My love for fast wagons is no secret. They combine various attributes you really want; interior space rivaling some big SUVs, performance rivaling some serious sports cars, and looks rivaling some long sleek missiles on wheels. This one is no different and, being a fast Audi wagon, it's also AWD for year-round fun. This is a bit bittersweet, of course, because of such vehicles as the B7 S4 and RS4 Avants which had magnificent 6-speed manuals and 4.2 litre naturally aspirated V8's. But let's focus on the bright side. There's a 530 hp version of the current RS4 Avant/wagon. It's based on the Audi RS4 Avant (wagon) which we unfortunately don't get here in North America. As an Audi-backed DTM racing team, ABT Sportsline is no stranger to fast Audi's, and is actually intimately familiar with the RS4 Avant in particular, having already offered the RS4-R last year. ABT says that the demand for the RS4-R far exceeded the limited 50-car run they offered (no surp
A couple of weeks ago, I posted my first impressions of Michelin's PSS vs Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires. I've run PSS's for several years on the Boss, but I'm trying the Indy 500's for the first time. In short, I was worried about the narrower tires (I was running 285/35/18 PSS but could only find the Indy 500 in 275/35/18) and tread squirm, but I was happy with them up to that point just driving on the street. I had the chance to drive on them for three track days now. So what were they like? After my first session, they made an impression that basically persisted for the rest of track sessions on them. Phenomenal, unmatched value. Now, if value is something that stands out above all else, it typically means the compromise between qualities you want and those you don't is less than ideal, but the value is attractive. This is no different. I'll start with the bad, which really boil down to two: ultimate grip and grip longevity. Grip is noticeably l