Audi is preparing some new stuff for its RS fans. The Ingolstadt-based manufacturer unveiled the two new RS 5 and RS 5 Sportback, cars that combine the latest Audi exterior design hallmarks with the upgraded cabin configuration already adopted by the RS 4, bringing MMI touch technology based around a large central screen.
The twin-turbo V6 with its 450PS output and 600 Nm of torque continues to provide spine-tingling performance that is reflected in sub-four-second 0-62mph sprint capability.
The enhancements to the exterior of the two RS 5 models are evident at first glance. At the front, the Singleframe is now wider and flatter in line with its big brothers, the RS 6 and RS 7, and new implied air vents above the grille provide a visual link with the classic Audi Sport quattro from 1984.
Flanking the grille are large, strongly contoured air inlets in a new pentagonal design. Matrix LED headlights are standard across the board, and in the Vorsprung version which heads the range in the UK these feature laser light and are identifiable by way of their darkened bezels.
The virtual cockpit plus works with a new operating concept based around a 10.1-inch MMI touch display with acoustic feedback which is inclined towards the driver and incorporates the top tier MMI navigation plus module. In addition to its primary infotainment functions the large, free-standing display provides the driver with information on engine temperature, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, the quattro sport differential operating status, tyre pressures and tyre temperatures.
Immense tractive power and a high output combined with efficiency: The 2.9 TFSI twin-turbo V6, the heart of the RS 5 models, continues to deliver 450PS and a formidable 600 Nm (442.5 lb-ft) of torque from a speed of 1,900 rpm. Both RS 5 models accelerate from zero to 62mph in 3.9 seconds and can reach an electronically limited top speed of 155mph – in Vorsprung versions this is increased to 174mph.
A quick-shifting eight-speed tiptronic controllable via new, larger aluminium shift paddles directs the power of the engine to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The quattro drivetrain provides the two RS models with remarkable traction and stability, regardless of the weather, and a standard sport differential on the rear axle maximises its potential by distributing torque actively between the rear wheels.
RS 5 and RS 5 Carbon Black models are fitted as standard with a taut RS sport suspension. The RS sport suspension plus with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) hydraulic roll and pitch stabilisation is standard for the Vorsprung versions and optionally available for all others. It uses steel springs and three-stage adjustable dampers that are connected to one another via diagonal oil lines and a central valve. When cornering at speed, the valves regulate the oil flow in the damper of the spring-deflected front wheel at the outside of the bend.
In standard form the revised RS 5 models are equipped with 19-inch wheels, with new 20-inch wheels reserved for the Carbon Black and Vorsprung versions. Appropriately, the Carbon Black wheel is painted completely in gloss black. As an upgrade to the powerful standard brake system, which is available with the option of red calipers, carbon fibre ceramic brake discs can be specified for the front axle.
