Audi RS 4 Avant Edition 25 Years unleashed

Audi is celebrating a quarter of a century of the Audi RS 4 nameplate with a new limited-edition that brings more power, quicker acceleration, improved handling, a lurid yellow body paint option and more.

Limited to just 250 units globally, the new 2024 Audi RS 4 Avant Edition 25 Years boasts an extra 15kW compared to the standard car, raising output from the twin-turbo V6 to 346kW. Torque remains pegged at 600Nm.

The power upgrade is also available in the 2024 RS 5 Sportback Performance Edition, limited to the same number of cars, but all attention is on the special-edition wagon that pays tribute to the first-generation Audi RS 4 Avant introduced in 1999.

It also draws plenty of inspiration from the ultra-rare RS 4 Sport that followed in 2001.

Combined with a faster-shifting eight-speed auto, Audi claims the more powerful RS 4 can launch from 0-100km/h in just 3.7 seconds, making it quicker than even the RS 4 Avant Competition Plus (3.9sec) but still a tenth of a second behind the 375kW BMW M3 Touring.

Top speed rises to 300km/h, which makes the celebratory RS 4 faster than the M3 wagon (280km/h).

Improving its performance on track, engineers have also uprated the RS 4 chassis, adding the optional Quattro Sport Differential while increasing the negative camber on the front axle by 2.0 degrees.

A set of stiffer control arms have been added to improve precision and better deal with the higher forces involved with fast cornering.

Audi’s RS ceramic brakes are standard, along with the adjustable RS Sport Suspension Pro coilovers that allow the owner to lower the ride height by up to 20mm.

Paying homage to its ancestor, the new RS 4 Avant Edition 25 years is available in Imola yellow paint that was originally offered on the 1999 Audi RS 4.

If that’s too bright, there’s also Nardo Grey and Mythos Black hues available.

Among other changes, the anniversary RS 4 comes without roof rails for a sportier silhouette and gets a matte black sports exhaust, gloss black window surrounds and badging.

Inside, the special RS 4’s Alcantara-clad bucket seats, steering wheel and driver selector are all said to mirror the hard-core 2001 RS 4 Sport.

As standard, the RS 4 Avant Edition 25 Years rides on matte silver 20-inch alloy wheels that are shod with Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres, with owners also offered a set of stickier P Zero Trofeo RS tyres for track use.

On sale in Europe from June, the Audi RS 4 Avant Edition 25 Years is priced from €142,905 ($A233,000), while the RS 5 Sportback Performance Edition starts at €128,420 ($A209,000).

There’s no word yet on an Australian allocation.

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