Audi’s new RS 4 super-sedan has just been unleashed in Australia.

This remarkable new model bridges the gap between motorsport and everyday motoring and to-date the company has pre-sold 50 units of this quattro GmbH powerhouse - more than the entire allocation of the predecessor model for Australia.

New from the ground up, the RS 4 is the top-of-the-range model in the A4 series, priced at $164,500. This remarkable vehicle is also the company’s first B-segment RS saloon. The predecessor was an Avant-only model.

Combining the latest high-performance technologies offered by quattro GmbH, with numerous technical achievements – many of which hail from motor sport – this luxury, thoroughbred saloon is perfectly suited to everyday driving.

Audi’s managing director, Joerg Hofmann, says the RS 4 is a truly potent vehicle that will excite luxury car buyers with the highest of expectations.

“We first unveiled the RS 4 in Australia well over a year ago at the Melbourne International Motor Show. Since that time, we’ve had a great deal of interest in the car, leading us to establish a waiting list for interested buyers,” Mr Hofmann said.

“So far, we’ve pre-sold 50 vehicles ahead of the market introduction of the RS 4 – sight-unseen, and without test-drives. So impressive is the pedigree of this vehicle, we’ve already outsold our entire production of the previous model RS 4."

“This latest powerhouse is destined to become another icon in the Audi stable, cementing the brand’s reputation as a luxury, performance-car company,” Mr Hofmann added.

The epitome of ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’, the RS 4 features a brand new high speed engine concept – a first for an Audi production vehicle, innovative FSI technology, as well as the latest generation of quattro drive with asymmetric/dynamic distribution of torque.

Developing a maximum output of 309 kilowatts, the 4.2-litre V8 engine in the new RS 4 revs up to a speed of 8,250 rpm and exceeds the magical barrier of 100 bhp per litre – a feature that is truly outstanding in a production saloon.

Maximum torque of 430 Nm comes at 5,500 rpm in this very compact engine, with 90 per cent of the engine’s torque consistently available from 2,250 – 7,600 rpm. The result is excellent muscle and pulling force at all times, enabling the driver whenever he – or she – wishes to drive in truly relaxed style without frequent gear changes.

The RS 4 features racing technology in civilian clothes. While many of its features look similar to the new Audi A4, the RS 4 is far more than just a “fast” derivative of Audi’s highly successful mid-range saloon.

The single-frame radiator grille, the rear section with the distinctly horizontal orientation of the car’s lines, and the side surfaces with the distinct shoulder line all prove that the RS 4 is a member of the A4 family.

However, the radiator grille has its own diamond pattern, and along with the additional air intake scoops in the front section, massive twin-exhaust pipes, suspension that is lowered by 30 mm, a wider front and rear track as well as the wheels developed specifically for the RS 4, clearly set the car apart.

Inside, the RS 4 combines the functionality of a sports car with the highest level of luxury. Leather, aluminium and carbon fibre dominate the interior.

However, there’s more to the RS 4 than good looks alone. Borrowed from racing technology, the engine of the Audi RS 4 is started by turning the key and then pressing the starter button, positioned in the centre console. Pressing the sports button in the steering wheel, in turn, modifies the engine characteristics for an even sportier and more direct response.

Audi has chosen its ground breaking FSI technology for the RS 4 saloon, direct petrol injection ensuring even more effective combustion of the fuel/air mixture and, as a result, a higher yield, matched by the highly responsive development of power, which allows the RS 4 to accelerate to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, reaching 200 km/h in 16.6 seconds.

The challenge, of course, was to transfer this performance onto the road in perfect style and with optimum handling. For no less than 25 years, Audi’s answer to this question is “quattro”.

The latest generation of quattro is housed for the first time in the RS 4 and offers asymmetric/dynamic torque distribution and a self-locking Torsen centre differential, enabling the RS 4 to enter new dimensions in driving dynamics.

The brakes also enter a new stratosphere thanks to an 18-inch brake system that ensures optimum stopping power. The cross-drilled, inner-vented brake discs at the front measure 365 millimetres in diameter, and 324-millimetre brake discs at the rear. Flow-optimised ventilation geometry incorporating NACA jets on the underfloor of the car ensures first-class cooling of the brakes under all conditions. As a result, brake fading is significantly reduced even under extreme loads, for example on the race track.

The new Audi RS 4 of course features a host of new technologies, myriad design modifications tailored to suit such a thoroughbred sportscar and the very highest level of equipment and safety, as you’d expect from Audi.

The new Audi RS 4 sedan is priced at $164,500 and the first cars will be delivered in early May. The company expects to sell around 100 units in 2006.

The RS 4 Avant will arrive in October 2006, priced at $168,100.