Has the RS5 coupé built on the excitement already set by its forebears?

Where Audi is known for churning out hot estate cars like RS4 Avant and the RS sedans, the previous gap of not having an RS coupé has been filled with the TT RS coupé and the RS5 coupé.

The Audi A5 coupé body is undeniably graceful and (still) a looker.  The A5's sportier S5 version followed, with its big V8 engine and S kit and menacing grille adding further weight to the want-one scale.  So blessing it with RS5 builds on the excitement already set in place by its RS4 forebears.  The previous RS4 sedan is the car that set the tone – a car that became a much talked-about snarling monstrous V8, aiming for top spot on the sports exec sedan podium.  Looks, power, RS – it was a serious player... though only lasted a short while, in sedan and later Avant and, first-for-RS4, cabriolet bodies.

This introduction sets the scene for the RS5 coupé.  Keeping in mind the wild previous RS cars and the RS4 following, the only "missing" thing on the RS4 was its lack of a sporty elegant coupé bodyshell. 

Unlike rivals BMW using power dome or side slithers and badges to announce the M3 is not a 3 Series, or likewise features pointing out the C63 AMG from the normal Mercedes C-Class coupé, the Audi RS5 looks much more understated and more similar to its A5 and S5 lesser models.  Viewed from the rear, the RS5 gets massive-bore exhausts – one each side, for a simple muscle-car look.

While on the topic of the range, the A5 coupé starts with a diesel – yes, a diesel in a mid-exec coupé.  Its 2.0TDI, priced around R500k, is the entry model, and recent additions by main rivals have seen BMW add a 420d to its 4 Series coupé, and Mercedes-Benz a E250CDI coupé.  Next up is the 2.0T (about R25k more) or 2.0T quattro at another R25k (we’re at R550k).  The 3.0TDI quattro and 3.0T (same V6 supercharger engine as current S5, but limited to 200kW) are closely priced at R645000 and R647000.  The S5 is the intermediate car between A5 and RS5, going for R757000.  All the above Audis can be bought in Sportback (5-door fastback) or coupé or cabriolet styles, while RS5 is reserved for the 2-doored ones, asking R985k and R1.062m each. 

The interior is not a patch on the elegance of the exterior – the vertical area of the centre console, for example, looks simply outdated and not properly laid out, while on the horizontal plane, the MMI controller has too many switches.  Nice sports seats and optional soft luxurious leather, with grey trim and badges applied throughout, and an optional new bright-red contrasting trim package on lower console, door inserts, seat backs and seat stitching.

The S5, incidentally, has since launch had its characterful natural 4.2 V8 ripped out (along with the manual gearbox option) to get a V6 3.0T (supercharged despite the T-ing).  For the RS5, there’s no addition of a turbo, despite most other normal Audi engines boosted by a turbo or supercharger.  Big numbers read kWs of 331 at 8250 r/min and torque of 430Nm (compared to S5 which has 245kW available from 5500 r/min, and actually beats big brother by 10Nm).  With its quattro all-wheel traction, RS5 jumps to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds, and overtaking is an easy feat.  On-road performance is strong.  Revving a V8 to 8250 r/min (yes, that is very high) is exciting... but it lacks something – where did the RS4's delicious soundtrack go?  As Audi marketing department says, they decided that a sports car does not need to have a screaming engine.  Oh dear!  The RS4 excitement was in great part thanks to its complex mix of sounds made by its immediately-recognisable V8 sound.  In RS5... well, there is a V8 idle (with added V8-exhaust in Dynamic mode) and lovely deep full-bass brrp-burp when changing gear.  But overall… a disappointing sound-emotion experience.

The RS4 and A5/S5 created high expectations for RS5… which should and could have been the next big Audi thing after RS4 and S5 V8, but with added svelte-roofed 2-door seduction.  What could possibly be wrong?  The drive.  A crucial social skill at any sports car party.  Partly to blame is the abovementioned V8’s aural blandness, and also the quatto setup which, despite some fancy diffs and tricks, still understeers badly – front tyres scrubbing while the nose pushes too straight ahead when trying to get a good turn-in is not a pleasant feeling.  The C63 AMG coupé might be on its way out (the even wilder Edition 507 announces it) but is still an exciting brute of a car.  The fresh inspiring BMW M4 sports car has been launched, showing again how to properly do an inspiring heart-rate-increasing driver’s sports coupé, that can corner well, engages the driver, and has thrilling sounds people talk about.

The hype following a legacy of exciting short-lived models from the Audi RS selection (particularly the most recent RS4 snarler) and the decision to finally create an RS coupé (off the A5/S5 body) led to the expectation that the RS5, many imagined, would be the culmination of all the best of Audi RS and coupé beauty.  Tone set for delivery of an automotive masterpiece... sadly, the box would have been better left unopened.