Audi RS4 Avant | PH Origin Story

After a quarter of a century, the RS4 Avant is no more. Its hybrid replacement has some job to do...

By Matt Bird / Saturday, 6 December 2025 / Loading comments

An Audi line-up without a compact, properly fast estate in it feels strange. Gaps in RS product have existed in the past, of course, however much we like to imagine them being a constant. Perhaps it’s simply that, right now, Audi could do with a great RS4 more than ever. It feels like there hasn’t been very much for the enthusiast to get excited by from Audi Sport for a little while now; piecemeal efforts like the RS4 Competition and RS6 GT have been welcome, though a whole lot less memorable than the demise of some other models.

A great new fast estate, even one called RS5 rather than RS4, would surely get plenty back onside. Audi created the genre, after all, made it their own, and waited (while selling plenty of cars) for the rest of the world to latch onto what a great idea they’d had. And the mid-2020s present quite the opportunity for a new generation of Audi all-star: imagine a car that incorporated plug-in technology more successfully than the C63, while using electrification to be sharper and cleverer than an M3 Touring. As well as better looking. Nobody would be whining about an RS4 becoming an RS5 if it broke new ground for the class.

Because that’s what makes the smallest Audi uberwagons so special: they achieve things that haven’t been done before. The RS2 is probably the most famous advert for that, but then the B7 demonstrated that an 8,000rpm, manual load lugger needn’t have to be a one-off project car; the B8 introduced dual-clutch convenience to the formula. And how many other cars could pass for a normal family car, rev to the moon and change gear in milliseconds?

Certainly the impact of 25 years of RS4 deserved celebrating, because no fast estate has been quite so influential. Happily, the two ideal cars to do so are in Audi’s possession: OU51 DOH, the B5 RS4 famous from so many shoots over the years, and the car it celebrates, last year’s RS4 25 Years Edition. Both in Imola Yellow, of course. Having only briefly driven the 25 Years, it’ll be the ideal opportunity to see if it’s a proper homage to an icon. Or a shameless cash-in, all £120,000 of it, on some incredible heritage.

With the Welsh sunshine providing epic stage lighting, both RS4s look absolutely superb. The new car, hunkered down on those incredible wheels thanks to the Competition’s coilovers, smoulders in a way no B9 ever has before. Who knew those arches looked so rude? The original, despite vast expanses of glass, can definitely still serve up attitude as well, the stance on those famously fragile wheels just about perfect. Naturally, the colour makes you gawp at both, totally inappropriate for family cars and all the better for it, though it really doesn’t take long for a keen eye to see and appreciate some fabulous details. And they aren’t so different: 255s all-round on an 18-inch wheel plays 275s all round on a 20, for example. Maybe not every RS4 has been the greatest thing in the world to drive; we can surely all agree that the styling has always been spot on.

The new car is more than just a tribute paint job, too. The original has manually adjustable bucket seats in it - so does this one. They’ve even set these Sabelts a little too high, just to match those original Recaros. In Europe, there was an Alcantara wheel option to mimic the B5 as well. There’s also the less obvious stuff to note; each feels like there’s an appropriate amount of car around you on the road or in a parking space, the 2024 car not having ballooned by comparison. (Probably as it dates from 2017 now; let’s hope the next sticks to the script.) The view out is good, especially with beefy arches in the mirrors, and both dashboards are solid, secure, maybe a touch stoic. And that’s always preferable to overly flamboyant. Lastly, it’s worth pointing out that there’s a well-assembled modern Audi, and then the glory days of the early '00s: the B5 still has a cigarette lighter that could heat a village hall, a dash that’s weathered the past 25 years as well as George Clooney, and heated seat dials that feel like working the combo for a safe. In some cases, they really don’t make them like they used to.

Famously for the first RS4, that extended to under the bonnet as well. Because Audi roped in Cosworth to help overhaul the S4’s turbocharged V6, and to dramatic effect. With new heads, better intercoolers, intake and exhaust tweaks, racier pistons and more besides, this was a 380hp Audi A4 estate - at a time when a Ferrari 360 Modena made 400hp, and the legendarily potent DB7 Vantage produced 420hp. Imagine an RS4 today with the power of a 296 GTB or V12 Aston Martin - it’s almost unbelievable. Partly because power figures have soared in recent years, but also because the RS4 really was unfathomably potent a quarter of a century ago. A C43 AMG, probably the closest rival, could barely muster 300hp.

It remains a fabulously exciting engine, too, combining the urgency and fizz of relatively little capacity with the rampant wallop of forced induction. No wonder Audi went back to Northamptonshire for the RS6’s V8. You’ll not really want to haul along in fourth gear, because nobody’s home below 3,000rpm; from there, however, the rush is compelling, six cylinders howling and performance cascading all the way to peak power at seven and even a little beyond. The intermediate ratios are short, the shift is quick and before you know it your speed could be classified as naughty even for 2001. It feels like a Japanese powertrain of the era, and that’s meant entirely as a compliment, with turbos tuned solely for excitement and a feeling of unburstability despite wild performance. The B5 remains hellishly fast, and thrilling to experience; it must have felt like another dimension in the age of the Clio 172. Let’s be glad, too, that BMW never forged ahead with its M3 Touring idea of this era; any handling advantage would have been annihilated by the performance chasm.

