Imagine yourself behind the wheel of a Audi RS 4 racing through Horse Thief Mile on a hot day in the low 90's. If you're having trouble, Craig Stanton is here to help your imagination and give you a real taste of the action. Horse Thief Mile is a mile-long canyon-like raceway with a long, 11% grade straightaway. Located in Southern California, just north of Los Angeles in Rosamond, Horse Thief Mile consist of 11 rough turns in the middle of desert conditions.
The 2008 RS 4 stocks a 4.2L quattro 420 horsepower V8 engine with 6-speed manual transmission. The $67,000 price tag also earns you a top speed of 155mph (electronically capped) and a 0-60 of 4.3 seconds. With 14mpg city and 20mpg highway, the RS 4 provides decent mileage for a car with such large displacement. Two tons of Audi include 13.4 cu ft of storage and a 16.6 gallon tank ($80 at the pump!).
Luxury and performance features include 12-way power driver and front passenger Recaro sports seats, aluminum quattro GmbH pedals, rear spoiler, , heated front seats, electric glass sunroof, leather, special RS 4 steering wheel, carbon fiber inlays, and 19" seven double-spoke alloy wheels.
Compared to the Lexus IS-F, the RS 4 sports a more conservative, round design inside and out. Neither car accommodates more than 2 passengers comfortably. While the Audi's engine boasts 4 more horsepower (420 compared to 416), the IS F's engine measures a greater displacement (5.0L to 4.2L). The RS 4's 0-60 of 4.3 bests the IS-F's 4.8 seconds. Overall, both cars will perform for your money's worth and are similar enough in tests that you'll fall in love with either one. Perhaps you're into the more conservative European Audi. Perhaps you're into the flashy, bold Japanese Lexus. Whichever way your boat floats, at least you've got your tastes satisfied and you're not craving a comparable American car.
