Performance – Powering the 2018 Audi RS5 Coupe is a 3.0-litre V6 Bi-turbo petrol motor that produces 450 PS of power and a massive 600 Nm of torque. While the engine is downsized, the power and torque figures aren’t. In fact, the torque is up by a massive 170 Nm. The motor gets superior hardware bits but in terms of engine speed, the V6 mill does not go beyond the 6800 RPM mark. That said, the RS5 Coupe is faster to 100 km/hr than its predecessor by 0.6 seconds and the acceleration is so intense, you sometimes might feel that the front wheels are in the air, especially when in Dynamic mode. Top speed is limited to 250 km/hr but if you choose to opt for the RS Dynamic Package, the car is then capable of hitting 280 km/hr! Fuel-efficiency is around 3-4 km/l if driven flat-out.
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The relatively smaller 3.0-litre TFSI engine still manages to dish out an identical 450 PS of power
Acceleration is brutal, mad, intense, crazy, wait, we’re short of words!
Mated to the 3.0-litre powerplant is an 8-speed gearbox which is extremely fast and quick with shifts. You can manually take control of things as well via the paddle shifts. Overall, the performance on offer from the RS5 Coupe is breathtaking and the motor sounds particularly superb in Dynamic mode as it opens the butterfly valve to ensure that there is more rumble coming out from the twin exhausts.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/41597240694/[/flickr]
The second generation Audi RS5 is approximately 60 kgs lighter than its predecessor
Driving Dynamics – Coming to the driving dynamics, the 2018 Audi RS5 Coupe gets four driving modes – Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual. Sadly there are no adaptive/dynamic dampers which means that the characteristics of the engine, steering, gearbox, and exhaust only can be adjusted but not the suspension. Ride quality is lumpy and this is attributed to the fact that our test car was equipped with 20-inch wheels (offered as optional, as standard fitment you get 19-inch alloys). However, things do get better in the Comfort mode but if you really intend to have some fun, it is the Dynamic mode you should be in. Steering is precise but like most Audis, it feels vague and doesn’t inspire confidence, especially in the corners. Braking performance is stupendous and the tyres stay glued to the roads offering immense grip. Ground clearance is quite low but we never scraped the bottom even once.
