I really don't know how my invitation from Swansway came about (other that we have our cars serviced by Stafford Audi, part of the Swansway group) as I'm so with our RS3 (Bluey) and RS3copilot with her TT (Sandy) that any sales promotion they may and do provide has always fallen a little short of what we already have, however. One telephone call to Holly Bailey at Swansway and the RS7 and R8 V10 plus were duly booked for 10.45 and 12.00. Later that day a fellow ASN contributor tells me he's gone for the RS6; what RS6? Re-read the invitation and back to Holly and the RS6 is added to the list, albeit with a wait of 2-hours - hmmm, hope it's worth the wait...
On line and download all power curves and specifications to get some indication of what to expect/look for/feel/evaluate/etc.
Having done a WET! Silverstone Audi Experience earlier this year with the Audi TTRS Plus, RS4, and R8 V10 Plus, I had some idea of what to expect, but roadwork was always going to different. I'd also had some experience of the RS6, having been had 2-laps around Oulton Park last year by professional drivers (Chris Ward in the RS6 and Christian Baker in the S5 Coupe).
A short run up the M6 in BLUEY has us at Wychwood Park a little after 9.00, just in time for a breakfast, I'll not bore you with the details but there was little or no need to clean our plates.
Sign in and escorted to the first machine a black 4-door RS7. Looking superb in every way - but I've always preferred smaller cars and an RS3 in a 3-door guise is my dream - the RS7 ticks the remaining boxes as a 5-door.
A quick introduction to the controls from Andy Poole (Sales Executive @ Stafford Audi) followed by: "here's the route", and "if you get lost just press 'HOME' on the Sat Nav", and finally "have fun". They cannot be serious... And we're off...
Into 'auto', trickle out of the car park, pass the security box, exit onto the main road, ant the 'LOUD' pedal meets the carpet. For f, f*** sake this thing picks up speed. Quick mental calc' on the torque curve - FLAT from 1750rpm - and we're standing on the 'SLOW pedal. Be-Jas** this thing stops, too, superb brakes.
Next island and into manual sport, paddle mode. Second gear and I'm onto the rev-limiter before I can say "where next": this engine don't half rev' and you'd better be quick to pull them paddles in manual mode when that 'LOUD' pedal's close to the carpet.
People who know me know that I think anything bigger than the RS3 is a 'charabang' (look it up) but this is a whole NEW experience.
A long 40-mph stretch on the congested A534 and we're sort of lost. A motorised police 'person' at a set of traffic lights (A534/Monks Lane junction) and we're off down the road he ain't pointing at: Swanley Lane, onto Spring Lane, onto Nantwich Road, to the junction of Wrenbury Road, at pace! What a road. The route map is now in the footwell. I cannot fault: the acceleration, brakes, handling, bump absorption, comfort, noise, etc. Oh yes, the noise: man that beast makes a noise on the gear changes, just addictive. Best go back...
Stop the car, take a few photos, give RS3copilot the controls, hit the 'home' button on the SAT Nav, and we're off. A few miles in and I'm gagging for the controls. The SAT NAV kindly directs us onto the Nantwich Bypass, and I'm seeing 107mph on the head-up display. Whoa! Think about that for a moment, discuss, say "no way" and, as there's ZERO traffic, do it again 'just to check', and sure enough the same and then, maybe, a bit more. This is a seriously quick piece of machinery feeling totally stable while affording superb feedback.
However, back to reception, a quick "how was that?" and onto the Audi R8 V10 Plus, hmmm. Bigger engine, lots more capacity, but the torque curve had already told me what to expect. A similar set of destructions and we're off and I give it the same driver input. Yep! Below 3000rpm and this thing just don't want to go, it does build however, and you can feel it coming, nice! Heave on the brakes, carbon ceramics this time, and they're singing my song, you can feel 'em warm up and I like that. However, when moving slowly they ceramics can seriously bite.
No need to ask but don't bother with the map we're off to: Swanley Lane, Spring Lane, and the Nantwich Road/Lane. Again, I gave the R8 due diligence. Have to say that I found the front tyres scrabbling some on the damp bits of the Lane but otherwise the R8 was ok; it certainly didn't have the driveability of the RS7, and we found it way too noisy inside, too.
A light lunch while awaiting the RS6 experience. Discussions with the Swansway guys and girls on the experience so far were just perfect, thank you.
Here we go, escorted to the RS6, tinkling nicely from its just previous run, nice. All explanations taken in and off we go again. Quieter somehow than the RS7, the engine sounds less raucous, the brakes too, much smoother in application though similarly efficient. Same procedure as last time and exactly the same rout, man that's one hell of a road/lane with a good surface over a duckin' and a divin' road with good visibility to pace a car through corners, etc.
Back to base with the RS6 and it's difficult to split it away from the RS7; both for us immeasurably better than the R8; Audi need to put the twin turbo 4.2 in that machine.
Just too good really, being able to evaluate three Audi RS machines over the same piece of English tarmac, thank you.
Sales brochures collected, feedback given, and back down a wet M6 with the RS3; this time, however, unlike the Oulton Park and Silverstone Experience days, I was a tad disappointed with the RS3, interesting...
