The rules of competition dictate that with every winner, there must be at least one loser if not more. We have are only now starting to see extensive comparisons between the BMW M4 and its Mercedes-AMG C63 S competitor due to the Merc’s newness, but until recently, the Audi RS5 has been absent from the mix, with the current generation of the car no longer even being in production. Thanks to our spy photographers, however, we now have another glimpse of the go-fast Audi to go along with the A5 and S5.
Like Audi’s Porsche cousin, the cosmetic changes made to the RS5 are incremental rather than game-changing, lending the front end of this coupe a more smushed look by giving it a seemingly wider and more aggressive stance. A front grille that’s grown outwards rather than upwards helps achieve this look while larger front air intakes chip away at the bumper’s real estate. Downward sloping lights and furrowed fenders converge on the hexagonal grille, helping the Audi look determined (likely determined to chew apart an M4). With a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 engine borrowed from the Porsche Panamera 4S, it may as well be a Bimmer biter thanks to the fact that the power plant has been tuned to deliver an extra ten horsepower over the Porsche.
This makes for a total of 450 ponies and 446 lb-ft of low down turbocharged torque. A sprint to 62 mph should go by in under four seconds with acceleration only letting up at 156 mph. Unless of course you’re the type of driver who takes the law with a grain of salt, in which case a dynamic package is available to call it quits at a knuckle-whitening 175 mph. Next month’s Geneva Auto Show should see the unveiling of this striking coupe and hopefully an RS version of the S5 Sportback will be made available to Americans to coax BMW into building an M4 Gran Coupe. Rabble-rousers with kids should know that an RS4 Avant should be making an appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show following a June 2017 production commencement of the RS5.
