Audi has unveiled new Competition and Competition Plus packs for the RS4 and RS5

Well, here’s a treat for all the Audi RS fans out there – the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6-engined RS4 Avant and RS5 have both been treated to serious-sounding Competition and Competition Plus packages, with the aim of making both cars noisier and sharper to drive. Now that’s something we can get on board with.

It’s the full-fat Competition Plus that we’ll focus on here, not least because Audi UK has said that on our shores the performance packages will be ‘double-digit’ limited editions. Expect them to be rare and fully-loaded with all the options, then. 

UK pricing will be announced later in the year, but in Germany the Plus will set you back €11,875 (around £10,000).

What do you get for the money? Well, the Competition pack includes a new RS sports exhaust system, some new bits of interior trim and a top speed increase to 180mph. It also brings a carbon fibre exterior pack that means the mirrors, rear diffuser, side sills and the blades in the front air intakes are all made out of the woven black stuff.

On top of that, the Competition Plus pack should include something called RS Sport Suspension Pro. Essentially this is a manually-adjustable coilover suspension setup that drops the RS4 or RS5 by 10mm from the factory, although both can be dropped by another 10mm if you get your spanners out. There’s a higher spring rate and three-way adjustable dampers too, which Audi says means ‘more precise and more agile handling’. Then there’s the diff, which has been enhanced to ‘switch the emphasis to the rear’ despite the Quattro four-wheel drive.

There’s no extra power for the Comps, but the 444bhp and 442lb ft of the standard cars was never really an issue. Recalibrated gearboxes with quicker shifts allows for the 0-62mph times of both cars to drop though, with the RS4 Avant seeing off the sprint in 3.9 seconds and the RS5 in 3.8 seconds.

The Competitions will also be eight kilograms lighter thanks to the removal of sound insulation between the engine bay and the interior. This is a very good move. Oh, and you can even spec ceramic brakes and ultra-sticky Pirelli Corsa P Zero tyres for when you take your family estate to a track.

What do we think of the changes, folks?