Again my undiluted appreciation to Swansway for inviting me and mine to this event, just amazingly wonderful. Stafford Audi is part of the Swansway group and most here know I totally appreciate Stafford Audi and if such a grovel gets me back on an Audi RS (RS3?) Experience day again next year then I'm content with that.
So as not to forget the RS4, this was amazing...
On line and download all power curves and specifications to get some indication of what to expect/look for/feel/evaluate/etc.
Having done a WET! Silverstone Audi Experience earlier this year with the Audi TTRS Plus, RS4, and R8 V10 Plus, I had some idea of what to expect, but roadwork was always going to different. I'd also had some experience of the RS6, having been had 2-laps around Oulton Park last year by professional drivers (Chris Ward in the RS6 and Christian Baker in the S5 Coupe).
A short run up the M6 in BLUEY has us at Wychwood Park a little after 9.00, just in time for a breakfast, I'll not bore you with the details but there was little or no need to clean our plates.
Sign in and escorted to the first machine a black 4-door RS7. Looking superb in every way - but I've always preferred smaller cars and an RS3 in a 3-door guise is my dream - the RS7 ticks the remaining boxes as a 5-door.
A quick introduction to the controls from Andy Poole (Sales Executive @ Stafford Audi) followed by: "here's the route", and "if you get lost just press 'HOME' on the Sat Nav", and finally "have fun". They cannot be serious... And we're off...
Into 'auto', trickle out of the car park, pass the security box, exit onto the main road, ant the 'LOUD' pedal meets the carpet. For f, f*** sake this thing picks up speed. Quick mental calc' on the torque curve - FLAT from 1750rpm - and we're standing on the 'SLOW pedal. Be-Jas** this thing stops, too, superb brakes.
Next island and into manual sport, paddle mode. Second gear and I'm onto the rev-limiter before I can say "where next": this engine don't half rev' and you'd better be quick to pull them paddles in manual mode when that 'LOUD' pedal's close to the carpet.
People who know me know that I think anything bigger than the RS3 is a 'charabang' (look it up) but this is a whole NEW experience.
A long 40-mph stretch on the congested A534 and we're sort of lost. A motorised police 'person' at a set of traffic lights (A534/Monks Lane junction) and we're off down the road he ain't pointing at: Swanley Lane, onto Spring Lane, onto Nantwich Road, to the junction of Wrenbury Road, at pace! What a road. The route map is now in the footwell. I cannot fault: the acceleration, brakes, handling, bump absorption, comfort, noise, etc. Oh yes, the noise: man that beast makes a noise on the gear changes, just addictive. Best go back...
Stop the car, take a few photos, give RS3copilot the controls, hit the 'home' button on the SAT Nav, and we're off. A few miles in and I'm gagging for the controls. The SAT NAV kindly directs us onto the Nantwich Bypass, and I'm seeing 107mph on the head-up display. Whoa! Think about that for a moment, discuss, say "no way" and, as there's ZERO traffic, do it again 'just to check', and sure enough the same and then, maybe, a bit more. This is a seriously quick piece of machinery feeling totally stable while affording superb feedback.
However, back to reception, a quick "how was that?" and onto the Audi R8 V10 Plus, hmmm. Bigger engine, lots more capacity, but the torque curve had already told me what to expect. A similar set of destructions and we're off and I give it the same driver input. Yep! Below 3000rpm and this thing just don't want to go, it does build however, and you can feel it coming, nice! Heave on the brakes, carbon ceramics this time, and they're singing my song, you can feel 'em warm up and I like that. However, when moving slowly they ceramics can seriously bite.
No need to ask but don't bother with the map we're off to: Swanley Lane, Spring Lane, and the Nantwich Road/Lane. Again, I gave the R8 due diligence. Have to say that I found the front tyres scrabbling some on the damp bits of the Lane but otherwise the R8 was ok; it certainly didn't have the driveability of the RS7, and we found it way too noisy inside, too.
A light lunch while awaiting the RS6 experience. Discussions with the Swansway guys and girls on the experience so far were just perfect, thank you.
Here we go, escorted to the RS6, tinkling nicely from its just previous run, nice. All explanations taken in and off we go again. Quieter somehow than the RS7, the engine sounds less raucous, the brakes too, much smoother in application though similarly efficient. Same procedure as last time and exactly the same rout, man that's one hell of a road/lane with a good surface over a duckin' and a divin' road with good visibility to pace a car through corners, etc.
Back to base with the RS6 and it's difficult to split it away from the RS7; both for us immeasurably better than the R8; Audi need to put the twin turbo 4.2 in that machine.
Just too good really, being able to evaluate three Audi RS machines over the same piece of English tarmac, thank you.
Sales brochures collected, feedback given, and back down a wet M6 with the RS3; this time, however, unlike the Oulton Park and Silverstone Experience days, I was a tad disappointed with the RS3, interesting...
Again my undiluted appreciation to Swansway for inviting me and mine to this event, just amazingly wonderful. Stafford Audi is part of the Swansway group and most here know I totally appreciate Stafford Audi and if such a grovel gets me back on an Audi RS (RS3?) Experience day again next year then I'm content with that.
So as not to forget the RS4, this was amazing...
) and found that it wasn't my name on the invite. It was the same surname but they'd mistakenly sent someone else's invite to the wrong address - i.e. to someone who had recently bought a car from Truro Audi (whose service reminder for their newish Audi A4 I got through the post a few months later)
