Audi RS5
If there’s one thing Audi has achieved over the past decade it’s making the brand desirable to an incredibly broad audience. Their clean, sophisticated design cues ooze elegance. Throw in interiors to match and it’s easy to see why the brand has gained such a following.
The RS5 is no different. The standard A5 coupé is a remarkably handsome base, however a once over from the team in Ingolstadt has added a new dimension. The best way I can describe the RS5 is like you’re looking at a ruthless, menacing bare knuckle fighter wearing a tailored suit. The flared wheelarches that are needed to fit the widened front and rear track are subtle, while new plasticwork front and rear emphasise the RS’s restrained potency.
Fortunately there’s nothing restrained or subtle about what’s underneath the suit. The vigorous strength, the spontaneous responsiveness and the throaty, sonorous music emanating from the engine bay is produced by a hand crafted 4.2 litre V8 that stunningly combines the essence of power and emotion. Producing 331 kW and 430 Nm it propels the coupé’s 1,7 tons from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and on to an electronically tethered top speed of 250 km/h.
Audi’s drive select system allows the driver to switch among three driving modes – comfort, auto, and dynamic – that adjust the steering, the seven-speed S-tronic gearbox, the sport differential, the engine, and the exhaust system. If nothing else the change in exhaust note makes the button worth its spot on the dashboard, especially in dynamic mode where on down shift there’s a raspy bark from the tailpipes.
Like all RS models, the RS5 also applies its power to the road with Quattro permanent all-wheel drive. There’s also Audi’s crown-gear differential, which pushes torque front to rear as necessary to maintain gum-like grip on the road. While the standard split sends 60 percent rearwards, if necessary up to 70 percent can flow to the front or as much as 85 percent toward the tail end.
Now for the big question; does this sophisticated, elegant, bare knuckle bruiser deliver the goods when you open the taps? In a word, yes. To most people, on most roads, most of the time, there’s little to fault the RS5. It’s quiet and comfortable when you want it to be, for example on a long cruise or to potter around town, then when the mood takes it’ll respond like a shouty muscle car.
However for a real enthusiast the RS5 doesn’t deliver that last ounce of fun which you’d get from a really focused
uber-coupé. Yes, the understeer one would normally associate with all-wheel drive is all but eradicated by the crown-gear diff and of course in the wet you’d be hard pressed to find a sports car to match this Audi. There are just little things that make it feel more like a jackhammer than a dentist’s drill.
The steering is one example. In dynamic or auto modes it can become excessively heavy through fast bends, leading to a sensation of understeer and therefore hesitation on the throttle. Then there’s Audi’s ‘acclaimed’ S-tronic dual clutch gearbox. Despite all its witch craft, there’s still a dim-witted response when coming down through the gears for a quick spurt of fury.
I’d also like to point out that it’s expensive. Base price is R 908,000 for which you get two doors, four seats and a windscreen – that’s about it. If you’re a crazy person and start checking all the options boxes, your RS5 will easily cost you over R 1,000,000. And that’s a lot.
The fact remains however that to most people (well, those with R 1,000,000 in the bank), on most roads, most of the time these things will not matter. The RS5 is effortless personified. It’s comfortable, well made, looks good, goes faster than anyone will ever need and it bumbles around town brilliantly.
Price: R 908,000
Engine: 4.2 litre V8 Petrol
Power: 331 kW
Torque: 430 Nm
Acceleration (0-100 km/h): 4.6
Top speed (km/h): 250
Fuel consumption (l/100km): 10.8 (claimed)
Miles Downard
First published in Autodealer KZN