Audi RS5 II

Based on the second-generation Audi A5 Coupe, the all-new RS5 wants to be a serious rival to the likes of BMW's M4 and Mercedes-AMG's C63 Coupe, but what exactly is going on about this new and improved high-performance version of the A5 made by the skunkworks of the recently renamed Audi Sport, formerly known as quatttro gmbH?

2018 Audi RS5

2018 Audi RS5

Being based on the all-new A5, the all-new Audi RS5 is even better looking than the previous model judging from its new aerodynamics that makes it as leathery as a leather jacket you've worn from last night's bar brawl and the same goes for the interior which is also leathery by Audi standards. This is like putting more muscle to your cream biscuits and the thicker the cream, the more delicious it is and for the RS5, it's got more muscle on the design that will make it barely noticeable on the road.

2018 Audi RS5 interior

2018 Audi RS5 interior

So, when the new RS5 is becoming more muscular on the outside as well as on the inside, has it got more muscle on the performance, you might ask? Er, afraid not because for starters, the glorious 4.2L V8 from the previous model has been thrown away in the garbage bin (man, we're going to miss that noise), and in place, there's the new 2.9 TFSi V6 BiTurbo engine that produces 450PS of power and 600Nm of torque. With the 8-speed Tiptronic transmission, which is almost as pointless as your nightly boardroom meeting on overtime, it does 0-100kph in 3.9 seconds with top speed normally limited to 250kph or with a little extra service that will raise the limit to 280kph.

That sounds quick but by the way it sounds? It's like an average six-cylinder luxury saloon you might say and while it sounds so soothe, it's not as intimidating as the old model's V8 engine that some say fires a droplet of petrol every time you make gear changes, producing more noise. While we're going to miss that glorious noise of that old-timer, that sound of the V6 twin-turbo engine is not worthy enough to win the hearts of some speedo boys and that's just half of the story.

Audi says that the new RS5 features much-improved dynamics courtesy of its new five-link construction on the front axle, the five-link suspension on the rear, the RS sport suspension plus with Dynamic Ride Control, ceramic brakes, and dynamic steering with RS-specific tuning, but truth be told, it never changed the dynamics of this car, in fact, it feels like it's been slightly improved. You can barely feel the difference in how you handle this all-wheel drive mongrel and while it has that all-wheel drive powertrain, which is very nice to drive on any kind of road, you can really feel the understeering every time you turn this car hard on the bends and because it doesn't have that glorious torque vectoring like you get on today's Mercedes E63 or a Ford Focus RS, you're like you're struggling to get it through the corner and this calls for more painkillers when your arms are feeling the aching sensation every time you handle this car very sharply like a pro. Quite an arm-breaking experience, isn't it?

Should you buy it? The new RS5 starts at 80,900 Euros plus on-road costs and that's too much to pay than the BMW M4 Coupe, which remains one of the best high-performance luxury coupes to drive today, and expensive aside, what you get is a new RS5 that almost feels like the last time, except it's lost some of its charms due to downsizing terms and despite the added power that will upset the others, it's the handling you should be worrying about as well as your arms because of that understeering despite having quattro on this car.

Photo: Audi AG