Audi A5 B10

Audi has a new naming policy where ICE-powered cars will be given odd numbers while EVs will have evens. As a result, the ICE-powered A4 range is now named the A5, a name reserved for coupe versions of the said car. What's it all about?

2025 Audi A5

2025 Audi A5 Avant

Starting at €45,200 plus additional costs, the Audi A5 B10 is no longer the familiar model for speed enthusiasts. The two-door equivalent of the A4 has now been restructured to replace it. However, the A4 may return in the future as the A4 e-tron. Ironically, with Audi no longer producing coupes, this aligns with their mantra that "progress is an attitude."

Beginning with the design, the A5 B10 looks subtle and attractive at the same time even when it was reformatted into a four-door saloon with the more spacious Avant in the party. Hinted by muscular proportions such as the flared wheel arches and the standard, electric tailgate, which opens together with the rear window, not to mention the choice of eight different digital light signature pairs, the A5 B10 is a concoction of business and leisure at a snail's pace.

2025 Audi A5 interior

Moving to the interior, the A5 B10 is futuristic even behind the wheel. On the driver's side, you are greeted by its Audi MMI panoramic display, which features an 11.9-inch instrumental display, a 14.5-inch MMI touchscreen with the controversial ChatGPT integration, and an available 10.9-inch front passenger display.

Although slightly more spacious and more comfortable than its A4 predecessor, it's the Avant that takes the credit with up to 1424L of boot space when the passenger seats are folded down, giving you plenty of room for your quiet weekend drives away from your business degree.

2025 Audi S5

2025 Audi S5 Avant

At launch, the Audi A5 B10 is powered by a choice of a 2.0L TFSi engine with up to 204PS of power and a 2.0L TDi MHEV, which is sadly the one to avoid due to Europe's disdain for diesel. All are mated to a 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic.

The S5 range, meanwhile, is powered by a 3.0L TFSi V6 engine that produces 367PS of power, and thanks to its said gearbox, the quattro sport rear differential, and variable AWD clutch, it sprints from 0-100kph in 4.5 seconds and has an electronically-limited top speed of 250kph.

Because it now runs on the new Premium Platform Combustion, a platform suitable for ICE-powered vehicles, which serves as a replacement for the MLB architecture, the A5 B10 feels more dramatic to drive than its A4 predecessor even with Audi's signature quattro all-wheel drive system, the integrated and blending-capable brake control system, and the brake torque vectoring for reducing understeer. It's common sense but it feels okay to drive even when feeling under the weather.

As for safety, the A5 B10 features adaptive cruise assist plus, active front assist, traffic sign-based cruise control, park assist plus, and rear turn assist.

Formerly known as the two-door version of the A4, the Audi A5 was reformatted as the replacement of the A4 thanks to Audi's new naming policy. This is no longer the A5 that speedo boys were familiar with and with Audi no longer making coupes, it's a sad day for them. It's a shame but as a replacement to the A4, the all-new A5 is all about continuing its predecessor's tradition as a direct rival to BMW's 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz's C-Class. Morbid cynicism but it gets results. That's common sense to you.

Photo: Audi AG

My FH5 Log: The last 2-door Audi

The Audi RS5 Coupe is the last two-door high-performance Audi you can buy because Audi is no longer building two-door coupes after this. Here in Forza Horizon 5, it's time to pay a little tribute to the last-ever 2-door high-performance Audi from how it started to how it ended.

From the 8T model to the F5 model, the RS5 Coupe can be harshly called a two-door equivalent of the RS4 Avant judging by the fact that both share the same backbones. Anyway, let's get to know how it started and how it ended.

Let's begin with the first RS5 Coupe. Launched at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, the Audi RS5 is the powerful version of the Audi A5 coupe. It is powered by a 4.2 FSi V8 engine that produces 450PS of power.

Now, let's move on to the last-ever RS5 Coupe, a DLC car in the game. This model is now powered by a 2.9 TFSi V6 BiTurbo engine that produces 450PS of power and 600Nm of torque. The 8-speed Tiptronic transmission allows the RS5 to sprint from 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.

The second-generation RS5 is the last DTM Touring Car to win the championship with Rene Rast behind the wheel. After that, the DTM as we know it is gone. Today's DTM became the equivalent of the GT300 class of the Super GT series with GT3-class machines ruling the pack.

