Audi RS4 rendering
The next-generation RS4 will reportedly feature a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6--the same basic unit found in the somewhat tamer S4, though it will no doubt be in higher tune in its RS application. The outgoing generation RS4 is powered by a 4.2-liter V-8 rated at 414 horsepower. Power figures for the new engine aren't yet known, but the new supercharged V-6 is expected to be thoroughly sporty.
Adding the requisite power bump in the next-generation RS4 model would place output on par with the V-8 model, and thanks to the supercharged induction, a very wide torque band would be available from an even lower RPM--all ingredients for very strong performance.
The original Audi RS4 featured a forced-induction V-6, though it was a twin-turbo unit generating 261 horsepower from its 2.6L displacement. Efficiency ratings of forced induction technologies have advanced somewhat since the first twin-turbo RS4 was built in late 1999 and the addition of twin-turbos or any dual-charging system to the current RS4 has been dismissed as prohibitively complex and expensive for the gains over a single supercharger design.
Whether Audi will actually follow through with the return to a forced-induction six-cylinder or not remains to be seen, but with impending fuel and emissions standards tightening around the world, even the high-performance luxury carmakers will have to change to keep fleet averages in line. No word yet on a release date but in the meantime, check out our latest computer-generated rendering which gives us an early look at the aggressive lines Audi’s designers have planned for the new RS4.
