Audi RS5: Blitzkrieg Style

Opening

Audi RS5: Blitzkrieg Style

This has to be one of the sexiest Audi’s I have ever driven. It does not get Tony Stark inspired flair of an R8 neither does it hug you in luxury instead it acts as a pure muscle car with a German pedigree.

This two door coupe can go fast and seriously fast. It does a sprint of 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds which means before you can complete saying Vorsprung durch Technik, the speedometer and tachometer needles will be on the other side of their starting point.

Audi RS5 is one of the strongest names where performance coupes are considered. It boasts of a naturally aspirated 4.2L V8 engine pumping out a great deal of power and torque which is transferred to the road via its all wheel drive system. How does it feel to drive a performance car like this on normal roads? We find out in our review.

Appearance Exterior

They all look the same don’t they....NO! It has a face similar to its luxury siblings but then the similarity ends there as the RS5 has an expressive face. The aggression in its front lines paired with those shrewd narrow headlights won’t encourage anyone to mess with it. It has a large single frame radiator grille with a honey comb style mesh. Lower air intake vents on the bumper can swallow litres of air.

It has a pronounced jaw line with a sporty lip spoiler in an aluminium finish. A strong shoulder line and a clean roofline make it look crisp. The forged Aluminium turbine shaped wheels have a machined grey finish. These wheels are expensive and might cost you a Tata Nano to replace.

The RS5 is a two door coupe and its dimensions look near to perfection. The interesting part about its design is even the oddly shaped bits look in proportion when seen from any angle. The descending roof line, which does not flow parallel to the rear window, look dynamic. There is a gentle flare on wheel arches. The muscular contours on the entire body scream about its performance potential.

A German car with an Italian rear sounds weird but the RS5 does that with great panache. The rear profile reminds me of the Maserati’s elegant yet sporty tail design with clean sections. It has an integrated boot lip spoiler. This is not a pseudo fast looking car as it gets a real spoiler tastefully hidden in the rear boot lid which tilts upward at a gentle click from inside.

 

Appearance Interior

If luxury is what you seek in a car, then it is better to step out of the RS5 and get inside one of the business class Audi’s. The RS5 has interiors which have been designed keeping its performance DNA in mind. The overall theme is dark with subtle red accents.

It is a two door coupe and thus gets rear seats. On paper, the RS5 can seat four people which is only possible if they have an athletic built because it is extremely difficult to make two sit comfortably in the rear. Front row seats have electrical settings to shift them forward and help entry of rear passengers. Blame it on my size, I never made it to the rear of the RS5 (...or perhaps I didn’t intend to).

The three spoke steering wheel with RS5 badging looks smashing. Even the instrumental panel with special scaling and black dials with white markings look great. There is also an additional lap timer with oil temperature gauge.

Contrasting brushed aluminium finished shifters and pedals compliment the overall interiors. The same can be seen on door trims too. It might not be a practical everyday car coz of its performance and mileage but when it comes to storage options, the RS5 offers multiple options which range from cup holders, bottle holders even individual holders for the rear passengers and then it gets a large sized boot.

 

Performance Drive

The Audi RS5 is a fast car is a no brainer statement. What else would a naturally aspirated 8 cylindered 4163 engine do? It produces 450Hp of power and a peak torque of 430Nm between 4000 to 6000 rpm. Naturally aspirated cars are slowly vanishing thus if you plan to get a souvenir, then the RS5 should do fine.

Before noticing the car, it is the exhaust note which grabs allthe attention. We saw curious onlookers trying to spot the car as soon as they heard the maniac exhaust note which sounds like a Shotgun gone insane.

The all wheel Quattro grabs the road like claws of an eagle. Get this German rolling and the sudden rush of power makes the heart race. The throttle is nimble but the response isn’t as all those numbers can be related to the time it takes to make the surroundings go in a motion blur.