To observe the advancements made by the RS5 from its initial V8-powered model to its final V6-powered iteration, I went to the Horizon Mexico main site to conduct this experiment. Let us proceed with the footage.

Here are the results...

RS5 (8T) - 1m18.195s

RS5 (F5) - 1m16.777s

Despite a two-cylinder gap between them, it took nearly two seconds for evolution. Progress is an Attitude, as Audi says in the commercials.

With the R8 and TT reached their end-of-life status, the RS5 Coupe is the next to be euthanized. Audi has been involved in making race-prepped coupes since the legendary Quattro and with the last two-door Audi heading to the crusher, Audi has nothing to race for as it only focuses on its Formula E involvement and its imminent F1 involvement with Sauber. It's a sad day for speedo boys who have been loyal to the Audi brand since the quattro. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

EPILOGUE

The F5-spec Audi RS5 Coupe completed its mission in this unstable world but I decided to give the last-ever two-door Audi one last hurrah. But first...

Bananice, as one stage girl said. Bananice indeed.

With the "bananice" stage girl's name written all over it, my RS5 Coupe's final salvo takes place in an EventLab re-enactment of a certain racetrack I know. Let's roll the tape.

BANANICE, NANA-CHAN!

Thank you for everything, Audi RS5 Coupe. You may not be as good as the competition but you emerged as the last DTM Touring Car to be crowned as the champion and now that you've served your purpose, all that is left is for me to say...

ABSCHIED, RS5 COUPE. Abschied von der Audi-Zweitürer-Coupé-Familie.

My FH5 Log: The last Audi TT

Production of the Audi TT ended late last year, ending its 25-year run since its 1998 debut. Although gone, its legacy will never be forgotten.

The world already bid the Audi TT farewell but here in Forza Horizon 5, it's time to have one last ride with the Audi TT.

The Audi TT RS, in its final generation guise, is the ultimate version of the Audi TT, the fitting car for the TT's final drive here in Horizon Mexico. But first, a little re-introduction with this one.

The Audi TT RS is the ultimate all-around sports car, capable of reaching uncharted heights that no other sports car in its class dares to go. Powered by a five-cylinder 2.5L turbocharged engine, the Audi TT RS produces 400PS of power and 480Nm of torque. Mated to a 7-speed DSG, the Audi TT RS sprints from 0-100kph in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 280kph thanks to an optional extra.

For the 2020 model year, the third-generation Audi TT RS received a minor change, featuring an improved exterior design with wider air intakes, a new front spoiler, new inlets flanking the grille, redesigned sills with black inlays, a new rear wing, new air vents, and a revised diffuser. However, the 2.5L turbocharged engine remains unchanged, meaning it still has 400PS of power and 480Nm of torque.

In late 2022, Audi unveiled the TT RS iconic edition, of which only 100 were made for European customers. It features a unique aero kit, a special interior, and Nardo Grey exterior paint. In late 2023, Audi ended production of the TT, which had a three-generation run of 25 years since its 1998 debut.

I won this car at the Horizon Race-Off Storm Season Playlist and the way it looks and feels is just like its pre-facelifted equivalent that we had years ago. Despite donning a different look, it is still the unscripted hero we're familiar with, chewing off the Ariel Nomad and spitting its backbones.

It's still the 4WD sports car in its class you don't want to mess with because anyone trying to square off against the Audi TT RS will make them realize why it performs that others can't. With its unique turbocharged 5-cylinder engine, legendary quattro all-wheel-drive, and short proportions, no one comes close to the Audi TT.

To see how much the final Audi TT RS progressed compared to the first TT that got the RS variant, the second-generation Audi TT, let's drive these two at the Castillo Del Mar for a little progress check. Roll the tape.

And now the results...

TT Mk2 RS - 2m30.334s

TT Mk3 RS F/L - 2:21.7084

Nearly nine seconds. That's how much improvement the final TT RS gained from the first TT RS and Audi never joked about the progress the TT has made through the years.

Before making my last farewell with the Audi TT, I gave it one last attempt to shine and that meant calling in an old friend.

