The Audi RS5 Coupe Is A Whole Different Animal
Rarely do you see a high performance variant drive a completely different car.
I have driven the Audi A5 (and S5) many times throughout the past 10 years, in coupe, convertible, and sportback variants. They are all great cars, but the Audi RS 5 turns everything up max; I have never been more impressed with the letters RS. Sure the Audi TT RS and the Porsche GT3 RS I drove last year were absolutely brilliant, but you expect them to be amazing performance machines because they are sports cars, versus the RS 5 which is sports coupe based upon the relatively big and heavy Audi A5. The impressive part is that the Audi RS 5 seemingly felt lighter and more nimble than its A5 and S5 twin siblings.
Under the hood of the Audi RS 5 is a 2.9L turbo-charged V6 that pumps out 444 horsepower. That is good for a 0-60mph time of 3.7 seconds, which makes the RS 5 faster than a first-generation Audi R8. The engine certainly makes the RS 5 feel quicker off of the line than the A5 or S5, but the Audi RS 5 also feels a lot sharper. The steering is more responsive, there is less body roll, and it brakes harder too. It is almost as if the RS 5 is a completely different car than the A5 or S5. Thanks to a performance exhaust, it sounds better too. I am on an endurance racing team with a fully race-prepared Audi TT, and the Audi RS 5 sounds better than that car too. I love the exhaust note!
The Audi RS 5 tingles all of your senses, include touch. My test car featured an alcantara (like) steering wheel that felt amazing in my hands. Inputs were well-received and the wheel offered nice road feedback. To enhance the sportiness, my RS 5 test car came with carbon fiber trim and special RS seats.
It is a stiffer ride with the Audi RS 5 over the Audi A5 and S5, however it doesn't beat you up too much. I am not sure I would do a 3,000 mile road trip in the RS 5, but I could definitely see myself rocking the RS 5 as a daily driver. It is a super fun car that offers a backseat for kids and proper trunk. What more could you want from a high performance coupe that keeps up with sports cars on track?
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Comments (3)
I own an A5. Its my favorite car of all the cars I have ever owned. I would love to upgrade to an S5 or an RS5 but those don’t come cheaply. Still disappointed in Audi for creating the 4-door version. 4 doors is 2 doors too many for a coupe.
I’m partial to the first gen RS 5 for the V8 that shares more parts with the 5.2 V10 than the 4.2 V8 from the R8
Is it not too heavy for the track? I though it was more of a gt car than a sports coupe.