After the online leakage of the Audi RS5 Coupe brochure this past weekend, there was no point in holding back anymore, so the German automaker came out with an official release on its Geneva-bound BMW M3 fighter.

Developed by Audi’s quattro GmbH division, the RS5 Coupe makes use of a revised version of the firm’s 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine found in the previous RS4 and the current R8 Coupe.

In the RS5, the tweaked V8 engine delivers a maximum output of 450-horsepower at 8,250 rpm and 430Nm (317.15 lb-ft) of peak torque between 4,000 and 6,000 rpm. Power is transferred to all four wheels through a standard seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic transmission and a center differential in the quattro drivetrain.

With this configuration, the 4.2 FSI propels the coupe’s 1,725 kg or 3,803 pounds from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 4.6 seconds and on to an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h or 155. Upon request, Audi can increase the top speed to 280 km/h or 174mph.

Not that it concerns your average RS5 driver, but Audi says that its hot coupe averages 10.8 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers or the US equivalent of 21.8 mpg.

It is worth mentioning that the RS5 comes equipped with a next generation quattro permanent all-wheel drive system that incorporates a self-locking crown-gear center differential which operates in conjunction with electronic torque vectoring.

Under normal conditions, the upgraded quattro system splits the power 40:60 front to rear but if necessary, up to 70 percent can flow to the front or as much as 85 percent toward the tail end.

The RS5 gets a revised suspension with the car sitting 20mm (0.79 inches) lower than a standard A5 and 19-inch alloy wheels with 265/35 tires or optionally, 20-inch rims and 275/30 rubber.

It also features a more powerful braking system with 365 millimeters (14.37 inches) ventilated discs at the front axle (380mm ceramic carbon-fiber brake discs up front are offered as an option) and an electronic stabilization program (ESP) that integrates a sport mode and can be switched off entirely.

To differentiate it from the S5 Coupe with its 354HP 4.2-liter V8, Audi gave the RS5 a special exterior treatment that includes a new single-frame grille with honeycomb inserts, a redesigned front bumper with oversized air inlets at each corner and silver splitter, plus flared fenders that hark back to the original quattro model.

At the back, there’s a new rear bumper that houses a diffuser and two large oval-shaped exhaust pipes plus a hidden boot lid spoiler that automatically extends at a speed of 120 km/h (75 mph) and retracts at 80 km/h (50 mph).

Interior upgrades over the standard A5 Coupe’s include a pair of sport seats, a sport steering wheel with perforated leather, red needles on the gauges and decorative inlays made of carbon fiber.

Optionally, buyers can trim the interior with decorative inlays in a dark, stainless-steel mesh look, while there’s also a Carbon design package for the engine compartment and, for the vehicle body, there are styling packages in black or matt aluminum look.

The RS5 will go on sale in Europe this Spring with a base price of around €77,700.

And by “controversial,” we mean “disgusting.” Look, the R8 has those side blades because it’s a mid-engine car, but Audi felt they still need a place for a set of golf clubs, so they lengthened the cabin so the clubs can be stowed behind the seats. Meaning that the body has a whole lot of extra length in the middle. Rather than go all BMW and start torturing the hell out of the metal, they slapped on some pieces of plastic (fine, carbon fiber) and called it a day, leading to a look that some love and others loathe.

Now, the A5/S5 is a superbly beautiful car. From every angle, the seemingly minimalist design gets better and better. Especially when you run your eyes across the length of its rising and falling center line that runs from the front fenders past the doors only to terminate in the tail lamp. Just about pitch-perfect. Truly, one of the better designs this decade. German tuner Hofele Design (apparently) had but one simple mission: how to destroy it!

The results are self-evident. All those people that are moaning and complaining that their Audi A5 3.2s don’t look anything like a R8 V10 can now cease their protests. All two of them. Also, and we know this doesn’t need stating but here goes: why would you go through the trouble of mutating your car to the nth degree but then leave on the “A5″ and “3.2″ badges?

Most people who know Audis (i.e. the very people that might have an outside chance of being impressed by this) would agree that A5 and 3.2 stands for the automaker’s worst engine/transmission combination, the slow-revving 3.2-liter V6 that’s already been dropped from the new A4 and the numbskull six-speed Tiptronic box that likes to be in sixth gear by 39 mph. So, besides the raw, inharmonious phony aspect of the body kit (nice fake quad pipes) why on earth bother? Especially as the badge on the back says A5 and the one in the grille says S5. That’s a rhetorical question, because we all know there’s no answer/point. One more thing: the R8 Spyder doesn’t even have side blades. And hey, why not another: the camber on the rear wheel’s all messed up.

The wraps have been pulled off Audi’s new A5 Sportback. The hatch-totin’ sedan basically combines an A4 wagon and an A5 coupe with the roofline of an upside-down whale, while offering little of those things’ respective practicality, sexiness, or baleen.

Enough Engines to Make Our Heads Spin

The A4-based car won’t be coming to America, but Europeans have six engines to choose from at launch, all of them direct-injected, and all of them turbocharged. Three TDI diesels are on offer: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 170 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, a 2.7-liter V-6 good for 190 hp and 295 lb-ft, and a 3.0-liter V-6 that produces 240 hp and a mouth-watering 369 lb-ft. Acceleration to 62 mph is claimed at 8.7 seconds, 8.2 seconds, and 6.1 seconds, respectively.

There are gasoline engines on tap, too, including the ubiquitous VW Group 2.0-liter turbo four—it comes in 180-hp/236-lb-ft or 211-hp/258-lb-ft flavors—and a 3.2-liter V-6 rated at 265 hp and 243 lb-ft. Zero to 62 mph takes 6.6 seconds with the two most powerful motors, according to Audi.
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Audi has lifted the covers on the all-new A5 and S5 Cabriolet models (way) ahead of their worldwide debut at the Geneva Motorshow in March 2009. Scheduled to go on sale in Europe in Spring 2009 with the U.S. following in Fall of the same year, the A5/S5 Cabriolets will replace the long-lived, open-top variant of the A4. Even though most of the competition in the category like the BMW 3-Series Convertible, Infiniti G37 Convertible and Lexus IS 250C have opted for retractable hardtops, Audi has chosen a fully automatic classic fabric top that opens in 15 sec and closes in 17 sec.

Audi A5 and S5 CabrioletAt launch, the four-seater convertible will be offered with three gasoline and two diesel engines. These include the 2.7-litre and 3.0-litre V6 diesels with outputs of 190HP and 240HP respectively, two 2.0-litre TFSI petrol units with 180HP and 211HP and a 3.2-litre V6 FSI petrol with 265HP. Available power trains include a six-speed manual transmission, the continuously variable multitronic, and the dual-clutch seven-speed S tronic. In addition to front-wheel drive, Audi also offers quattro permanent all-wheel drive for the higher-power engine

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