So a few after days after the debut of the new-generation Audi A4 we get the first renderings of the high-performance variants of the car in both sedan and wagon (Avant) body styles. We are of course talking about the next Audi RS4, arriving in about two years time.

Before this car is even green-lighted though we are going to get a mildly hotted-up version of the A4 called the S4, most likely powered by a turbocharged 3.0 liter V6 engine in stead of the current V8 unit. Audi is apparently going the way of downsizing.

And that brings us to the speculation about the powertrain that will be used in the 2017 Audi RS4. The engine has always been the defining feature of the RS4 and if it’s going to be rubbish then they might as well ditch the whole thing. That said, we know from history that Audi has always been good at extracting big power from small engines. So the car is probably not going disappoint horsepower-wise.

Another advantage of employing a smaller engine in the Audi RS4 we can think of is weight. A lighter lump at the front not only results in a more agile car, it should also enhance the handling by reducing Audi’s infamous understeer tendencies.

Rendering by X-Tomi Design