Not so long ago, the idea of turning a sports saloon into a sports car - or taking the roof away, at least - seemed a little silly. Not only would a relatively torque-light, rev happy engine be tasked with hauling even more weight around, the finely honed handling would inevitably be compromised as well. It could even be said that the message gets muddied a little: see E30 M3 Convertible, for example. That one wasn’t required for homologation.
Now the prospect of an 8,000rpm engine, inside a smart looking car with a great interior - potentially with a manual gearbox as well - seems quite appealing. Especially if friends can come along for the ride and enjoy the sound. Any used, unmodified car will obviously feel less sharp to drive than a new alternative, too, so it becomes easier to overlook any less desirable handling traits. If it really matters that much, buy a Lotus. But if you want one of this century’s great V8s, right this way…
We all know why the B7 RS4 is regarded as an icon, though even the casual observer could see plenty to like in one. It hails from that Audi design era that still looks good to this day, almost demure by modern standards but handsome with it. The interior, complete with those amazing wingback seats, chunky buttons and classically styled instruments, is equally great. Plus this one benefits from some chassis modifications, hopefully bringing the cabrio experience a little closer to the four-door: there are huge 396mm carbon ceramic brakes on the front axle, plus Bilstein B16 PSS9 adjustable coilovers in place of the Dynamic Ride Control. Certainly they’re not going to make an RS4 worse to drive, and both modifications could be said to make the Audi look even better, ride height slashed and giant yellow calipers working perfectly against the Sprint Blue paint.
But none of those are the main points of interest with the RS4, because what you’re really paying for is under the bonnet. The 420hp, 8,500rpm, 4.2-litre V8 was always a thing of wonder; this one will be even more so thanks to the fitment of an MTM supercharger. Apparently just four B7s were treated to the upgrade in period, this being the only convertible; alongside a downpipe, sports cat and stainless steel exhaust system from the famed Audi tuner as well, it now produces 515hp and 413lb ft, putting both numbers around a hundred up on the standard car. Apparently a recent dyno run has put the power nearer 540hp, too.
It should make for a mighty RS4. A supercharger will retain the immediate nature of the engine (and that thrilling redline) as well as introduce some additional torque. The MTM parts were installed when the car was 23,000 miles old (it now sits on a little more than 50k), with the car now being sold from a car collector with ‘a no-expense-spared approach to ownership’. They have had the car serviced every 5,000 miles during their five years with the car. It’s a beautifully presented RS4 cabrio before even thinking about more than 500hp.
That makes it one of the more expensive V8 RS4s out there at £34,000, though not the most valuable - these B7s really are very collectable nowadays, with the very best for sale at £40k. Interestingly there’s another convertible at similar money, standard but with 30,000 fewer miles. Perhaps this era is now old enough and revered enough as a modern classic that you wouldn’t want to invest so much in MTM modifying in 2024. But one this good with the work already done looks nothing if not rather good fun. And we could all do with a bit more of that.
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