Rocket Ship Stage V – Audi-RS5

Audi sharpen up their everyday super sportscar. Does it bring the heart to match the face?

A quiver of excitement is the first thing I feel as my foot finds its place on the throttle pedal. Was it me? Or was it the car? I guess it was a bit of both. There’s something about V8s and, more specifically, the character of the cars that bring them. It’s never the same. You know that person you meet for the very first time at a party, and after spending a few minutes together, it’s like you’ve known them your entire life; that’s how I believe it is with me and V8 cars. It just clicks, and leaves me with a pocketful of smiles and loads of memories.

The Audi RS5 is an automotive creation, which, in a multitude of German precision engineering and products, is one of the few cars that actually speaks to you. It’s more than the sum of its parts and what they do collectively; it’s the joy of getting all of that and the sense that it’s not just waiting on you hand and foot. Because, you don’t want a machine doing exactly what you tell it to do; that would be – and actually is – very boring. Yes, it’s a thrill at first, but as time goes by, it wanes. But the RS5, it’s different. I’ve had the pleasure of having a go in its arch-rival, the Mercedes C63 AMG, and, although the RS5 is seven PS and 170 Nm down, it brings bucket-loads more in different senses – fun, ferocity and four-wheel drive. The RS5 will listen to you, but if you put your foot down when you’re not sure of yourself, it will bite back and make you accept the correction. And that is something which commands respect. So, how is the new RS5 different and why should you plonk down an eight-figure sum?

For starters, the looks are simply beyond what a hotted-up saloon can offer. The two-door coupé with frameless windows is a style statement in itself. The bold grille with the contrasting lower lip in matte aluminium gives more than a hint of its sporty intent. In fact, the whole car is low, sitting squat on its big wheels with what looks like a mandatory shred of clearance in the wheel-arches. The LED signatures upfront and smart tail-lamp clusters at the rear add their share of flair to the package. Inside, the seats are sporty, yet very luxurious and hold you just right. The low seating position is not really noticed once you get in. The steering wheel falls nicely in place and is complemented by the gear-shift paddles and the loaded centre console which comes as standard with a host of multimedia solutions for every need – communication and entertainment. The optional Bang & Olufson audio system we had in our car delivers crisp and clear sound, and is worth every extra rupee put in. The ‘Audi multimedia’ deck offers input for SD cards as well. If that’s not enough, you can stream your choice of music from your mobile phone via Bluetooth, and that also takes care of communication on the move.

But the RS5 isn’t about the electronic entertainment systems, the 2+2 seating, the big sunroof, the flashy LEDs or the giant wheel rims; it’s about enjoying the drive and everything it has to offer the lucky soul behind the wheel.

The RS5 is one of the most sensible and usable sports sedans on offer. It has all the essentials to go the distance: comfortable and extremely supportive seats, great ergonomics and very good ride quality. At the heart is Audi’s now legendary 4,163-cc naturally aspirated V8 FSI engine, which has done duty in everything from the A8 to Q7, and now resides only under the bonnets of this, the RS5, and its more focused sibling, the R8 V8, with the others getting a greener 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. But not the RS5, no. The 4.2-litre mill makes 450 PS at a heady 8,250 revs, the torque, though, is a more reasonable 430 Nm, available between 4,000 and 6,000 revs; quite a fat band for a rev-happy engine, that. But the best part about the RS5 is not just the numbers.