Auf Wiedersehen: Audi bids farewell to RS4 Avant with 25th anniversary special

Audi unleashes the RS4 Avant edition 25 years, limited to only 250 units

Believe it or not, the Audi RS4 Avant has been on the road for a quarter of a century. That's right, turbocharged five-door has been running on the tarmac for 25 years and has proven that there is a market for high-performance wagons.

Unfortunately, the RS4 Avant is set to be consigned to history as it's set to be succeeded by the soon-to-be-revealed RS 5 Avant. But instead of going quietly into the night, Audi has revealed a limited-run version of the outgoing turbo wagon.

Say hello to the Audi RS4 Avant edition 25 years, and it's the brand's way of giving the performance flagship of the A4 series riding off into the sunset. Featuring unique exterior, interior, and mechanical upgrades, the special edition RS 4 Avant is not your typical run-of-the-mill wagon. For starters, only 250 units will be made available and all will be painted in a distinct Imola Yellow finish – a throwback to the first-ever RS4 which was also painted in a similar hue.

The bright yellow color is complemented by streaks of black accents and a black inlay present in the taillights. It also gets a Carbon Matte appearance package which can be seen on the front blades, side flaps, door sill extensions, rear diffuser clip, and side mirror caps. Last but not least, a special “RS4 edition 25 years” lettering is engraved in the windows between the C- and D-pillars.

Pop the doors open and the interior greets you with a pre-dominantly black interior. Striking yellow accents in the form of contrast stitching on the Alcantara leather seats are reminiscent of the black/yellow upholstery first found in the 2001 RS4 Sport. Meanwhile, the red Audi Sport rhombus and black RS lettering are finished in yellow for the special edition model.

Also worth mentioning is the matte lettering on the center console that indicates each of the 250 units. They are numbered 1 to 250 which will serve as a reminder for would-be owners they are in something quite unique. Speaking of unique, those who will get one can select a white background for the rev counter and speedometer via the digital instrument cluster (AKA MMI) – a tribute to the 1994 RS4 Avant RS2.

Under the hood, the special edition RS4 Avant is powered by an uprated 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 that's mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. It gets an extra 20 PS which translates to 470 PS. Torque, on the other hand, remains at 600 Nm. The additional oomph combined with the RS sport suspension pro and improved Torsen differential allows the wagon to sprint from 0 – 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds. Top speed is limited to an impressive 300 km/h.

Besides getting a more powerful twin-turbo V6, the wagon also gets adjustable coilovers, massive 20-inch forged alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires, and another set of track-only Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS semi-slick tires.

Interested in getting one? Sadly, all 250 units of the RS4 Avant edition 25 years will only be available in Europe. Perhaps die-hard fans of the turbo wagon could get their hands on one if they're willing to travel to The Old Continent and ship it themselves.