2018 Audi RS5 promises sport, sport and more sport
They may as well call it Sporty McSportface.
Audi surprised the crowd at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show with a debut nobody knew about -- the 2018 RS5 coupe.
The look is similar to the A5 and S5 coupes. But, you know, sportier. The wheels are larger, the air intakes on the front bumper are larger, and the tailpipes are much larger. Because chrome isn't terribly racy, there's a whole bunch of black accents around the car, from the headlights to the side skirts.
The interior ramps up the sporting pretension with leather sport seats with optional diamond stitching and a flat-bottomed RS steering wheel. RS badges are just about everywhere, and there's a unique RS screen inside the gauge cluster that shows torque output, tire pressure and g-forces. There's even a shift light that tells you when to upshift. And, since it's a sporty Audi, you can get it with a whole bunch of red contrast stitching.
There's some tech in there, too. Audi's 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot makes an appearance, as does both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Virtual cockpit replaces the gauge cluster with a screen, which is where the aforementioned RS-specific screen hangs out.
The RS lineup is Audi's sportiest, and the RS5 does not disappoint in that respect. The old RS5 used a V8, whereas this one makes do with a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6, which puts out 450 horsepower and 442.5 pound-feet of torque. 62 mph arrives in 3.9 seconds, with power heading to all four wheels by way of an eight-speed automatic.
If the stock RS5 isn't doing it for you, Audi will gladly option the hell out of the RS5 for you. Available upgrades include a sport differential, carbon ceramic brakes, dynamic steering and Dynamic Ride Control. Dynamic Ride Control controls vehicle movements with shocks connected diagonally across the car to give the ride an extra dose of stiffness and, therefore, agility.
The 2018 Audi RS5 will hit dealerships in Germany this June, and its MSRP is 80,900 euros, which converts to about $85,495. Audi didn't say whether it was coming to the US or not. But since the last one did, it's not insane to think that this one will, too.