After a leaked brochure revealed almost all of the details on the new Audi RS5 Coupe’s styling and interior, the company had no choice but to release a couple of official images and some technical info to save some dignity! Of course the car will be revealed in full during the Geneva Motor Show pretty soon. Audi wants the new RS5 to be a BMW M3 killer, so let’s see what they’ve come up with…
As for the design, well to an uninterested eye all Audis look the same! And this one too has all the typical Audi styling cues like the big grille, LED light, distinctive waste line and a single exhaust on each side of the diffuser at the back. But one new feature if the RS5 is the retractable trunk lid spoiler which goes up and down based on your speed. Also the front spoiler, mirrors and the diffuser come in silver by default, which might not appeal to everyone.
And the interior too has that unmistakable Audi neat and classic design. You get electronically adjustable sport seats with pronounced side sections and integrated head restraints covered in leather and alcantara and a sport multi-function steering wheel and all the convenience stuff you’d expect . They have used a blend of carbon fiber and aluminum look parts to decorate the interior, which is nice, but it also has a lame feature and that’s what they call an “RS greeting” which shows up in the main screen everytime you start it up!
Now we should talk about the most important feature of them all, and that’s the RS’5 beating heart. It’s powered by a 4.2-liter V8 with 331 kW (450 hp) and 430 Nm (317.15 lb-ft) of torque. Audi insists on calling this engine “high-revving” because that what the M3’s engine is! And they got the upper hand here as it generates 30 more than the Bimmer.
Of course Audi didn’t want to make an economical car here, so its average fuel consumption of 10.8 liters per 100 kilometers (21.78 miles US mpg) is justified. Still, they say it’s economical in comparison to its rivals. Audi’s feud with BMW is getting a bit idiotic now!
So when it comes to performance, given the car’s 1,725 kilograms weight, it’s pretty quick with a zero to 100 km/h sprint time of 4.6 seconds, and a limited top speed of 250 km/h, which can be set at 280 km/h upon request!
The RS5 comes with the seven-speed S tronic gearbox with optimized ratios and a an updated version of the Quattro system which is tweaked for sporty handling. It is also fitted with a launch control system and has three different settings for the chassis: auto, comfort, and dynamic which can be selected through the drive select switch.
They have also fitted it with high-gloss black brake calipers bearing RS logos are likewise made of aluminum; the front calipers are fitted with eight pistons each and 19-inch alloy wheels with 265/35 tire. Options here include ceramic carbon-fiber brake discs measuring 380 millimeters for front and 20-inch wheels wrapped in 275/30 tires.
So as you see the 2011 RS5 beats the M3 in many ways, but you know what, I’d still have the BMW for one good reason: no matter how hard they have tried, Audi is not as cool as BMW!
