It doesn't take long to realize the Audi RS5 is a major step up from the S5 coupe that's currently the top-performing version of the A5 four-seater here in North America.
If a quick glance at its more aggressive body doesn't do it, one full-stomp blast up to the RS5's 8,500 rpm redline certainly will, where a rush of extra power comes with a bypass valve in the exhaust for an even throatier sound. Compared to the already plenty quick 354-hp S5, the RS5's extra first letter is worth just about 100 extra ponies – and a whole lot of extra technology under that toughened up body.
Audi aficionados will note the RS5's larger intakes, the aluminum lower front clip and rearview mirror housings, and the huge available 20-inch Pirelli PZero P275/30ZR rubber. A rear spoiler automatically rises at 120 km/h, though the underbody diffuser visible under the rear bumper states this car's personality at any speed. Available in Europe, the car is slated to arrive in North America this fall, according to an Audi Canada spokesperson.
Restrained aggression is also the main theme inside, with the A5's luxury focus upgraded to a high quality but much sleeker environment, with black leather set off by huge thigh and shoulder bolsters, carbon-fibre accents, special metallic trim and the addition of a lap timer and oil temp display. Strangely though, the high-end seats are powered back and forth, but the seat back angle is still a manual lever. This may shave some weight, and any less weight is a good thing for performance. But in an already weighty coupe like this, it seems like a whiff of cost-cutting.
For such a strong performer, there's still a fair measure of practicality to this interior, for an exotic two-door, at least. There's lots of room up front, though rear-seat passengers will feel a serious squeeze if those in front are tallish. On the other hand, the two seats back there are wide enough for child seats, and seem like roomy thrones next to a Porsche 911's caricature of rear seats. Even the trunk is wide and fairly deep, a byproduct of the RS5 tracing its roots back to the A4 sedan platform.
But the decent practicality in this car is a bonus, not its raison d'être. Closer to the heart of the RS5's exotic personality is its menacing 4.2-litre V-8, a beast of an engine the same size as the one in the Audi R8 mid-engine supercar. However, it makes 450 hp, 30 more than in the base R8, good for a 4.6-second 0-100 km/h sprint, according to the company, or less than a quarter second behind the base R8's similar sprint.
The engine is mated to a seven-speed dual clutch paddle shift transmission, which helped quickly bang out split-second downshifts from highway cruising speeds whenever the coast was clear on Germany's speed-limit-free autobahns. It was a race to the car's top speed of 250 km/h, which we touched once in 10 attempts, its brakes remaining strong and fade-free even with heavy use from 200 km/h-plus speeds. An optional Sport package raises the top speed to 280 km/h, a rarity amongst mainstream German cars, but becoming more common in their exotics.
On the handling side of its performance package, Audi's impressive Dynamic Ride Control allows the firmness of the dampers to be adjusted between comfort-oriented to rock-hard but body-lean free, plus torque vectoring shifts power side to side to help rocket it out of corners. The Drive Select system also allows the touch of a button to adjust varying degrees of sportiness for the transmission, throttle, exhaust and steering to Comfort, Auto (changing) and Sport settings.
The overall result is that the RS5 is not quite the natural handler that a 911 is, but offers more power, and can be a better comfort/handling compromise at more times, if the driver is willing to adjust the settings accordingly.
globedrive@globeandmail.com
2012 Audi RS5
Type: Compact performance coupe
Base price: Not available
Engine: 4.2-litre V-8
Horsepower/torque: 450 hp/317 lb-ft
Transmission: Seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Drive: All-wheel
Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 10.8 combined; premium gas
Alternatives: BMW M3 Coupe, Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, Lotus Evora, Mercedes-Benz E550 Coupe, Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911
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