Audi RS4 Competition Is Nearly as Quick as the Far More Powerful RS7
In this recent drag race, the lighter yet far less powerful Audi RS4 Competition gives the mighty RS7 one heck of a scare.
In the states, we’re blessed with a wide array of ICE-powered high-performance Audi models to choose from, even amid the brand’s desire to move more toward the electrified side of things. However, in the automotive realm, there are always certain, special models that other parts of the world are able to buy that don’t reach out shores, and that list includes the new Audi RS4 Competition. After all, we are talking about perhaps the perfect vehicle – one that combines the utility of a wagon with the performance of a sports car – and as it turns out, the Audi RS4 Competition punches above its weight class on the track, too.
We know this thanks to a recent drag race set up by the folks at CarWow, who were able to line up a new Audi RS4 Competition against an RS7 Performance to see which is the quickest. On paper, the RS7 has a tremendous advantage in terms of power, as its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 churns out 630 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque compared to the RS4’s twin turbo 2.9-liter V6 generating 450 horsepower and 443 pound-feet.
In terms of weight, the Audi RS4 Competition tips the scales at just over 3,800 pounds, while the RS7 is just shy of a whopping 5,000 pounds, however – giving the wagon a path to making up for its massive power disadvantage. This certainly shows up in these drag races as well – along with its remapped gearbox that firms up shifts, the RS4 Competition takes fully advantage of its rather svelte (by comparison) curb weight to give the RS7 a bit of a scare at the track.
As one might imagine, the RS7 still manages to squeeze out a win by running an 11.3-second quarter-mile. However, the RS4 Competition wasn’t far behind at all, tripping the lights in 11.8 seconds – a mere half-second margin. That’s a truly slim difference given the 180 horsepower gap the RS4 Competition has to make up for, but it seems as if that 1,200-pound weight savings is more than capable of helping to close it in a big way.
Thus, it’s truly unfortunate that the Audi RS4 Competition isn’t sold in the U.S., but on the same token, the hot wagon isn’t cheap, either. In fact, the Competition package adds around $14k to the price of the regular RS4, which is quite a bit of coin. Regardless, for those that want both performance and utility in one svelte package, it’s also a pretty compelling option in a world that doesn’t have many of them to offer.
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