Audi RS Coupe Debuts

Thirty years after the original Audi quattro captivated the Geneva Motor Show, the new Audi RS 5 Coupe is about to do it proud with a combination of high-revving V8 power, super fast S tronic twin-clutch gear shifting and a new evolution of the world famous all-wheel-drive system featuring the latest differential technology.

Following its debut at the 2010 Geneva Show, the extreme RS reinterpretation of the elegant A5 two-door is expected to open for order in the UK in the spring priced at circa £58,500, and will reach its first customers in October.

Developed by Audi high performance engineering and styling subsidiary quattro GmbH, the RS 5 is the latest in an illustrious lineage dating back over 15 years to the RS 2 Avant.

This RS can of course also trace its roots to the original or ‘Ur’ quattro launched in Geneva in 1980, but also to the critically acclaimed R8 sports car, the V10 FSI engine from which provides the technological basis for the new hand-built, high-revving 4.2-litre V8 FSI engine that spins freely and charismatically to 8,250pm, and delivers its 450PS peak output at this high point.

A torque maximum of 430Nm is available between 4,000 and 6,000rpm, helping to power the new, 1725kg RS 5 to 62mph in 4.6 seconds and to an electronically governed 155mph top speed.

Intensive fine-tuning of the dual-branch intake and exhaust system allows the engine to breathe freely; four adjustable camshafts and tumble flaps in the intake manifold facilitate mixture formation.

This not only maximises performance but also economy – up to 26.2mpg is possible. The engine and the entire drivetrain have been optimized to minimize friction, the oil pump operates on demand and an energy-recovery system conserves energy during coasting and braking.

Specially reinforced for its latest role, the remarkable seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission makes its RS debut in the RS 5, and with its high gearing also helps to minimise fuel usage.

It consists of two clutches and two subsidiary transmissions. Both subsidiary transmissions are continuously active, but only one is powered at any given time by the engine. Gears are alternately shifted by the two clutches – at lightning speed, smoothly, and almost imperceptibly.

The seven-speed S tronic can operate in fully automatic mode – or the driver can shift via the innovative selector lever or shift paddles on the steering wheel. By means of the standard Audi drive select, the driver can switch in automatic mode between three different options: auto, comfort, and dynamic.

In the launch control mode, the seven-speed S tronic ensures flawless acceleration from a standstill – at full power and with minimal losses in traction.

(PR/GK)