2006 Audi RS4 - The NEW 'Beast'

[aNoodle]

Today we have a loaner car while the Z8 is being serviced...a 2005 X3 3.0 that is quite loaded. No offense to anyone on the board with an X3 (want to say that up front) BUT...

compare the materials on the X3 door with any E46, 5 series, 7 series, 6 series and especially X5. The doors and materials feel like a DDR (GDR) Trabant. I was shocked when I saw and felt them today. These materials are the same on the Z4...and looks like similar in the new E90. Without starting another heated argument, I do not believe anyone that says these new models have the same quality, craftsmanship and feel as older BMWs, all Audis, Porsche, Mercedes.... I know-get off my soap box, but after spending the whole day in a brand new loaded X3....I feel like crying.
When I got into my M3 after the X3...I felt like I was in a padded, leather bank vault. I couldn't stop touching all the materials. Look at the interior door pulls/handles in the X3 and Z4...and compare it with other BMW models...and with EVERY other German car (even the Golf). You will understand just from the door handle that BMW quality is in the crapper. The X3 does drive nice, and I like the exterior looks. Just don't open the door

I couldn't agree more. I got an X3 for over week when I was getting my new tranmission and it was so cheap looking and feeling. Modern furniture has the same effect...it can look either amazing or come across as completely cheap. The X3 suffers from this problem. It looks great in pictures...kinda like those desks that somehow stand on 2 legs. But in person they just somehow missed the mark.

 

[MrElussive]

Am I the only one who notices the manuel rear windows? CHEAP ASS!

Good catch, I never even noticed that! Audi probably did it to save weight? In any case, I think the US version will definitely have power windows in the rear!

How do you like your Z4? Does it drive well?? How is it with the top down, in terms of wind noise and basically the whole roadster experience??

 

[bmw046series]

But what makes a European car great is it's degree of simplicity and driving feel.

 

[Kirby]

Am I the only one who notices the manuel rear windows? CHEAP ASS! and btw just buying a 3.0I Z4 I feel the interior materials are quite nice and I've driving both an X5 3.0I which I still own and an E46 325I and I feel the materials in the Z are very durable, much more then the 3-series but also quite nice

I could be wrong, but I am suspicious that these are not photographs, but rather CG renderings, which might explain the window cranks (a screw up).

There seems to be another very ODD problem with the pictures - look at the pedals in the different pictures. In one shot (pictures 3 & 4) you see what appears to be the brake and a bit of the gas pedal, then in another shot (picture 5) it is where the clutch would be - no gas or brake pedal? Or if the big pedal is really the dead pedal, then where is the gas pedal? They just don't look right....

 

[bmw046series]

 

[bmw046series]

Suprised there is a radio?

 

[tool fan]

In response to the X3 comments...........Guys, not everyone can afford the "top-o-da-line" Bimmers. There are quality perks to buying an X5 over the X3. I will be the first to admit that the X3 interior is no where near the quality that my 2004 530i had, but it is a FAR CRY from being cheap. I am quite happy with mine (1150 miles and 100 to go before I can open her up). My wife, friends and family love my X3 and love the quality. X3 is one of the few cars that BMW has made in recent times that was not plagued with mechanical and electrical problems...........but to each his/her own.

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

The pictures are photochopped! I knew it all along...

 

[MrElussive]

The pictures are real, they are from Edmunds.com! I would let y'all know if it was photochopped before-hand....I'm not deceiving like that.

tool fan, I think the X3 is a pretty good value. I think the interior, while not at hte level of the X5, certainly does feel quite premium on the inside. Everything is also very durable...it is not easy to scratch the aluminum trim and the interior as a whole doesn't make a single rattle and everything is very tight. You have to keep in mind that the X3 is a bigger vehicle than the 3-Series so even though they cost around the same, the X3 is MORE actual vehicle.

 

[Chesty Bonds]

A big part of that visual appeal are the items you mention that are not in a 3 series, Carbon Fiber, the funky steering wheel (which looks great but is useless, actually a handicap, for true performance driving), and the stainless steel pedals.

I'm not sure why the flat-bottomed steering-wheel is a handicap?

 

[Kirby]

Think of the steering wheel as always occupying a predictable "space" so you can grab or shuffle any part of it at any time. The edge of this steering wheel will not be in the same space depending upon it's turn angle, and you will have to change hand grip and position.

Very annoying when you are focusing on driving, why should you have to think about how/where to grab the steering wheel depending on it's angle?

It's flat on the bottom for two reasons, both aesthetic - looks, and comfort while crusing down the highway. It's flat so you can tilt it lower, close to your legs. Exactly where you DON'T want it for performance driving.

It's an F1 styling que, but F1 cars steer much tighter. This car will still steer 2 to 2 1/2 turns lock to lock.

 

[Chesty Bonds]

Think of the steering wheel as always occupying a predictable "space" so you can grab or shuffle any part of it at any time. The edge of this steering wheel will not be in the same space depending upon it's turn angle, and you will have to change hand grip and position.

Very annoying when you are focusing on driving, why should you have to think about how/where to grab the steering wheel depending on it's angle?

It's flat on the bottom for two reasons, both aesthetic - looks, and comfort while crusing down the highway. It's flat so you can tilt it lower, close to your legs. Exactly where you DON'T want it for performance driving.

It's an F1 styling que, but F1 cars steer much tighter. This car will still steer 2 to 2 1/2 turns lock to lock.

