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(Wed 24 Feb 10) Thirty years ago, Audi unveiled its original quattro at the Geneva Show. The equivalent high-performance coupé which will be making its debut at Geneva this year might not be quite so ground-breaking, but it's a deeply impressive machine all the same.
Like the RS 4 and the original R8, the RS 5 Coupé uses a 4.2-litre V8 petrol engine, but here it has been tuned even higher so that it produces a maximum of 444bhp, giving a 0-62mph time of just 4.6 seconds (the top speed is limited to 155mph, though there can be little doubt that an unleashed RS 5 could go significantly quicker). That engine drives all four wheels through a seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch semi-automatic gearbox. No Audi RS model has been fitted with such a thing in the past, and since this unit was originally developed for less powerful cars in the Volkswagen Group it has had to be reinforced significantly. Another part of the transmission system is a new crown-gear centre differential, which according to Audi is compact, lightweight and efficient. In normal circumstances it divides the power between the axles in a 40/60 front-rear split, but depending on conditions that split can vary between 70/30 and 15/85. No UK price has yet been confirmed, but Audi expects that the RS 5 Coupé will cost "in the region of" £58,500. Audi dealers should be able to accept orders in the spring. Comment on this story on Facebook or Twitter. Previous: New-Look Skoda Fabia And Roomster Next: Saab Changes Hands |
