Audi RS4: Defeating the BMW M5 one more time

Monday, March 05, 2007

Audi RS4: Defeating the BMW M5 one more time

Here's another hit for the BMW M5, formerly known as the ultimate driving machine. The Audi RS4 defeated the BMW M5 one more time in the latest comparison test done by Inside Line.

Now that the 2007 BMW M5 is here, it turns out that there's just one other German sedan with both a manual gearbox and an engine that makes more than 400 horsepower: the 2007 Audi RS 4.

It's the kind of comparison we live for. Never mind sensible transportation; this is all about fast driving.

It's a terrifically bad idea to design a car with the weight of a V8 engine hung entirely over the front axle. It hurts weight distribution, generates a lot of polar moment of inertia, overworks the front tires and brakes, upsets ride quality and makes the steering heavier.

None of this seems to matter in the 2007 Audi RS 4. Using just such a layout, Audi has managed to out-fun the 2007 BMW M5, one of the world's most respected driver's cars. And it's done so for tens of thousands of fewer dollars.