They're some good points that you make and I can certainly see what you mean with regards to performance driving but I think if you use the proper technique then a flat-bottomed wheel shouldn't make any difference.

For oversteer situations, your hands should never touch any other part of the wheel other than the 3 and 9 o'clock positions. This is achived by crossing hand over hand in the desired direction. Of course, lots of people have lots of different techniques but I have always been taught in this way. Therefore, I don't see a flat-bottomed steering wheel being a hindrance to performance driving.

You say you shouldn't have to think about where to grab the wheel in an oversteer situation. Again, I've been taught this technique so that you ALWAYS know where the front wheels are pointing. You always know how much lock is wound on and you therefore know how much you need to unwind in such situations.

This is very hard to explain!

 

[Kirby]

What you say is correct and is also what I have been taught. But I can give a specific example of where this wheel is a problem.

The best technique is to ALWAYS maintain the 3/9 grip, and never let go of the wheel or use hand over hand. You can get a full 1/2 turn of the wheel (from dead center) in each direction by letting your larms cross as you turn the wheel.

However, on a road course or autocross track, there are sometimes turns that are too tight to maintain a 3/9 grip. The instinct is to turn hand over hand in this case. But I was taught a different technique which I find to be better. My instructor hammered me that hand over hand is bad in a corner - you want both hands on the wheel all the time in a corner. The trick is to "preload" your hands to a different angle (such as 12/6 or 1/7) before the corner, and maintain grip, no hand over hand thru the corner.

Picture a tight left turn that requires more than 1/2 turn of the wheel. Just before entering the turn, you slide your left hand to 12 and right hand to 6. You can now make the turn with no hand over hand and get 3/4 rotation. For extremely tight turns, you can preload to 3 left/9 right and get one full rotation while never letting go of the wheel in the corner.

This is why I would find this steering wheel really annoying due to the non-uniform shape.

 

[Chesty Bonds]

Yeah I see what you mean. In this case I can see why this wheel would be a right pain in the arse.

 

[deutsch100]

In response to the X3 comments...........Guys, not everyone can afford the "top-o-da-line" Bimmers. There are quality perks to buying an X5 over the X3. I will be the first to admit that the X3 interior is no where near the quality that my 2004 530i had, but it is a FAR CRY from being cheap. I am quite happy with mine (1150 miles and 100 to go before I can open her up). My wife, friends and family love my X3 and love the quality. X3 is one of the few cars that BMW has made in recent times that was not plagued with mechanical and electrical problems...........but to each his/her own.

Hey Mike,

I agree and disagree with you While I agree that "top o da line" Bimmers are not for everyone, "top o da line" interior quality and feel should be for every Bimmer. The E46 323i and 325i were priced lower than your new X3...and they used many of the same quality feeling parts of the older 5 and 7 series. With the small engine 3ers, you might have been buying an "entry level" car...but many of the same materials and controls were in 330s and 5 and 7 Series.

I like you car a lot (especially the colour)....but it is obvious that BMW cost cutted on the materials, and hoped that the public would buy it and be happy just because there is a blue & white roundel on the hood.

This is exactly, EXACTLY the same situation MBZ had about 5 years ago. From being the BEST car in the world, to now having the worst reliability and customer satisfaction than Kia and Hyundai. They started cost cutting materials and their products...but people kept buying them because the 3 pointed star was on the hood. Eventually though, their new cheap materials and problematic cars bit them in the ass. Daimler Chrysler AG is having big problems financially and image wise. They are dumping hundreds of millions of € in trying to turn the company around. BMW should really study what happend to the company the made cars "Engineered unlike any other". By using cheap materials, and selling cars with tons of electrical problems...they are setting themselves up to replace MBZ in this lowest category of reliability and customer satisfaction.

Ok...I have now stepped of my Soap Box

 

[Montana]

Check out this site if you haven't seen it. It has all the specs on all the new coolest cars coming out including this one, the new M5, M6. Same pictures looks like.

http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/audi_rs4.asp

 

[MrElussive]

The flat-bottom steering wheel is so hot. I know for daily driving it's probably not practical, but I wish the US spec RS4 would have it anyways.

 

[brahtw8]

m5board recently tested the E60 M5 against a variety of cars. They have some video up as well as tons of photos.

It is a monster. The RS4 is not anticipated to be faster. The new M5 was clearly faster than the current E55 and kept up with a 510 hp 911 and a Gallardo, with 4 passengers in the M5. At high speeds the gearing advantage of the SMG, as well as its lightning shifts, give the M5 a huge advantage over cars with fewer gears.

The SMG III 7 speed is getting rave reviews.

Now if only they could fix the styling . . .

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

I agree that steering wheel is ugly, and awkward for performance driving. It's just for show, I guess it's perfect for driving around town...

 

[Kirby]

m5board recently tested the E60 M5 against a variety of cars. They have some video up as well as tons of photos.

It is a monster. The RS4 is not anticipated to be faster. The new M5 was clearly faster than the current E55 and kept up with a 510 hp 911 and a Gallardo, with 4 passengers in the M5. At high speeds the gearing advantage of the SMG, as well as its lightning shifts, give the M5 a huge advantage over cars with fewer gears.

The SMG III 7 speed is getting rave reviews.

Now if only they could fix the styling . . .

The RS4 should/will be disadvantaged against the new M3 as well, assuming that the new M3 puts out 400 - 415 hp. Why? Quattro. The additional losses due to the Quattro result in less usable power.

If you watch SpeedTV races, the Audis get an incredible launch, but they quickly fall behind.