Test drive Audi RS 5

Start with launch-control imprints in the chair so that even those who are under 30 think about cervical osteochondrosis. At the same time, the coupe accelerates without jerks and shock switches. Fiction!

Don't peer into this signature gray color - the RS 5 looks brighter than all its upstream neighbors alive. And only at first glance, the design of the new generation coupe differs from the previous one only in details. As in the case of the civilian A5, the body is rebuilt here.

Designers Frank Lambretti and Jacob Hirzel, responsible for the exterior of the new family of "fives", adhered to the continuity and retained in the exterior of the cars all the corporate features that Walter de Silva once invented for the first generation of the coupe.

A swift and predatory silhouette, a line of side windows slightly broken in the area of ​​the rear window, a pronounced lower back with two curves above the wheel arches and, finally, a large "single frame" grille - all this remained with Audi.

And yet the RS 5 looks best not in the signature high-gloss gray, but in the new Sonoma green metallic, created especially for the second generation car. However, the traditional scarlet, white and bright blue shades also remained in the model's livery.

On the other hand, design and bright colors are far from the defining factors when choosing the RS 5. For the fashionistas who drive from one nightclub to another, the S5 has long been invented. And this car is more likely for those who will leave the office at the end of the working week and go straight to the race track. At least the coupe of the previous generation coped with this task perfectly. But can a new car do it?

At first glance, definitely yes. After all, the 4,2-liter "eight" was replaced by the 2,9-liter "six". Its new V6, co-developed by Porsche (this engine is also found in the new Panamera), is twin-turbocharged. Moreover, the turbines located in the collapse of the block do not work sequentially, but in parallel - each of them pumps air into its three cylinders. This solution improves the performance of the engine. Therefore, with a working volume of only 2894 cubic meters. see "six" develops 450 hp already at 5700 rpm, and the maximum torque of 600 Nm is available on a wide shelf from 1900 to 5000 rpm.

The new engine is as powerful as the 4,2-liter V8 in the RS 5 of the previous generation, and even surpasses it in terms of torque. For comparison, the "eight" gave out 430 Nm on the shelf from 4000 to 6000 rpm. Can you guess what all this is about?

In general, the new engine is a kind of cornerstone around which the entire RS 5 seems to have been built. For example, it was because of it that the classic eight-speed automatic from ZF came to replace the S tronic “robot” with two dry clutches. Audi experts say that their existing preselective box simply does not "digest" such an impressive torque.

But they immediately stipulate that the new automatic transmission is not inferior to the previous "robot" in terms of rate of fire. The switching time, however, is not announced - in the case of both boxes, it is measured in milliseconds, and the person behind the wheel will not be able to feel the difference under any circumstances.

But the quattro all-wheel drive system was transferred to the new generation car practically unchanged. It still uses the Torsen self-locking differential. The integration of the new quattro ultra system with a pair of electronically controlled clutches has also proved difficult due to the new motor. The clutches in their multi-plate designs, like the dry clutches in the S tronic, cannot handle the torque of the 2,9-liter six.

Is it bad? Not at all. The old-school design of the motor-transmission link should be more reliable than the previous one. At the same time, due to the crazy thrust of the engine, the dynamics still improved. Remember, above I asked not to rush things and kept silent about the characteristics? So, the power unit of the new RS 5 takes out the coupe in 4 seconds. Audi spends 3,9 seconds on spurt to "hundred"!

Start with launch-control imprints into the chair so that even those who are under 30 think about cervical osteochondrosis. In this case, the coupe accelerates very smoothly, without jerks and shock switches. The smoothness of the ride, whether it is accelerating or decelerating under the "gas" discharge, is practically flawless. And this is another nice bonus that came with the "automatic".

The exit from the country roads to the mountain serpentines of Andorra, where the new RS 5 was tested, put all the points. Audi, having become smoother on the go, has not lost a bit of its former sports skills. In dynamic mode, the "automatic" cleverly selects gears, including the right one at the right moment, and the engine has enough traction in any position of the accelerator pedal.

Manual control of the box is simply not needed here, although paddle shifters are, of course, provided. All in all, the RS 5 is a real thrill to ride the winding paths. Moreover, the car eagerly dives into sharp turns and keeps the long arcs as neutral as possible. The feedback on the steering wheel is as clear and transparent as you can feel the asphalt with your fingertips. And the reactions to the steering wheel actions are so precise and fast that every millimeter of the trajectory can be controlled. At the same time, there is not even a hint of roll or excessive longitudinal swing.

Surprisingly, the RS 5 chassis has evolved the least. The platform is new, but the architecture is the same. The suspensions use multi-link designs, just like the previous generation coupe. But I must say that all the cars on the test are equipped with optional adaptive shock absorbers with variable stiffness, which, in a comfortable mode, let a minimum of information about the quality of the road surface into the cabin, and in sports mode they are distinguished by exemplary composure.

Against the background of the loud premiere of the innovative Audi A8, the debut of the new generation RS 5 coupe was somehow quiet and imperceptible. And this is wrong: aside from the ultra-expensive and very powerful R8, the new RS 5 is Ingolstadt's most capable sports car.

Audi RS 5
Body type	Coupe
Dimensions (length / width / height), mm	4723/1861/1360
Wheelbase, mm	2766
Clearance, mm	110
Curb weight, kg	1655
engine's type	Gasoline, V6
Working volume, cubic meters cm	2894
Max. power, h.p. at rpm	450 at 5700-6700
Max. cool. moment, Nm at rpm	600 at 1900-5000
Трансмиссия	AKP8
Drive unit	Full
Acceleration to 100 km / h, from	3,9
Maximum speed km / h	250
Average fuel consumption. l / 100 km	8,7
Cargo space, l	420
Price, from $.	66 604