Under German watch and Europe’s hyper-aggressive emissions laws, there’s no encore for naturally aspirated V-8s revving to kingdom come. As we witness Mercedes-Benz AMG euthanizing its big-bore 6.2-liter V-8, and BMW M GmbH replace the old M3’s 4.0-liter V-8 with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six, we must ask: what of Audi? Sadly, it too is swapping its free-breathing eight-cylinder for a forced-induction six-cylinder in some applications.
We’ve learned from deep within Audi that the next RS4 will trade its 450-hp, 4.2-liter V-8—the same mad mill as found in the RS5—for a turbocharged V-6. While plucking the 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 from Audi’s armada of S cars would seem the most logical choice, Quattro GmbH is instead shifting focus to turbos for its RS-branded models. We suspect Audi will affix a pair of turbochargers to the six-cylinder, which would allow the brand to trump the 430 horsepower of BMW’s new M4 and M3. Whether Audi will bring the RS4 or its new turbo six-cylinder to America is still undetermined.
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