Just for my own knowledge, knowing full well I could never afford an RS4, I was wondering how the 4.2 in the RS4 puts out so much more power... Is the 4.2 in the S4 simply detuned, or what?

I can afford an S4, and I'm hoping (if the wife lets me) sometime next spring, but I just can't get over the super sexiness of the RS4...

 

Which would you prefer? An '07-'08 RS4, 4.2 with about 410 HP, or an '07-'08 S6 5.2 with about 435 HP... both are about the same price...

 

I personally this the rs4 is sexier!

 

RS4 for sure; it'll sip the gas just thaaaaaat much less, being sans a liter from the S6 and looks better and IMO, I don't think you'll really miss that extra ~20hp considering how much heavier the S6 is with that bigger motor and bigger body just in general, the extra power in the S6 gets offset by how much heavier it is; what you put to the ground in both cars is probably going to be roughly the same, and IIRC, the RS4 has better aerodynamics so even if it still puts less power to the ground, it'll probably still feel faster.

/my $0.02

 

Yeah, hard to choose between those cars. Personal preference for sure. S6 is more refined, back seat passengers can be full-grown, all passengers can enjoy a more comfortable ride. RS4 definitely more sporty. Can you even get the S6 with a manual trans? I know little about that car.

RS4 is all about the widebody, IMHO. Lightly modded S4's are keeping up with RS4s, especially with the carbon buildup problems that plague the RS4. Not sure if they effect the S4 less (or not at all) but I think all the FSI cars have carbon problems which yield a steady loss of power over time and eventual misfires etc.

 

There are many variations of the 4.2L engine, the RS4 being the most advanced. For one thing its direct injected VS standard injection of the S4 4.2L. It has TWO engine control units just to keep track of everything, the intake, bore, stroke, exhaust, valves and tuning are all different than the S4 engine. The only way you could get an S4 to put out the same power as an RS4 is to slap a supercharger on that turd.

Being that i've driven both the S6 and RS4, i can tell you that the RS4 is much more brutal, and therfore a much more fun ride.

 

Yes, pretty much the RS4 and S4 are different engines, just same displacement and number of valves. I recently drove an RS4 and can say that it is a far more racier(is that a word?) engine than the one in my S4. It revs VERY high and you really have to get the RPM's up to get the full potential. The S4 is a more daily driver friendly engine, with a broader torque curve that comes on smoother. IMHO, they are completely different breeds; the S4 being a great touring saloon car and the RS4 being a track ready race machine. Either way, they are great cars with great engines.

 

The wife tells me the same thing after I've been drinking... hahaha!

 

Thata boy.

 

Racier isn't a word in the english language no. Racy and raciest are though, both of which have nothing to do with racing or cars. A good example of the word would be "that is the raciest wine we have ever tried" or "that word you just said is a tad on the racy side"

You should have put it " The RS4 engine developes a far bigger punch than the one in my S4" Or you could formulate a sentence with words like: Cruel, savage, harsh, ferocious, barbarous, beastly, uncivil as well as my favorite, racecar, which spelled backwards still spells the same word LOL.

Sorry about that, im being a pompus *** i know