outside. So it's got a new grid, it's even shouty or more aggressive and it's got new headlights, they've got little slaps in them. Like footballers back in the noughties that used to take bits out of their eyebrows. Kind of cool. It's also still got those big blistered quatro arches. It makes it a whole heap wider than the standard a four. It's a bit of a mini RS-6 and that's no bad thing. Inside it's all about screens. There's a new 10.1 inch touchscreen with acoustic Response Technology, which means it works as a touchscreen and it gets rid of the old wheel controller. You also get a new digital instruments cluster that will show you exciting things like g forces, lap times power output, and other stuff that no one you want to actively spend time with would be talk about At least that's what LD sports wants you to care about somewhere to log your times and things like that, though. Don't go sharing them too far and why they might get in trouble. [SOUND] But how are you going to create these amazing numbers and figures to boast to your mates about? Well, under the hood is a turbo charge 2.9 liter V6 with 444 horse power and 443 pound foot. That's enough to get you from 0 to 62 in 4.1 seconds and up to a limited 100 155 miles an hour. Unless you want to go faster then you can up it to 174 miles an hour. But to do that you need to give Audi some more money. Power and torque may not change but efficiency has it's 17 whole percent better than before boasting nearly 30 mpg on the new stringent W [INAUDIBLE] LTP cycle, it's fast it's sips fuel, and it's rear biassed all wheel drive system can spend 85% of its power rearward or 70% forward, keeping you safe in inclement conditions. But the old car had that so why has Audi updated this after two-ish years? I have a theory. You see there have been rumors going around for ages that the RS6 and RS7 are going to get more powerful, smarter, faster brethren. And I think the same will apply to the RS4. In fact, I think the RS4 is gonna be the first to get that treatment hence the hurried refresh. If not And he's missing a trick. See the RS four is the IRS car Yeah, there's TTS and cuates and stuff like that. But the RS four was the first Audi in house Rs. The RS two was a brilliant collaboration with Porsche sure, but that V six twin turbo was the best. And while the expanded RS universe gives more people more ways to get an RS on their drive star car really should be this. It's the closest to the original. It's the aspirational one. Without RS4, we wouldn't have an RS6 And our seven fast needs to be made about. [bbb] Okay hasn't drastically changed the old RS four. But the good bits is still here. You still get thumping power. There's still space to put loads of stuff in the back of it. It still looks great. And it still drives great. It's not as sharp as nim three or sideways As an AMG, but as a day to day motor this thing's awesome. [SOUND] So what about the basics of gearbox slick and smooth you feel involved or at least as involved. As you can with an automatic bots, we must remember the reason this isn't automatic is because the machines are faster and cleverer than the humans. You wouldn't be able to get from nought to 62 in 4.1 shifting on your own probably whereas this will do it every single time. [SOUND] [SOUND] The brakes are pretty good, pretty strong. I've had to apply them with vigor a few times because we are in lovely Morocco and the drivers can be a little bit crazy. And the donkeys, and sheeps, and wild dogs, and birds, and cats And the occasional chicken can just step out into the road they don't really care for self preservation so the brakes are good and I've been playing around on country roads all morning. The pedal is easy. Modulate response is great. That's super sharp and after a lot of spirited driving, they don't appear to show any signs of fade, Blinding. The motor that 2.9 liter turbocharged the six. I know there was a lot of fast when the previous generation RS four came out the LD And he can ditch the V8. Two things on that. The first RS4 was a 2.7 liter twin turbo V6. No one complained then, everyone thinks it's brilliant. And doesn't really matter, frankly, because it's so fast. [BLANK_AUDIO] [SOUND] Got the all wheel drive traction. You have that just so much torque and you can keep the power on in the corners. You can keep it pinned because you have that grit it handles really, really well. If you want to throw it down country lane after country lane, you can leave the kids in the back. and the dog if you don't like your dog, and really like the smell of dogs. But if you want to use it just as a cruiser in driving down the motorway, it's quiet, it's comfortable. And when you want to overtake something indicates out you just need to lean on the throttle just a teeny tiny bit And just getting a big wave of talk and you should blow past everything. It's a staggering machine. I absolutely, love it. [MUSIC] It's always modes add a layer of extra personalized ability, which is cool and the only thing about the new motor that truly irked was the new infotainment screen. In functions just fine but it seems a bit Stuck on. Did the RS4 really need this update right now? Bar the extra economy, probably not. It's still fast, it still handles well. Though it won't excite the M crowd for obvious reasons. It's a good car. [SOUND] [BLANK_AUDIO]