After we got our first-taste of the new RS4 through a handful of leaked images earlier today, Audi has now officially pulled the sheets off the flagship model of its A4 series.

The RS4 makes its comeback as a station wagon featuring the same 4.2-liter V8 engine found in the RS5 models. The naturally aspirated eight-cylinder unit is good for 450PS (444bhp) at 8,250 rpm and a peak torque of 430 Nm (317.15 lb-ft) available from 4,000 to 6,000 rpm. That's a 30bhp improvement over the previous RS4.

Audi's seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission and quattro permanent all-wheel drive with up to 70 percent flowing to the front or as much as 85 percent to the rear with a default 40:60 ratio, transfer power to the road.

According to the German automaker, the RS4 Avant can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in 4.7 seconds and reach a governed top speed of 250 km/h (155mph), which can be increased to 280 km/h (174mph) upon request, while consuming less than 11lt/100km on average (21.4mpg US).

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The all-new Audi RS4 Avant is not much of a secret anymore as the first official pictures along with some initial details leaked onto the web today.

As we reported in our scoop story on Monday, the 2013 Audi RS4 adopts the RS5's improved 4.2-liter V8 engine rated at 450PS (444bhp) and 430Nm (317.15 lb-ft), channeled to the road through a seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission and Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system.

We also learn today that the new RS4 Avant allegedly completes the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in 4.7 seconds, a tenth of a second slower than the lighter but also far less practical and roomy RS5 Coupe.

Audi's engineers also made changes to the suspension setup and fitted the RS4 with a more potent braking system and 19-inch wheels shod in low profile, high-performance tires.

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These will likely be the last spy shots we bring you of the next generation Audi RS4 Avant, as according to our sources, the high-performance station wagon will make its world premiere at next month's Geneva Motor Show.

There had been a debate on whether or not the 2013 RS4 Avant would use Audi's new 4.0-liter turbocharged unit launched in the S6 and S7 with 420HP, and the S8 with 520HP, but our insiders tell us that Ingolstadt finally chose the RS5's 4.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8 delivering 450PS (444bhp) and 430Nm (317.15 lb-ft).

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While Audi's executive officers were showcasing the Ingolstadt-based firm's latest conceptual and production models such as the S6, S7, S8 and the Urban studies, the company's engineers were hard at work trying out a prototype of the upcoming RS4 series in Avant form.

The wider front and rear tracks hiding under blistered wheel arches along with the massive brakes, large alloy wheels and the typical RS-style twin oval tail pipes leave no doubt that this is the upcoming RS4 Avant model.

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