The third-generation Audi TT RS gets all vibrant and pastel for the role of Waccha PriMagi's Miruki Amauri. It's the same one I did from the pre-facelift but you will notice a slight difference between them. Don't thank me, thank Honeytan for this, dao.

With Miruki back for her final encore, it's time for the last Audi TT in history to perform its final dance. Roll the tape.

Not the prettiest ending I hoped for but this is how the Audi TT rolls.

It's been a privilege working with you...

25 years, three generations, one Audi TT. Beyond its tenure, this unique sports car chose to exist rather than to live, and in the end, it made a huge mark in the motoring scene. Although gone, its legacy will never be forgotten.

Auf Wiedersehen, Audi TT...

My FM Log: The Last Schuhplattler

The second-generation Audi R8 has reached its endgame and this facelifted version is the sign of the time that Audi's first and only rear-wheel-drive machine will head to the great junkyard in the sky.

Players of the new Forza Motorsport game have until November 16th to fully clear the Open Class Tour from C Class Series to S Class Series to obtain the 2020 Audi R8 V10 performance and then take it for a spin in its own Reward Showcase event. If you haven't done it, now's the time to do so.

The second-generation Audi R8 was facelifted for the 2020 Model Year featuring a revised design and improved performance.

In addition to its revamped front face and rear bumpers, the Lamborghini-derived 5.2L V10 engine that powers it has been improved to produce 30hp and 10Nm more than the previous model, giving it 562hp of power and 550Nm of torque, delivering a 0-100kph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 324kph. In the performance variant, the same V10 engine gets 612hp of power and 580Nm of torque, slightly more powerful than the old R8 V10 plus variant it replaces.

The facelifted second-generation R8 features improved suspension setup as well as adding three new settings to the R8's Audi drive select system; dry, wet, and snow. It even comes with optional dynamic steering and electromechanical power steering as well.

It's wise for the new Forza Motorsport game to feature the facelifted second-generation Audi R8, in V10 performance trim, because while this is truly the last R8 Audi will ever make, the producers want its soon-to-be-bereaved Audi fanatics to savor the final moments of this car by driving the R8 harder and louder for longer before Audi pulls the plug on their first-and-only rear-wheel-drive V10-powered supercar that uses most of the learnings from Lamborghini, which Audi has control of it.

As the world bids farewell to the Audi R8, I decided to have one last push by driving it around the Nurburgring Grand Prix Circuit, the official venue of Formula 1's German Grand Prix. While this is basically the ultimate resting place for the V10-powered R8, it looks like it's not the only one that's about to get Rest In Pieces...

There's also the third-generation Audi TT, in RS trim, that's about to head to the great junkyard in the sky. 

As the high-performance version of the third-generation Audi TT, the TT RS is the ultimate all-around sports car capable of taking through uncharted heights no sports car in its class dared to go beyond.

Powered by the five-cylinder 2.5L turbocharged engine, the Audi TT RS produces 400PS of power and 480Nm of torque. Mated to a 7-speed DSG, the Audi TT RS sprints from 0-100kph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 280kph thanks to an optional extra.

With the two Audi sports cars stepping out for one last Schuhplattler, it's time to find out which one has the last laugh. TT, R8, give us your last dance before your imminent deaths. Roll the tapes.

The R8 V10 performance did it in 2m18.655s while the TT RS did it in 2m29.656s. Yes, the R8 defeated the TT RS by a long margin but what they did is a fitting end of themselves.

When the R8 dies, Audi will bid Auf Wiedersehen to its GT-class racing programs as it focuses on its return to top-class endurance racing and also its Formula 1 entry. 

Such sacrifices have to be made for the greater good and although tearful to watch both of these Audi sports cars experience euthanasia, their legacies will never die. The R8 and the TT may be completely different but together, they've accomplished their mission like a brave German soldier in his dying moments.

Auf Wiedersehen, R8 and TT. You made us proud until the very end.

My FH5 Log: Operation Horizon Music Hour

The Audi TT is 25 years old and it's set for its impending euthanasia, which saddens most fanatics of this car since the first generation. The third-and-final generation TT, in its ultimate RS form, is proof that it managed to stand through the test of time until its last drop.

So, how should I make the final moments of the Audi TT a memorable one?

What's this? A G82 BMW M4 Competition Coupe?! Looks like it's up to something...

