What do cars like the RS4 and RS6 compete against?

Car magazines and shows always compare the S4 or S6 to the German rivals of the M3/M5 and the C and E AMG respectively. Does this mean that the RS4 and RS6 are in a league of their own? I do know that when the latest version of the RS cars comes out, there is always huge hype and attention paid to the massive amounts of torque and horsepower, numbers that the BMW and Merc models can’t touch. As for the latest A4 models however, I wonder if the S4 should be more compared to the 335xi for example than putting the V6 A4 up against it, since the two lower engine choices now differ little off the line.

What do you guys think? I know Quattro Gmbh produces these RS models as uncompromising performance vehicles, so shouldn’t that be matched to BMW’s M series and Merc’s AMG series, and not the Audi S models??

6 Responses to “What do cars like the RS4 and RS6 compete against?”

  1. Amit P on June 28th, 2010 2:21 pm

    the RS cars are Audi’s hyped up cars!!! Audi only produce one RS model at a time due to them being so powerful. like the RS6 has just replaced the RS4. you can no longer buy a brand New RS4 from the factory!! the S versions of Audi cars are the slightly less powerful cars of the RS. The only reason car magazines compare the BMW’s and Merc’s to Audi’s S range is because the power output of the RS cars are way over the top of the M3/M5/C amg/E amg. like an Audi RS6 has 572BHP, the Audi S6 has only 485BHP. now the M5 has 507BHP, and the AMG E-class also has 507BHP, if you think about it, the S6′s stats are closer to the M5/E AMG stats.

    You only buy a Audi RS car if you either have loads of cash and want a fast, big car, or, if you want to out run anyone prancing around a ugly BMW M3/M5. and make them look like a fool!!!!

  2. uthockey32 on June 28th, 2010 2:21 pm

    I think the RS is a low volume car so most car magazines do not do comparisons on them.

  3. Sleeper Service on June 28th, 2010 2:21 pm

    The RS4 and RS6 are not really in a league of their own performance wise. BMW’s M’s and MB’s AMG are in the same league.

    Audi and MB can not tough the handling of the BMW’s.Mercedes Benz AMG cars are basically German hotrods and tough to beat in a straight line. Audi’s fall somewhere in betwen.

  4. a88fl1 on June 28th, 2010 2:21 pm

    The RS series are made to compete with the M and AMG series since its clear the S series doesn’t. Older RS variants were similar in performance to the M and AMG class, however its just recently that audi has been producing these cars with massive power that out-preform the competition as you noted. Im guessing the S-line is there for people who dont have the money for a RS.

  5. Quattro695 on June 28th, 2010 2:21 pm

    The RS models compete directly with the M and AMG models. Few years ago the S models could compete with the M and AMG models but the horsepower wars between the big three german companies have changed the lineups. The RS6 might just be the last edition to the horsepower war because now that all brands are focused on efficiency instead of pure horsepower. The M brand has always been the most agile and driver oriented while the RS is considered the allrounder.

  6. tstud925 on June 28th, 2010 2:21 pm

    Yes. The S-models are suppose to have a performance edge over the regular BMW and Mercedes cars. The new S4 has 330hp, but an equivilant bmw 335xi has 300hp. The RS models compare to the AMG and M models. Some cars like the S8 can compare, and the S6 isn’t too bad, but it all depends..here is a list….

    RS4

    M3
    C63 AMG

    RS6

    M5
    E63 AMG