I could really use any insights you all can give. I apologize up front that I have until recently know nothing about Audi products. I am a current E46 M3 and I went to the local Audi dealership recently to take a look, because of the poor service I had been getting at my local BMW dealership, forcing me to go for service at the next closet BMW dealer 90 miles away. I am currently high on the wait list for the 4 door version of the new E90 M3 which should be coming out within the next year and a half. I really was looking for the > 400 h.p. V8. I recently went back to the Audi dealership and got the opportunity to test drive an S4 and man was I impressed! I inquired about the RS4 and was told the list was greater than 10 people and that the odds of getting one within the next year and a half were pretty unlikely. The dealer then stated that my best bet was to take advantage of a 25th anniversary S4. One weird thing about this dealer is they don't require a deposit to get on the list, so I wonder if a lot of people will drop off when they have to give a deposit.
I am not in any hurry to get into one car for the other and would be willing to wait a year and a half. What do you all think? Is the 25th anniversary too good an opportunity to pass up? Is it going to be so impossible to get an RS4 over the next year and a half? Thanks for any insights you all could shed.
I think the 25th Anni version is just a nice S4 with all of the bells and whistles and some different badging. The RS4 is a completely different ballgame. More power, not just more lipstick. If you can stand the wait and you have the cash, then I would.
As far as availability goes - I've found over the years that these cars that are more rare can be had for a price after their introduction. They will show up for sale almost immediately in mags and other places. Some yahoo will put 1000mi on one and then decide he wants out. It happens all the time.
As far as I know the 25th anniversary S4 is mechanically the same car as the regular S4 - just with some styling differences to make it unique. But, the regular S4 is a great car (I have one) and can be tuned to get to close to maybe 380 hp. Or you could put a supercharger on it, but that's pretty expensive. I'm sure you can find an RS4, but you'll probably have to pay considerably more than MSRP because of demand.
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2005 (B6) s4 6MT - brilliant ("mid-life crisis") red
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RS4 - E90 M3 - Versus 25th Anniversery S4 - 