Indeed, it says a lot about the OG’s speed that there isn’t a huge amount to separate the two RS4s. Audi should be applauded for keeping weight down, moreover. There’s less than 100hp between them (the 25 Years benefitting from a 20hp boost over standard), less than 100kg, less than 200cc and, officially at least, less than 5mpg as well. Standards were a bit slacker back then, though nothing demonstrates a great idea like returning to it. The new car’s relative immediacy, both in turbo and transmission technology, ensures a performance advantage, though it isn’t leagues ahead. Audi’s attention to detail is seemingly such that there’s a similar boomy resonance from a 2024 exhaust pipe as there is from a 2001 system. Fascinating.

So often with these stories the similarities are intangible, recognisable themes running throughout cars from different generations rather than actual common ground. But this is uncanny. They take up a similar sort of space on the road, gobble it up at equally ferocious rate, and make you feel like dad of the year while only occasionally spooking you with numb brakes. It isn’t so much homage as a wholesale replica.

There are differences, of course, though this is the closest two of these ‘This Is Your Life’ cars have initially felt. The original RS4, bless it, is the full house when it comes to fast Audi cliche bingo. The ride is firm and pretty unyielding, yet can still be found wanting in terms of control; that glorious V6 is so far forward in the engine bay it looks like it might topple out, so there’s no great desire to turn; and in a world before sport diffs, there’ll be nothing so subtle as throttle adjustability. That just speeds up the front end’s charge towards the tree. It’s to be expected for a car of this vintage, is easily worked around, and - perhaps most importantly - doesn’t spoil the charm. Although you're unlikely to stop daydreaming about the sort of chassis that might truly unlock the V6. There’s some initial sensation to the steering, so best appreciate that. Otherwise point, pause, hold on tight, repeat. And think about some coilovers.

The new RS4, by comparison, feels like it’s mid-engined. Probably this era hasn’t been characterised by urgency, immediacy and agility - truth be told, the standard 450hp B9 was spectacularly plain - but that’s exactly how it feels against the B5. Every bend apparently takes half the stopping distance, a quarter of the steering effort and next to no time at all. Yet crucially there’s some engagement on offer as well; the 25 Years (along with the mechanically identical Competition) version proving there's hope for Audi's wagon as 4 becomes 5.

The expensive, manually adjustable suspension not only controls the car better, it connects the driver to the road more convincingly as well. It makes a drive so much more satisfying to know rather than guess about the chassis and the surface. At school run pace, it’s probably a little too intimate, though once up to speed the RS Suspension Pro offers a lovely blend of security and rolling refinement. The changes to the all-wheel drive and the sport differential, favouring the rear axle a little more, keep the RS4 neutral for longer - and offer up the sort of cornering contribution from the non-steering wheels that the B5 couldn’t even dream of. The upshifts farts are sillier, which brings some joy to a pretty flat powertrain; the ESC is now more of a party popper than pooper; and there’s a flow to the RS4 experience that didn’t really exist previously. Until you touch those brakes again, which are way too grabby when cold. And will probably remain so in most use cases. Still, a sign-off like this means (that for superfans at least) the B9 is remembered more fondly than it might have otherwise been. Crucially, too, it shows that Audi still cares about this little niche, and therefore hope endures for what comes next.

Is a 25 Years worth £120,000? No, of course not. Not when the Competitions are available from £70k, and the standard one from half that. The changes are nice, for sure, and life probably would seem pretty good seeing this outside every day, but there’s no way of squaring it as an objectively wise purchase. Its status as a genuine collector's item seems uncertain, too, given the existence of Competitions already.

Nevertheless, when the light is drawing in, home seems a long way off and people will insist on dawdling, the 25 Years makes for fine company. Even if progress isn’t exactly inconspicuous. It’s fast and moderately fun, and assisted by technology rather than being dominated by it… engine aside, it's a lot of what an RS4 should be. And in adhering to so many of the criteria laid out by the original, it goes to show how close Audi was to fast estate nirvana all those years ago. Make the performance more than ample (and deployable in all conditions), make it great to look at, a pleasure to spend time in - also durable enough to withstand everything thrown at an Avant - and the job is almost done. It's easily enough to make spending a few days with this pair an unmitigated pleasure. If the upcoming RS5 can retain those traits, while delivering a driving experience that doesn’t require qualification, caveat or coilovers to deliver, then all will be more than well on planet RS. A tough ask perhaps, with electrification looming - but who better to redefine estate expectations than Audi Sport? It wouldn’t be the first time…

SPECIFICATION | 2001 AUDI RS4 AVANT (B5)

Engine: 2,671cc, twin-turbo V6
Transmission: 6-speed manual, four-wheel drive via Torsen differential
Power (hp): 381@7,000 rpm
Torque (lb ft): 324@2,500-6,000rpm
0-62mph: 4.9 sec (claimed)
Top speed: 162 mph (limited)
Weight: 1,620 kg
MPG: 24
CO2: 288g/km
Price new: £46,500 (2000)

SPECIFICATION | 2024 AUDI RS4 AVANT EDITION 25 YEARS

Engine: 2,894cc, twin-turbo V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 470@5,700-6,700rpm
Torque (lb ft): 443@1,900-5,000rpm
0-62mph: 3.7 sec
Top speed: 186mph
Weight: 1,715kg (standard car)
MPG: 28.8 (standard car)
CO2: 227g/km
Price new: £119,180 (2024)