The joy is in hoofing the throttle mid-corner in an uncouth manner
It’s classic fast Audi at its best: mind-bending performance, delivered with refinement and understatement. And wet or dry, the RS4 hooks up and does its thing in almost exactly the same way.
But what of involvement? It’s true that the RS4’S steering doesn’t give the same level of feedback as many older performance cars, but there’s enough here to feel what’s going on. To think of this car as the ultimate driving machine would be a mistake, but as a tool for covering ground at the fastest possible pace, it excels.
Push hard – and you have to push harder than you’ll probably want to, because it’s pretty unstickable – and the RS4 will understeer gently instead of indulging in lurid drifts. All very safe. But don’t think there isn’t exhilaration here, because before you get to that point, the RS4 will corner speeds that your brain tells you should be untenable. The joy is in hoofing the throttle mid-corner in a thoroughly uncouth manner and marvelling at the way the car magics grip and traction into existence and catapults you out of the bend while you cling on and enjoy the ride.
But didn’t all of these fast Audis have rock-hard rides? Perhaps time and a succession of vast-wheeled, harshly suspended sporty trim levels have desensitised us, but the RS4 doesn’t feel unbearable. For sure, it isn’t soft, and it does crash when it catches a particularly deep pothole, but even with these bucket seats, it doesn’t feel uncomfortable to this tester’s pernickety backside.
The RS4 can’t compete with its contemporary rivals in terms of pure involvement. It doesn’t have the adjustability or the depth for that. But then that isn’t the only way a performance car can be enjoyed. What the Audi gives you is sensational grunt, delivered any time you like, and that is exciting in itself. Then there are the superb looks, the practicality and sense of quality, all of which are enough to give even the most committed Audi sceptic something to think about.