Looks like the odd duo is having a little "Save the Last Dance" moment at the Horizon Badlands. How charming for a moment like this.

As the BMW M4 treats the Audi TT RS for a sprint at the Switchback Run, the two cars are playing the game of which one is the fastest. However, their little duel got interrupted by the arrival of...

...the all-electric Audi RS e-tron GT, the third wheel interrupting the TT RS's final moments on Planet Earth. Looks like it's a three-way fight now and with that, roll the tape.

And here are the results...

TT RS (8S) - 3m42.823s

RS e-tron GT - 3m36.016s

G82 M4 Competition - 3m40.888s

Such a result is making the TT RS blush. If the RS e-tron GT didn't pop up from nowhere, the M4 wins the friendly duel against the soon-to-be-euthanized TT RS. Sadly, it's too late for that and the all-electric RS e-tron GT struck them like...that one venue at Animaniacs Ten Pin Alley where funny things happen and you scored a strike. Anyone remember?

The Audi RS e-tron GT may have ruined the last dance between the G82 BMW M4 and the TT 8S RS but that was just Phase One of this operation. Here comes the latter half of this operation I called...Operation Horizon Music Hour.

The all-electric Audi RS e-tron GT got a little makeover by a fleet of Tanto-chan for the role of Waccha PriMagi's Auru Omega. The Tatejima motif on the Audi emblem at the back adds a nice touch to it. Just don't let Volt-chan overload it. Huhehe... Anyway, this is the all-electric Audi with a hint of Electro Remix to it. Omega be pleased.

The third-generation Audi TT RS, meanwhile, gets all vibrant and pastel for the role of Waccha PriMagi's Miruki Amauri. Call her cute, we dare you, dao.

Lastly, the weird-looking BMW M4 G82 Competition Coupe gets a new lease of life as it plunges through the Radiant Abyss and emerged for the role of Waccha PriMagi's Lemon Kokoa. Take note of the CSL-inspired stripes draw inspiration from her partner Carron and the ectoplasm thing coming out from the kidney grille. This feels just like...Miss Lemon!

There is a clear explanation for this PriMagi Music Hour shindig because a long time ago, the Pretty Series producers asked the fans which Primagista is the best and the top three best Primagistas get to perform the song called, you guessed it, Youkusou! PriMagi Music Hour. Auru is ranked 3rd, Miruki is ranked 2nd, and Lemon was hailed the best Primagista as voted by the fans. 

Long story short but anyway, I hope you'll appreciate my interpretation of the top three Primagistas as livery designs for my three favorite German sports cars. If you need share codes, here goes.

- Waccha PriMagi! Lemon Kokoa

  Car: 2021 BMW M4 Competition Coupe

  Share Code: 901 121 562

- Waccha PriMagi! Auru Omega

  Car: 2021 Audi RS e-tron GT

  Share Code: 163 280 712

- Waccha Primagi! Miruki Amauri

  Car: 2018 Audi TT RS

  Share Code: 133 775 705

Anyway, with the best three Primagistas on wheels getting dressed to impress, it's time to give this trio a series of challenges they can take on. The Audi TT RS, with its quattro all-wheel-drive system, will be tackling a rally stage against a pack of her...admirers. The fully-electric Audi RS e-tron GT, meanwhile, will be battling through a twisty road course while dealing with the bulk of its weight, and the G82 BMW M4 takes on a twisted night race against a swarm of her fans. Initiate the latter half of Operation Horizon Music Hour.

An explosive mix of Electro Remix, Cherry Sugar, and Radiant Abyss. The ideal cocktail of an adventure they'll never forget, especially for the soon-to-be-euthanized Audi TT.

As the M4 and the e-tron GT went through separate ways, leaving only me and the TT, it's time for me to have my last word with the Audi TT now that it served its purpose in a Waccha way.

How do I say this...oh yeah. After 25 years, the Audi TT is forever a staple to Audi's progressive values with its technology and tradition driven by instinct, and as the end draws near for this game-changing coupester, rest assured that it has left an everlasting mark in the history of Audi. An inspiration to us all.

Man, what a date night it turned out for the TT, seeking friends at the end of its lifespan while saving the last dance for her. Happy ending.

Auf Wiedersehen, Audi TT...