A perfect balance between classy and crazy
Two-door rocket ship sets itself apart from rivals, remains true to Audi fans
Out of all the entries in the German luxo-hot-rod derby, Audi has consistently avoided following the rest of the pack.
By remaining true to its allwheel-drive formula, the brand’s S — and then RS — divisions have resisted the temptation to simply build a variant of the BMW M3, an affliction that ran its course at both Mercedes-AMG and Cadillac V.
The end result? Vehicles like the 2018 Audi RS5, an all-new design that continues to push the two-door personal rocket ship further away from its rivals in terms of personality, while still remaining true to the modern core values that have long drawn customers to the quadruple rings.
“Modern” is the key takeaway here, however, because while there’s nothing in the current RS5 formula to link it in any way to the model it replaces, the coupe perfectly encapsulates the current Audi esthetic — even while the right pedal is launching you into space. Don’t look back There was never any chance that the previous RS5’s highrevving V8 engine was going to stick around to play in the world of instant-torque turbos. An 8,250 rpm red line may have yielded 450 horses — six more than the current car’s twin-turbo, 2.9-litre V6 — and a whole heap of adrenalin, but its 317 lb-ft of torque pale in comparison to the 443 now on offer with a limbo-proof 1,900 rpm. Standing in for the older car’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is a new torque converter automatic that, for all intents and purposes, feels just as direct when paddle-snapping from one gear to the next.
Stomp down without activating launch control and the deep-breathing V6 doesn’t so much crack your head back as it does gather itself into a malevolent, low-flying storm that makes use of its rear-biased Quattro all-wheel-drive system and torque-vectoring rear differential to hug the road like an early-morning fog. At the upper reaches of the speedo, however, the Audi RS5 accelerates with a ferocity that separates it even from mind-melting models like the RS3. With launch control engaged, 100 km/h arrives in a scant 3.9 seconds. Make it your own To wit, the RS5’s chassis has abandoned the always-on suspension tuning that underscored its precursor in favour of an adaptive system that offers a gradient of response to what the road might throw its way. With settings ranging from Comfort to Auto to Dynamic, being able to dial back the bounce of the coupe’s full 1,730 kgs provides a welcome respite on longer drives. In fact, much of the Audi’s character is configurable through the Drive Select system, with details such as throttle and transmission response, engine sound, and steering joining suspension stiffness on the list of things you can throttle up or down to your particular preference.
It’s this ability to turn the knob back from11that pushes the Audi RS5 experience closer to that of its corporate siblings. Go full Dynamic and the car is certainly less compliant, and perhaps rougher at speed than one would expect from a luxury model (pogoing up and down over the most minute of pavement imperfections), but Comfort mode — or even Auto — is the digital equivalent of a phone booth for the coupe, revealing the inner Clark Kent that hides at the core of much of the Audi lineup. Silicon and leather Further bringing the RS5 into the inner circle is its sumptuously appointed interior. Highlighted by optional carbon fibre accents on the centre console, dash, and door panels, I was coddled by the Nappa leather package’s honeycomb upholstery and impressed by a trunk large enough to swallow not just a full week’s worth of luggage, but also the many and sundry holiday purchases (including a driveshaft for a classic Datsun) without being forced to fold forward the rear seat.
Despite its lack of obvious race-ready aero kit (a tasteful carbon fibre lid spoiler and front lip stood out as the car’s most extroverted tells), the coupe also regularly attracted eyes and ‘ayes,’ attributable to the still appealing slender shape of its sleek two-door styling. The verdict More importantly, despite its heftier platform, the 2018 Audi RS5 feels like a substantial upgrade over the next-step-down RS3 in a way that the BMW M4 simply doesn’t when compared to the formidable M2. By leaving its more hardcore past in the rearview mirror, the RS5 has become an evolutionary link that bridges the entry-level with the top-tier for Audi’s high-performance luxury division that perfectly balances class with crazy when pushing past triple digits on the speedometer.