INTERNATIONAL LAUNCH
Audi RS5 — battle of the brawn grows in intensity
You might want to hang on before buying an M4 or a C 63 AMG, says Michael Taylor. The RS5 is back
The two-year wait for RS5 fans is over, with Audi Sport (nee Quattro) finally delivering its hotshot A5 coupe to rival BMW’s M4 and Mercedes-AMG’s C63 coupe. It gains plenty of everything from the new 2.9l, biturbo V6 engine, but loses its V8 predecessor’s unconquerable mountain of emotion and engagement. In tangible terms, it’s a better car in every way, but it’s not as good in the stuff you can’t measure. People loved the first-generation RS5 for a huge range of reasons that went far beyond its performance figures. It was a quick-ish car, but not the fastest in a straight line, nor the one with the most torque and certainly not the one with the best fuel economy. But for sheer emotion, engagement and a saturating, all-pervading warmth and genuine joy from its 4.2l, naturally aspirated V8 engine, it stood behind perhaps only Maserati’s Gran Turismo and Ferrari’s 458 Italia. Time catches up to us all, sadly, and the times of the naturally aspirated V8s have almost drawn to a close. ...
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