It is all about precision when it comes to such high performance cars and Audi’s 7-Speed S tronic transmission does a brilliant job. It takes less than a second before shifting into the next gear thus reducing lag times to almost zero. In Auto mode, the shifts are smooth and but in the sports mode, the RS5 just transforms and all the machinery and equipment inside starts making complete sense.

Those wheels and tyres look amazing but they go beyond being mere pretty additions as the grip these low profile tyres offer especially around corners is simply great. A lot of credit also goes to its meaty braking too. The 265 / 35 R19 tyres are best suited on clean roads without any undulations. It is only when the roads begin to get uneven where these tyres give up on performance. Traction remains its high point but then coz of the low profile they do not sufficiently insulate the cabin from disturbances caused by the road.

It has muscle car inspired styling but at the same time the aerodynamics of the RS5 helps it cut through air effortlessly. The flowing hood line paired with the front pillars and other sections on the front guide air flow in the right direction. Even the scoops on the front bumper help channelize air flow to a great extent. During our test run, It delivered a mileage a 10kmpl which is similar to others in the segment. 

Tech Specs

Technical Specifications
Make	Audi
Model	RS5
Variant	4.2 FSI quattro
Price	Rs. 9,980,000
Fuel	Petrol
Engine Capacity	4163
Power in hp/RPM	450/8250
Torque in Nm/RPM	430/4000-6000
Gears	7 Speed S Tronic
Length mm	4649
Width mm	1860
Height mm	1366
Wheel base mm	2751
Fuel tank capacity L	64
Tyre Spec	265 / 35 R19

Features

Features	4.2 FSI quattro
Xenon headlights with separate LED daytime running lights	Yes
Radio Symphony with 6 CD changer	Yes
RS multi-function steering wheel with alluminium look shift paddles	Yes
Fine nappa leather with piping	Yes
Audi drive select	Yes
Speed-activated retractable rear spoiler	Yes
RS body styling	Yes
Inlays in matt-brushed alluminium	Yes
S sport seats at front electrically adjustable	Yes
3 zone automatic air-conditioning	Yes
Anti-theft wheel bolts	Yes
Audi parking system plus	Yes
Panoramic sunroof	Yes
Bang & Olufsen® Sound System	Yes

Competition All Specs

Specifications	Audi RS5	Mercedes Benz E63 AMG	BMW M5
Variant	4.2 FSI quattro	AMG 5.5-liter V8 Biturbo engine	M TwinPower Turbo V8 petrol engine
Price (Ex Showroom Delhi)	Rs. 9,980,000	Rs. 13,200,000	Rs. 12,970,000
Fuel	Petrol	Petrol	Petrol
Engine Capacity	4163	5461	4395
Power in PS/RPM	450 / 8250	557 / 5500	560 / 6000-7000
Torque in Nm/RPM	430 /4000-6000	720 / 1750	680 / 1500-5750
Gears	7 Speed S Tronic	7-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT	7-Speed Auto
Length mm	4649	4879	4910
Width mm	1860	1854	2119
Height mm	1366	1474	1467
Wheel base mm	2751	2874	2964
Fuel tank capacity L	64	80	NA
Kerb Weight (Kgs)	1800	1845	NA
Tyre Spec F	265 / 35 R19	255 / 40 R18	265 / 40 R19
Tyre Spec R	265 / 35 R19	285 / 35 R18	295 / 35 R19
Mileage (kmpl)	9.52	10.2	10.1

Conclusion

Fiction is fancier than truth and the RS5 proves that right. The other Germans who have a bigger heart and pump our more numbers come at a heavier price. The other side of the story is the RS5 is the only rebellious looking built-for-performance coupe unlike the Mercedes Benz E63AMG which looks like a fast family car. The BMW M5 looks better than the AMG but it does not have the raw appeal.

There is no practicality involved in buying a RS5 but then if there is a hooligan in you who has a childish fetish of waking up the entire neighbourhood at 3AM then one must get it for sure. 

Audi RS5 [2018-2020] ₹ N/A Onwards