Technology & mobility behind the Audi RS 5 Coupe

MANILA, Philippines — “The Audi RS 5 Coupé is a car that exudes character — from its progressive design to its sporty interior,” said Audi Philippines head Benedicto Coyiuto at the launch of the newest Audi Coupe recently. “Not only does the new RS 5 defines perfection in design, comfort and safety, it also delivers sophisticated performance one can only expect from Audi.”

What one immediately notices in the Audi RS 5 Coupé is that it is the first Audi Sport model to feature the current RS design. The designers at Audi drew inspiration for the car from the distinctive motorsport details of the Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO. A look at the RS 5 Coupe is really all about its massive air inlets with the honeycomb structure typical of RS models characterize the front end of the car.

What I like about it is that it is a sports coupe for city driving — although one has to take those humps and bumps on the road slowly because the RS 5 is built close to the ground like a sports car should be.

The Singleframe radiator grille is much wider and flatter than in the base model. Additional air inlets and outlets are located next to the headlights and rear lights. Tinted bezels frame the optional Matrix LED headlights.

The quattro blisters on the flanks emphasize the pronounced bulges over the wheel arches, which have been widened by 15 millimeters. The 20-inch wheels are a standard. The RS-specific diffuser insert provides a sporty conclusion to the vehicle; the oval tailpipes of the RS exhaust system and a surface-mounted spoiler lip. 

Time to drive

There is the 2.9 TFSI V6 bi-turbo engine, which Audi developed from the ground up that offers sharp increases in power and efficiency as well as an incomparably full-bodied RS sound.

Yes, the sound coming out of a sports coupe is truly something that car-lovers like me consider wonderful music.

I was told that the top model in the A5 family sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 250 km/h — with the optional RS dynamic package, it can even reach 280 km/h.

Then on cannot be aware that both turbochargers of the 2.9 TFSI units are centrally positioned inside the V of the engine, and each of them supplies a single cylinder bank. The B-cycle combustion process with central direct injection represents a new level of efficiency within the RS family. In the NEDC, the V6 bi-turbo consumes just 8.7 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, which corresponds to 197 grams of CO2 per kilometer. This is an efficiency gain of 17 percent over the previous model. Another factor in the greater efficiency of the new RS 5 Coupé is its significantly lower weight. 

When I started the engine and heard it roar, I was so excited to put the pedal to the metal. Why? The bi-turbo’s power flows through a sportily-tuned, eight-speed tiptronic transmission with optimized shift times and on to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive, which features a self-locking central differential.

I liked how the Audi R5 responds to every little move I made behind the wheel. The dynamic handling with optimum traction and the best-possible levels of safety are guaranteed. Audi Sport also offers the standard rear sport differential.

And, for the techie in me there is so much to discover about the way the RS 5 drives. First off there is a revised five-link construction is used on the front axle. At the rear, a five-link suspension replaces the trapezoidal-link suspension used on the previous model. This benefits the sporty driving characteristics and agility. It also improves comfort significantly. With the standard RS sport suspension, the new RS 5 Coupé sits 7 millimeters lower than the base model. And that cannot be unnoticed by a driver. Audi Sport also offers the RS sport suspension plus with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) with RS-specific tuning, and the optional ceramic brakes and dynamic steering. Drivers can make their personal driving experience more individual, dynamic or comfortable using the standard dynamic handling system Audi drive select.

Hop in

Bathed in black, the interior is of an extremely high standard and sportily equipped. There is so much to fall in love with inside the RS 5 Coupe as there is outside.

For starters the RS sport seats and the flat-bottomed RS multifunction sport leather steering wheel, which underscore the character of the high-performance Coupé in the interior. The steering wheel rim bears the RS badge, as do the front seat backrests and the shift gate. Special RS displays in the Audi virtual cockpit provide information on tire pressure, torque and g-forces. A shift light prompts the driver to upshift upon reaching the rev limit. The RS design package brings the sporty contrast color red into play on the center console as well as on the armrests, the seat belts and the floor mats with RS logo. The steering wheel, selector lever and kneepads are all covered with Alcantara.

It was time.

The engine revving was all the sound I needed to get a driver’s high. A quick look at the highly sophisticated dashboard let me know all I needed to know about how the car was feeling that morning.

I was off to the north of Manila without a destination in mind, but with a heart racing and a mind feeling like a racecar driver.

Off I was — not to the races, though — just to the sound of an engine that made me imagine that I was flag-downed on a racetrack. I wish all drives were like this. With a revved-up engine as the soundtrack.

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For information, contact Audi Philippines at 727-0381 to 85 or visit any Audi showroom in Alabang, Global City, Greenhills and SM Seaside City Cebu.