Hot hatchbacks are a compromise: a fair amount of utility with the zest of sportiness. Hot wagons however, are the real deal, proving all of the space and a ton of fun, if done correctly. Audi knows how to correctly cook up a hot wagon, and the German company just announced it will reveal a special edition RS 4 at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. Named the RS 4 Avant Nogaro, it pays homage to the forerunner of the RS badge, 1994’s iconic Audi RS2 Avant, and its two wins at the Nogaro circuit in the French Touring Car Championship.
The RS2 honed the rally-fighting DNA of Audi’s Quattro monsters from the ’80s and early ’90s, adding huge horsepower to the practical layout of the Audi 80 wagon. Fitted with all-wheel-drive and the 2.2L turbocharged five-cylinder from the S2 coupe, this hot German estate produced a staggering 315 horsepower, rocketing from 0-60mph in just 5.4 seconds. That’s impressive by today’s standards and even more amazing considering it was 20 years ago.
By comparison, the new RS 4 Avant Nogaro has a more conventional weapon, Audi’s 4.2L naturally aspirated V8, pumping out 450 horsepower. Wheels are large 20-inchers, masking the oversized red RS calipers underneath. Inside, ze Germans offer two upholstery options: black on black or black and blue.
