Audi RS 4: Ride of the Valkyres

Fourtitude's George Achorn had the chance to get a ride in the new Audi RS 4 during the 24 hours of LeMans.

If there’s a car in Audi’s lineup that is closest in DNA to the R8s screaming through the night just yards away, then it surely must be the new RS 4 sedan. It’s the first production Audi to use one of their venerable 4.2-liter V8 gasoline engines that’s fitted with FSI direct injection, pumping out a peak 414bhp at 7,800 rpm, 317 lb. ft. of torque at 5,500 rpm and it’ll happily rev all the way up to a 8,250 rpm redline.

Then I get a tap on the shoulder. One of the attractive French women attending the signup desk tells me it’s time to go. My blood starts to pump in anticipation. It’s now about 2AM. I’m punchy, but I’m about to get a ride in the new RS 4 for the first time under the shroud of darkness.

Given my state of tiredness, the cover of night and that I’m not driving, I keep mentally telling myself to try to remember every detail as I ride in the shuttle through the dirt roads of the airport to the far end of the runway.

Under the moon and some flood lights Audi has brought in to help illuminate the area, I step out of the shuttle to see three RS 4s sitting eerily in the darkness while I hear the song of blazing Le Mans racecars not more than a half-mile away. There’s a red one, a gray one and a black one, and it appears they’ve been giving rides part of the evening at the hands of some professional French drivers.

George is really a lucky guy. You should read his article!

Source: Fourtitude

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