A Northern European Audi construct on Speedhunters – what picture does that conjure up?
For many readers, it’ll be an ’80s or ’90-era quattro-equipped variant pulling off an enormous AWD energy skid at a Gatebil occasion. However not all modified Audis are reduce from the identical material, and 10 years in the past Bryn Musselwhite took a take a look at a B7 RS4 that was constructed completely different…
2014 Characteristic
For me, Audi evokes pictures of flame-spitting rally vehicles, joined by a howling soundtrack of 5 cylinder firepower and turbocharged surprise. Then there’s sleeper wagons with 500hp growling across the streets at evening, looking for harmless supercar victims. However what about straight line motion?
To be utterly trustworthy, what the identify Audi doesn’t do is make me consider drag racing. Till now. As a result of in a straight line, the RS4 I’m about to indicate you is the quickest of its type on this planet. Oh, and it makes 1,100hp and actually doesn’t like corners.
While you’re a Speedhunter discovering a fantastic characteristic automobile generally is a little bit like discovering your subsequent first rate meal – you don’t know precisely the place it’s coming from, however you belief it’s on the market. 5 years in the past I went to Finland to shoot some vehicles and take a more in-depth take a look at the scene over there. When it got here time to go over for an additional journey I spoke to my buddy Henri and he talked about that his neighbour had an Audi I could be interested by.
Actually a two-minute stroll from the place I’d been staying on my earlier journey was the big storage of Tomi Paavola. Packed filled with very cool toys, from motorbikes to a turbocharged Mercedes-Benz, it was the Audi that I’d come to see. Having simply the naked stats to go by, I wanted too.
Externally, the Audi is fairly inventory wanting with no wild wings or loopy staff graphics. It’s just a few logos on the rear quarters and a touch of weight saving, with the facet and rear home windows having been changed with polycarbonate.
The bonnet and boot lid are each carbon fibre however even that’s not that unusual within the Audi tuning scene. Extremely, the real RS4 shell nonetheless has full metal doorways and a regular glass windscreen fitted.
Though from this angle issues look a little bit completely different – the Stroud parachute positively makes you look twice. For these within the know, any automobile that wants a parachute to gradual it down should be fast – single-digit ET fast.
Then there’s the dimensions of the rear wheels and tyres and the best way they sit contained in the arches so the physique can squat down when the Audi launches. At 11.5 inches throughout they’re not that far faraway from a tyre width you’d discover on bigger set of street wheels – in drag phrases they’re really a bit skinny. And the way about that again finish? A Unusual (coolest model identify ever) spool kind, Professional Mod spec diff is housed contained in the {custom} centre – and could be very completely different from the unique Audi setup.
These rear tyres get loads of assist on the entrance although, with one other massive sticky set to assist them out when horsepower comes calling. Regardless of its look, Mickey Thompson’s ET Road is definitely a DOT-approved avenue tyre. Okay, so it may not be a lot good within the moist however, hey, don’t exit within the rain! There’s one other particular part on this image hiding a sneaky secret… Can you see the imposter?
To be truthful you’d be laborious pressed to identify the Nissan R33 GT-R interior CV joints on the entrance driveshafts, however they’re wanted due to the Nismo V-spec R33 GT-R switch case and a Nismo 2-way entrance diff with a 4.11:1 ratio. The Liberty gearbox is a drag racing murals, and one thing that may be generally discovered on this planet’s quickest, manually-shifted, straight line vehicles.
And that is one among them. Tomi beforehand ran a fast, drag-spec Audi coupe, however when that simply wasn’t quick sufficient he determined to go for broke with this bare-shell RS4 construct. Put collectively by himself and a really expert staff in Finland, sticking with the Audi model is a credit score to them.
Particularly when you think about that they retained the 5 cylinder engine, when so many others would have gone V8 or maybe RB or 2J energy. It really makes my mind fizz a bit that it solely displaces 2.2L – that’s 560hp per litre.
Given the lengthy heritage that the Finn’s have gotten with rallying and motorsport – and Audi being an enormous a part of that historical past – there are some very gifted specialists to utilize on this a part of the world. However that also doesn’t clarify to me simply how this motor grew to become so potent.
You may need to take a more in-depth take a look at the technical spec of the construct, loads of which was developed along with APR Finland. If I’m being trustworthy, how the engine does what it does confuses me – particularly once I’m advised the exhaust valves are smaller than inventory. How does that work? Watch this dyno-based energy run video to get a greater understanding of how efficient the bundle is.
Similar to the Finnish people who find themselves usually modest and don’t normally shout about how good they’re at issues, the entire construct actually oozes class for me. Like how the usual silver exterior offers technique to a darkish gray Professional Inventory spec cage.
It actually sums up this construct for me – the nearer you look, the extra you’re rewarded with this unbelievable Audi.
This movie from the drag strip exhibits simply how devastatingly efficient the hybrid Audi/Nissan/Unusual AWD system is.
Higher nonetheless is that this movie, which takes us in automobile for the experience! The revs by no means appear to drop and Tomi does the entire run one-handed as he slams the shifter backwards and forwards, then swiftly reaches for the parachute launch on the high finish.
Reality be advised, the RS4 hasn’t seen a lot motion within the final couple of years. Tomi enjoys enduro racing and is moderately good at it, so together with a enterprise and younger household to take care of his time is usually taken up by different issues.
The very fact stays that – in its time – this Audi might nicely have been the quickest AWD automobile on this planet on avenue authorized tyres. Simply let that sink in for a second… Fairly cool, huh?
Bryn Musselwhite
Instagram: brynmusselwhite
