Audi RS4 Cabriolet review (2006-2008)

There was a time when convertibles were all show and no go. Save for a few exotic machines, the drop-tops were more than happy to waft, not race, past people in a bid to get noticed.

The situation is changing, though. The number of cars offering serious wind-in-the-hair motoring is on the up. And I'm not talking about serious kit here like Porsches and Ferraris, but more accessible stuff from the likes of BMW and Audi.

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You're probably familiar with BMW's M3; it's an unsurprisingly popular car after all. With the roof removed you've got yourself one heck of a convertible sports car. It no longer has the market to itself however, thanks to Audi's latest generation revved-up A4 Cabriolet. The arrival of the current A4 range proved that Audi had listened to the critics and made improvements to the car's sometimes over-hard ride. The ever popular convertible line-up gained the same revisions, and we've also got something new to play with: a fire-breathing RS 4 Cabriolet with a 4.2-litre V8 and all-wheel drive.

Understated looks

Whatever its bold, go-getting image might suggest, Audi's philosophy has been to produce understated cars - TT aside. This approach is most welcome at the performance end of the scale as you'll never attract the wrong kind of attention, and you can be forgiven for not spotting the drop-top RS 4 at first sight. Save for the rather nice alloy wheels and substantial twin oval exhaust pipes, there's not much between this car and a diesel variant from a distance. Yes it boasts a slightly more aggressive nose, but it's all relative in this understated context.

We drive the new TT

Inside it's trimmed just like any other Audi: impeccably. This approach never fails to impress, and puts many rivals to shame. Sports seats are, as you would expect, the norm in the RS4. What is unusual is the flat-bottomed steering wheel. Originally a feature of the current Golf GTI, it's made its way to the second generation TT and now the RS 4 line-up (saloon, Avant, Cabrio). Although the chunky, race car-like wheel does much to hint at the RS 4's potential, hitting the starter button confirms any suspicions. A purposeful rumble flows through the twin exhaust pipes upon start up, and once the V8 engine has settled into a low idle you know this Audi means business.

Easy performance

The Cabrio has been a popular choice for many years, but now it comes with enough go to match its showy personality. I trust you'll agree that the combination of 420 horsepower, quattro four-wheel drive and a six-speed manual gearbox is more than enough to put it in the supercar league. Thankfully toiling around town is straightforward, and proves that the car is anything but a highly strung performance prima donna when driven sensibly. The engine's generous amount of torque plus the sensible gearing mean there are no embarrassing kangarooing at roundabouts and junctions, and the car never feels like it's going to take off down the High Street on a whiff of throttle.

Spied: two turbocharged Audi RS models

But let's be honest, you buy a convertible to have fun in. And you buy a performance convertible to have fun in at a quicker pace. With that in mind, dropping the roof on the RS4 takes just the flick of a switch, transforming the car into a sleek, stylish machine for sun worshipers and speed junkies alike. And you've got to do it whatever the weather if only to listen to the RS 4's tuneful V8. You get more than just the sensation of the wind lapping around your ears in this Audi though. The deep bass sounds from the exhaust and engine change to a more urgent howl once you hit your stride on a favourite B-road.

Loud 'n' proud

Strangely, the car's on-paper performance figures cease to be that impressive when you're blatting down familiar road. Sure, the RS 4 will sprint to 62mph in a ridiculously quick 4.9 seconds, but it's the car's mid-range thrust and its relentless journey to serious speeds at an effortless pace that really impresses. Oh, and the noise - definitely the noise. All in all, the car is a pleasant surprise; enjoyable and rewarding to drive quickly, tuneful when you want it to be, versatile enough to accommodate four adults in reasonable comfort and refined and attractive enough with the roof up to be a sensible all-weather car.

Full road test of the RS4 saloon

The final piece in the RS 4 jigsaw centres on an innocent-looking button on the car's steering wheel. Marked with an 'S' this button should be pressed at every opportunity - I'd even recommend taping it down for good. Cynics will say it's nothing but a gimmick, but pressing it sharpens the car's throttle response and lets the exhaust breathe more freely. The former is indeed a subtle change but the latter does much to announce your arrival to passers-by. The already deep exhaust note becomes deeper still, and while it's no TVR it sounds like a proper old-fashioned V8 sports car: a deep-chested, throbbing accompaniment to any journey.

Verdict

After a few cases of mild disappointment thanks to less than focussed fast Audi's in the recent past, the current RS 4 range - and in particular the Cabrio - proves that Audi never really lost its touch for producing such cars, just mislaid it. Now that the German firm has found its performance mojo again, Rapid, affordable drop-top motoring no longer has to be the preserve of Porsche and BMW - the RS 4 Cabriolet is the proof.

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