Sorry Audi Fans, No RS4 For You

Bad news. Audi has confirmed that the next generation RS4 will not be coming to North America. There were rumours of it getting the axe a while back and the reasons for its death are essentially true. Audi doesn’t want to over saturate our market with RS models. Which is essentially saying, Audi doesn’t want you to have too much fun.

Audi says the lack of an RS4 in the line up will be filled by the RS5. In my opinion, that doesn’t quite fill the shoes of the RS4. The RS5, from what I’ve consistently read, has too much understeer for its own good. Not to mention it’s more expensive and not nearly as practical as the RS4. Even BMW and Mercedes-Benz offer sedan versions of the M3 and C63 AMG. Audi says we will get a next generation RS6 to fill the gap of no RS sedan in the lineup, which also doesn’t make sense because in my eyes the RS6 would compete with the BMW M5 and the Mercedes-Benz E36 AMG, not the M3 or C63 AMG.

And to add insult to injury, Audi is developing an RS4 Avant (that we will not get either) which could have gone head to head with the Cadillac CTS-V wagon.

Sounds like Audi’s product planning department for North America needs a bit of a tune up.

In the meantime, it looks like if you want a compact sports sedan with four rings on the grille in Canada, the best you’ll be able to do is the S4. Which isn’t disappointing by any means, it just hurts a little knowing it’s not the best Audi can do.

[Inside Line]

Audi RS4 To Bite The Dust?

According to Audi insiders, the performance injected RS4 will not continue on with the rest of the A4 line up.

Audi says the reasoning behind the disheartening decision is due to there being enough RS cars in the Audi line up to begin with. They see the RS5 filling the shoes of the RS4 quite nicely. However, Audi’s rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, both offer performance sedans in the M3 sedan and the C63 AMG.

How does Audi explain that discrepancy? Well they say the RS6 will fill those shoes. Um, okay. But doesn’t that car compete against the M5 and the E63 AMG?

Well there’s always the S4, according to Audi, if you must have a smaller performance sedan. I’m not going to deny the brilliance that is the S4, however when compared to the M3 and C63 AMG – both making well over 400 horsepower, the S4 can’t quite keep up.

What do you think? Should Audi make another RS4? Or is this just smart product planning?

Audi S4 Wins Esquire Car of the Year

Esquire magazine has just named its Car of the Year and this year it goes to the Audi S4. No arguments here, the S4 is a brilliant if often forgotten sports sedan. Since the introduction of the RS4, the S4 has sort of taken a back seat to its bigger brother. Which is a shame because the original S4 was something to be desired and with the new one even more so.

The male-centric magazine listed the following reason for the S4′s win:

Numbers and stats are starting points, but we believe that the Esquire Car of the Year should make you feel something deep in your gut. You should lust for it and dream about it, but it shouldn’t be an impossible goal. It must be attainable for the average man. It should sit in front of your house or office without drawing attention to itself and tackle four seasons of day-to-day transportation with ease. Yet crucially, sometimes, without warning, it must make you snatch the keys off the wall, haul off to the country and just drive.

Well said. Basically it does everything a good sports sedan should do. Congrats Audi!

[Esquire]

Canadian Car & Utility of the Year Announced

Great minds think alike. We chose the 2010 Subaru Outback as our pick for the Canadian Utility of the Year, and AJAC agreed. You might as well give us our membership now, AJAC.

Volkswagen took Car of the Year honours and even though our pick was the BMW 335d, there is absolutely no disagreement from us that the GTI is just as deserving.

Congrats to the VW and Subaru!

To find out the winners in each individual category, hit the jump.

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