Audi celebrates one of its legendary performance wagons in a big way.
Especially here in the United States, the station wagon has fallen out of favor with manufacturers and the market at large. However, a devoted group of enthusiasts still share a passion for station wagons, especially luxury performance models that combine power, style, comfort, and practicality all in one. As a manufacturer, Audi is one of the biggest champions of this kind of car, and its RS 6 Avant is genuinely a high-performance marvel in its long history of luxury performance wagons. Also, Audi is also known, albeit internationally, for the RS 4 Avant, the RS 6 Avant’s smaller sibling.
The RS4 Avant was first introduced in 1999, part of the B5 generation, and it boasted a 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine that was developed in collaboration with Cosworth. With 375 horsepower, the RS4 Avant was incredibly hot-blooded with room to spare for cargo and passengers, and it was an important chapter in Audi’s performance wagon history. Fast forward 25 years, and Audi is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the RS4 Avant with a special Edition 25 Years model that resembles the RS4 Sport.
Today, the special edition model, which is limited to 250 examples of the RS 5 Sportback and 250 examples of the RS 4 Avant, both in Europe and unfortunately not coming Stateside, features an exclusive and iconic Imola Yellow exterior, and an upgraded twin-turbocharged V6 capable of 464 horsepower. A 3.7-second 0-60 time and a top speed of 186 mph make it a truly worthy successor to its RS 4 Avant forebear.
Special wheels, tires, and an optimized suspension set the Edition 25 Years model apart from the standard RS 4 Avant in terms of dynamics and performance, and a standard ceramic brake system provides stopping power. Along with the car, a limited edition matching chronograph watch has also been created to honor the anniversary. The RS 4 Avant Edition 25 Years and the RS 5 Sportback Edition 25 Years aren’t available in the US, but their European prices roughly equate to $155,000 and $140,000, respectively. While Americans only get the RS 6 Avant, it’s nice (if enviable) to know that Audi is even more dedicated to preserving its luxury performance wagon legacy in Europe.
Image Source: Audi
