Twin-turbo V6 offers instant torque, less weight
First Drive: 2018 Audi RS5 Coupe
TOULOUSE, France – Times are changing if you’re a driving enthusiast. If you take it just at face value it seems that with the introduction of every new car, European automakers are trying to sap the fun out of driving. Big, honking V8s are getting scarce and are being replaced by smaller-displacement engines with fewer cylinders; manual gearboxes are going the way of the dodo and are being replaced by automatics; more and more driver aids are infiltrating the sanctum of the cockpit.
However, if you take a deeper look into these seemingly uninspiring trends, you’ll notice that these smaller engines are turbocharged and are more fuel efficient, while producing at least as much power and often more torque than their larger counterparts. And those automatic transmissions offer up more gears with tighter ratios than their clutchdriven equivalents, often producing quicker acceleration and better fuel numbers. And while those electronics are designed to keep you safe, many are also designed to improve driving dynamics.
The 2018 Audi RS5 Coupe is an ideal example of how these factors combine to produce a faster, lighter, more efficient car that is loads of fun to drive.
The biggest change to the new RS5 is under the hood, where a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 replaces the previous model’s 4.2-L naturally aspirated V8. While the V6’s 444 horsepower is just a shade under the V8’s 450, peak torque is up substantially to 443 pound-feet from the V8’s paltry 317. It’s the same engine you’ll find driving the latest Porsche Panamera 4S. This smaller, lighter engine is responsible for about half of the RS5’s 60-kilogram weight reduction.
This new-found power pushes the RS5 from zero to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds. The engine is also 17 per cent more fuel efficient, claiming 8.7 L/100 km using the European test cycle.
Although the sound of the V6 lacks the guttural roar of the V8, it has nonetheless been tuned to provide a delightfully muscular aural tone, including some exhaust burbling when upshifting and downshifting, especially when Dynamic drive mode is selected, which opens a sound-enhancing valve in the muffler. Exhaust sound is not enhanced electronically, which to this enthusiast’s ear is a good thing.
Where the new engine really trumps the old is in mid-range power delivery, which is surprisingly forceful. Pressing on the pedal just halfway down to make a pass results in an almost instantaneous forward rush that eventually presses your body hard into the seat if your foot continues all the way to the floor. Turbo lag is almost nil, and the engine pulls hard from just under 2,000 rpm until power flattens at more than 5,500 rpm. It really makes short work of the straight bits between the bends in the serpentine Pyrenees roads on the way from Toulouse to the tiny principality of Andorra.
The engine drives all four wheels through a new eight-speed automatic, and even if you’re a bona fide manual-shift devotee, you can’t help but appreciate its slick operation. It is tuned to change ratios almost as quickly and forcefully as a dual-clutch gearbox. It is also very responsive, downshifting dutifully when the gas pedal is depressed, and changing gears with almost no delay when using the paddle shifters, up or down.
Gears are closely spaced, which makes using the paddles an engaging, amusing endeavour on winding roads. Steering is very precise, belied only by a steering wheel that is weighed a bit too lightly for my preference, even in Dynamic mode. Drive modes are easily selectable through a pair of buttons, though they are small and require that you look away from the road to find them at the bottom of the centre stack.
The quattro AWD uses a variable central differential that delivers 60 per cent of the torque to the rear wheels under normal conditions, but can vary torque, sending up to 70 per cent to the rear or up to 85 per cent to the front, depending on the amount of traction available.
My tester is equipped with the optional electronically adjustable Dynamic Ride Control suspension, ceramic brakes and firmer sport steering. In Comfort mode the suspension is comfortably compliant, providing an everyday friendly ride. Switching to Dynamic mode firms it up enough to reduce body lean to almost nothing, though it does send jarring jolts through the seats on sharp bumps, exacerbated by the optional low-profile 275/30R20 tires (265/35R19 tires are standard).
Of course, the beauty of the system is that if you find the suspension too firm, yet prefer the throatier exhaust note, and more aggressive throttle and transmission mapping of Dynamic mode, you can select Individual mode and fine tune your settings.
The interior also exudes high performance, with firm yet supportive leather front bucket seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, aluminum pedals and Audi’s configurable virtual cockpit instrumentation. A 1.5 centimetre-longer wheelbase adds a bit more room inside, and there’s 2.6 cm more shoulder room up front, and 2.3 cm more knee room for rear passengers. But don’t kid yourself; this isn’t a family sedan and you should only allow adults you don’t really like back there, because it’s tight. There’s also 11 L more trunk space, at 465 L.
Among the standard driver aids are adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert and park assist. Torque vectoring to assist cornering is available as an option.
The smaller turbocharged engine and automatic transmission might put off some driving purists, but they should know that the 2018 RS5 Coupe gives up nothing in terms of driving pleasure, and is now a faster, lighter and more engaging car.
The new Audi RS5 Coupe will arrive at dealers in the first quarter of 2018, with pricing to be announced closer to its launch date.