The red-hot Audi RS4 Avant has broken cover ahead of its unveiling at next month’s Geneva motor show. The new model marks the third incarnation of the RS4, and sees the go-fast nameplate return to production after a four-year hiatus.

The RS4 Avant combines load-carrying practicality with supercar firepower. Under the bonnet is a 331 kW and 430 Nm naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 – shared with the RS5 – that catapults the new car from 0 – 100 km/h in only 4.7 seconds. That’s two-tenths faster than the old RS4. The top speed is limited to 250 km/h but can be increased to 280 km/h upon request. Yet the seven-speed twin-clutch S tronic box – with launch control – helps boost economy to a claimed 11 L/100km.

As with all RS models, Audi’s designers have pumped up the bodywork without going over the top. There’s a series of air intakes in the lower front bumper, plus sculpted sills and flared arches. Huge twin oval tailpipes, finished in chrome as standard or black with the optional sports exhaust, are joined by a diffuser and roof spoiler. The tweaks make the RS4 20 mm longer and 24 mm wider than the regular A4 Avant.

The interior is fitted with side-hugging leather sports seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, and finished with piano black panels and carbon fibre inserts. Aluminium is used across the pedals, air vents, steering wheel shift paddles and other controls, giving the RS4 a unique sporting character.

The RS4 is due to debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show and go on sale a few months later. It will take on Mercedes’ C63 AMG estate, but won’t have a BMW to worry about – as an M3 Touring has been ruled out. Audi has yet to confirm SA prices, but expect the RS4 to be priced between the R615 900 S4 sedan and the R907 500 RS5 Coupe.

New spyshots have revealed a new Audi, which for all intents and purposes, screams RS4. While it is not the final design, the RS goodies under the body shell are visible, like the bigger brakes and wider track. The front bumper will be more aggressive with large air intakes and the fenders will be wider just like the RS5.

It’s not clear if the new RS4 will have the same V8 engine found in the RS5, but despite the trend toward eco-friendly downsizing it’s unlikely that the 3.0-litre supercharged V6 found in the S4 could be boosted to the levels required to compete with the Mercedes C63 AMG and BMW M3. The 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 found in the RS5 will endow the RS4 with 331 kW and 430 N.m. of torque, which should easily launch the car from 0 – 100 km/h in under 5 seconds. Following Audi’s latest trend with its faster models, expect to have the option of raising the electronic speed limiter from 250 km/h to 280 km/h, which flies in the face of the gentleman’s agreement between Germany’s ‘Big Three’.

Images via TeamSpeed