The new drop-top version of Audi RS5 makes its online debut and presents us with a car that on the surface seems to be as good as cars ever get. It’s a four-seater convertible, with a 450-hp V8 engine under the bonnet. It’s beautiful, and beautifully made, and it’s very, very classy. So why in the real world more people go and buy the M3 instead?

We suppose tht has something to do with the feel of the thing. The RS5, at least in its coupe version, feels a bit too clinical. The convertible, however, offers such a compelling blend of style and performance that you can forgive it for being less exciting than the Bimmer.

The exterior design is the same as the coupe, apart from the canvas roof obviously, with the same aluminum look details and LED lights. It is a thing of beauty, even with the roof closed. Speaking of which, the soft top opens and closes automatically in 15 or 17 seconds, even while driving at 50 km / h. When folded the roof takes 60 liters of the trunk space. But if that’s the issue, you can always fold the rear seats and make more room.

The interior design is classic Audi, with clean and neat lines and very high quality materials. One might argue there’s too many buttons scattered all over the place, but the sport seats and the flat-bottomed steering wheel are cool enough for you not to object about small details.

The beating heart of the RS5 is a 4.0 liter V8 engine with maximum power output of 450 horsepower and 430 Nm of torque. That is delivered to all four wheels via a seven-speed S tronic transmission. The gearbox and suspension system each have different settings for comfort or sport. In the full sports mode the RS5 cabrio does 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 second, onto a limited top speed of 250 km/h.

The RS5 Convertible is such a loveable car. But do you prefer it to an M3?