The big three German manufacturers each have their own special way of adding power andprestige to their luxury sedans. For BMW, it’s the M division, a part of the company’s productlineup since 1972. Up in Affalterbach, Mercedes-Benz’s AMG has been up rating the company’scars since 1967.
For Audi, though, it’s a little different. The company’s RS designation has only been around since the early ’90s. As the relatively new kid on the block, it sometimes feels like the brand isn’tquite sure what RS should mean. Some RS models are utterly insane, like the 912- horsepowerRS E- Tron GT. Others, though, are far more sedate.
That was the problem with Audi’s last RS5. The company fitted a larger motor to its A5 sedan, upgraded the suspension, and made other tweaks along the way. But, they forgot to upgrade the style, resulting in a sedan that was fast, yes, but a bit boring. For the new RS5, Audi is leaving nothing on the table, not only more than doubling the power of the base A5, but giving it some radical flair and even a plug-in hybrid system for instant torque and emissions- free touring. It’s a big step forward, but it comes at a substantial weight penalty.
Fender Flares
The most iconic performance Audi of all time is undoubtedly the Quattro, which, in 1980, revolutionized the performance car world by proving that all-wheel drive wasn’t just for low-speed off-roading. That car became an unlikely icon, its awkward styling influencing decades of high-performance Audis to come.
You can absolutely see its lineage in the new RS5, which features massive fender flares on every corner. The car is a whopping 3.5 inches wider than the base A5 and S5, making this newRS look far more aggressive than its predecessor.
But those flares aren’t the only things that catch your eye here. The grille up front is far more intimidating than the base car, while a close-set dual exhaust pokes out through an aggressive diffuser at the rear.
Only the small rear wing on the trunk is a bit demure, but I have a feeling the aftermarket will soon offer many, far larger options for those looking for something more dramatic.
Walking the Walk
Those styling cues make a strong first impression, and the new RS5 has plenty of power toback that up. It starts with a 2.9-liter, twin-turbo V6 that, on its own, makes over 500 horsepower. That’s a good amount, but it has a little help this year.
It’s paired with a 174-horsepower electric motor, which slots in next to the eight-speed automatic transmission. Merge the two, and you get a system output of 630 horsepower and 609 pound-feet of torque. That’s up almost 190 horsepower over the last-generation RS5.
A nice upgrade, yes, but it comes with a substantial penalty: over 1,000 pounds of added weight. Sadly, you can’t have a big electric motor without a big battery to go along with it. In this case, it’s a 25.9-kilowatt-hour unit, about one-fourth that of a Tesla Model S. That’s enough todeliver up to 54 miles of all-electric range on a single charge.
That isn’t the only electric motor at play here. Audi also uses the high-voltage power from thebig battery to power another motor integrated into the rear axle differential. This is used exclusively to spin up the outside rear wheel when cornering, helping the new RS5 deliver the agile and aggressive feel that was missing in its predecessor.
Sideways
Within 30 seconds of my first time sitting in the driver’s seat of the new RS5, I was sliding it around a closed course, through a tight series of cones, and executing a perfect, smoky pirouette on command. These sorts of maneuvers aren’t typically easy in any car, especially one making 630 horsepower and rolling on super-sticky Pirelli P Zero R tires.
But the new RS5 makes it a breeze. It’s largely thanks to that new rear differential, plus an ultra-quick 13:1 steering ratio, that I barely need to move the wheel to catch and control the slide.
As fun as that was, the real test was to see whether this machine, which now weighs 5,192 pounds, could actually be driven quickly without it feeling like a boat. Thankfully, Audi put a small race track at my disposal to try that out as well: the Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan in downtown Marrakesh, a place where Formula E formerly raced.
As I got my way up to speed, the RS5 showed remarkable grip, again afforded by those summer-only Pirelli tires, which measure a whopping 285/30R21 front and rear. The course is not only tight and winding but also bumpy and dusty, a great test of the Audi’s upgraded Quattroall-wheel-drive system and its adaptive suspension.
The car felt utterly planted through the bumpiest section of the course and flew like a rock froma sling shot, powering out of the corners. Here, too, that electric rear differential made the rearfeel more nimble, ensuring the car didn’t just understeer into a wall when I put my foot down.
In other words, it certainly didn’t feel 1,000 pounds heavier when powering out of corners. However, when I hit the brakes too hard and tried to pitch the car into the corners, it tended to frustratingly lose grip at the front. Audi’s engineers are good, then, but even they can’t break the laws of physics.
Interior Time
So the new RS5 looks and drives far more radically than before, but if there’s an area that could use improvement, it’s on the interior. The new RS5 has a few nice upgrades inside over the base A5, including sportier-looking seats and an angular RS steering wheel.
However, the experience is far too reliant on capacitive touch surfaces. There’s a pair of small thumb wheels on the steering wheel stalks, plus a pair of delightful red buttons: Boost mode for 10 seconds of maximum power and RS mode to drop the car directly into its sportiest settings.
Otherwise, it’s just flat, touch-sensitive surfaces everywhere, including the 14.5-inch touchscreen that controls most of the car’s functions. Evocative it ain’t, and this is an area that even Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told me the company could improve, following the trend of its recently revealed Concept C, which has an interior full of delightful knobs and switches.
“The Concept C is showing the way we are heading in the future. Interior quality, material quality, true material that has always been Audi, the brand DNA,” he said. “We are planning to bring that back to the brand and be leaders once again.”
A Proper RS
Despite the added weight, this new RS is far more fun to drive and infinitely more exciting to look at. And, thanks to the plug-in hybrid system and adaptive suspension, in Comfort mode, it turns into a soft and silent city cruiser. It’s perfect for whirring through traffic after a stressful day at the office, then turning into a high-performance monster once you escape the grind.
The interior disappoints, and you will feel that weight if you push the car hard, but otherwise the new RS5 truly is a stellar package, an aggro all-rounder, and everything the RS should be.
