Audi RS 5 offers a complete sports coupe package
2.9-litre V6 doesn’t just roar like a V8, it performs like one — generating 444 hp
When reviewing the new Audi RS 5 Coupe, I have to admit being surprised. The latest computer-designed exhaust systems mean it’s not uncommon for a car — especially expensive German sports coupes — to sound heady. That the RS 5 roars (it’s downright screaming past six grand), and barks when the twin-turbochargers spit in between full-throttle paddle-shifts, and at other times just purrs, is nothing new. What was surprising to me is that after driving the RS 5 for almost three weeks, I only figured out then that it was sporting but six pistons under its long bonnet. I had assumed all that drama was the result of eight pistons arranged in a perfectly harmonious vee. V6 engines are not supposed to sound this sophisticated. Oh, Jaguar’s supercharged 3.0-litre V6 sounds boss in the F-Type, but as thrilling as it is, that’s straightahead hard rock compared with the symphony emanating from the RS 5’s quad pipes. The RS 5 is the first time I have mistaken six pistons for the normally more majestic eight. Making that mistake at least partially justifiable is that the RS 5’s 2.9-L V6 makes 444 horsepower — just six shy of the 450-hp, naturally aspirated V8 it replaces. More importantly, there’s a King Kong-like 443 pound-feet of torque lending a sense of urgency that even the old V8 — at just 317 lb-ft — couldn’t emulate. The loss of those two pistons — not to mention the block that houses them — also account for about half of the 60 kilograms the new RS5 lost compared to its predecessor. If there’s a smidgen of bad news to the powertrain, it’s that this glorious engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic, rather than one of Audi’s slick-shifting dual-clutch transmissions. It shifts fairly quickly, but it’s still not the rapid-fire upshifts we’ve come to expect from one of Audi’s dual-clutch units. For those questioning the RS 5 sporting bona fides, this is its most serious concession to civility. On the other hand, the old bugaboo about Audi’s RS cars — numb steering — seems to have been banished, despite the fact the steering is electrically boosted. Even in Dynamic mode, it’s comfortably light but still manages descriptive feedback. I used the Individual setting to marry Dynamic steering with the suspension’s Comfort setting. Body roll-minimizing suspension travel is all fun and games when you’re playing the off-ramp boogie, but in downtown Toronto — and Vancouver and Montreal, unless things have improved dramatically — will beat you up if you maintain the RS 5’s stiffest damping settings. Indeed, given my druthers, I’d wish for an even softer Wimpy Old Codger setting that would spare my tired back. Audi sets the RS 5’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system so that as much as 70 per cent of the torque can be transferred to its rear P275/30R20 tires in a quest for more lively handling. Of course, Quattro’s real job is to keep us all on the road when the streets get icy. To that end, 85 per cent of torque can be transferred to the front. Credit the miracle of electronic, rather than mechanical, torque distribution, but Quattro is even more liberal in tailoring its tractive abilities to the season. As for the RS 5’s cabin, it’s a reminder of the adage, “if you’ve seen one (Audi interior), you’ve seen them all,” so precisely does it follow Audi’s current format. For those thinking I am implying that familiarity breeds contempt, understand that Audi builds some mighty fine interiors. The implementation of Apple CarPlay, for instance, is one of the best. The Virtual Cockpit gauge set — upon which an entire map can be displayed right in front of the driver — still seems way trick more than two years after I first laid eyes on it. And the new RS 5 is roomier, thanks to a 15-millimetre longer wheelbase. In the end, though, what impresses most about the RS 5 is how complete a sports coupe package it is. Fast and fruity motor? Check. Responsive steering? Ditto. Sporty suspension? To be sure. Luxurious interior? You bet. And while it may not be as competent on a race track as a BMW M4, who cares? It’s more than competent, and few Audi intenders are going to play Lewis Hamilton at Circuit of the Americas in their RS 5. Standard RS 5s cost $82,500, but ladle on enough options and you will have, like this particular tester, a $115,585 sports coupe. Yes, that includes ceramic brakes and a host of other goodies, but $115,000 is almost enough to get you into an RS 7, the sexiest fullsize performance sedan out of Germany. And the RS 7 has more room, four doors, and of course, two more pistons. Pricing aside, the RS 5 is a stonking ride. It is sweet-handling, comfortable and oh so fast, so for anyone not looking for a track demon, I would recommend the Audi over BMW’s M4. Driving.ca