Audi will cease production of its RS4 range beginning in November of this year. The RS4 sedan will be the first to go, followed by the Avant later this year and the Cabriolet in early 2008. The current RS4 is based on a seven year old platform and will be replaced by an all-new car riding on Audi's MLP platform.

Audi is preparing to launch its all-new A4 — the car that underpins the RS4 — but hasn't announced a time frame for S4 and RS4 variants. Until the performance models arrive, the standard A4 will be the only model available.

It remains to be seen if the gap in Audi's lineup will prove detrimental to the German brand. The timing leaves Audi without a competitor to Mercedes' C63 AMG and BMW's M3, two very capable alternatives.