This Is The Next Best Thing To An Audi RS Q5

Why wait for the Audi RS Q5 to arrive when you can have this 425-hp Q5 tuned by ABT?

It’s no secret that Audi Sport wants to double its range of hardcore RS models. By 2020, the performance division intents to have 16 cars in its line-up by 2020, many of which will apparently be SUVs. One of those models is likely to be a RS Q5. While the first generation of Audi’s Q5 crossover didn’t get the hardcore RS treatment, an RS Q5 based on the new generation model is expected to arrive arrive in 2018, rumored to pack the same 444-hp twin turbo V6 as the RS5 coupe.

If you can’t wait for it to launch, German tuner ABT has released a new tuning package for the Q5 that looks like the next best thing to an official RS model. For the range-topping SQ5, the tuner cranks up the crossover’s horsepower and dresses it in an aggressive widebody kit. The turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 now develops a hefty 425-hp and 405 lb-ft of torque, up from the 354-horsepower and 369 lb-ft you get in the standard SQ5. If that output sounds familiar, ABT’s tuned Audi S5 Coupe and Cabriolet models share the same upgrade. Elsewhere, the styling has been given an aggressive makeover, with a front bumper featuring larger vents, larger side skirts, and a sporty roof-mounted spoiler.

The grille has also been blacked out to give the crossover a more menacing look, and the front fenders are adorned with carbon fiber trim. Ride height has been lowered, and tuner has fitted a bespoke set of 20-inch alloys. The fake exhaust tips aren’t the SQ5’s best asset, but ABT has thankfully replaced them with real ones integrated to a rear diffuser.

Audi Will Make Those Silly Toll Passes A Thing Of The Past

Why hasn't another automaker thought of this sooner?

It doesn't matter how much money is spent on a brand-new car, taking it on the highway requires one of those little white transponders to pay for those pesky tolls. That is unless the owner wants to stop at every toll and pay with cash or change. Tolls are extremely prevalent in some parts of the US and it is almost a necessity to have one of these ugly transponders stuck on the window. We can't believe that an automaker hasn't come along to fix this issue before, but Audi has finally come up with a clever solution.

Audi has announced that it will be the first car company to offer vehicle-integrated toll payment technology on select vehicles starting this year. This latest example of Audi's vehicle-to-infrastructure technology adds to existing projects such as a system that can tell drivers when traffic lights are about to change. Audi will integrate toll transponders into the rearview mirror, which will work with tolls roads in the US, Canada, and Mexico. This will free up space on the windshield and eliminate the tacky white transponder that is the current standard for paying tolls. It will also unify tolls in the US, so that driver's won't require several passes on cross country trips.

Drivers can register their car onto a current toll account or create a new one and set up payment options. From the account menu, driver's can add funds onto their toll account as well as set up an auto pay function when funds get low. This may not be the most headline-grabbing piece of technology, but it is just another way that Audi is fixing the little issues plaguing everyday drivers. Audi hasn't announced which models will get this new toll transponder first, but we expect it to be available on all models soon.

Audi Will Make Those Silly Toll Passes A Thing Of The Past

Why hasn't another automaker thought of this sooner?

It doesn't matter how much money is spent on a brand-new car, taking it on the highway requires one of those little white transponders to pay for those pesky tolls. That is unless the owner wants to stop at every toll and pay with cash or change. Tolls are extremely prevalent in some parts of the US and it is almost a necessity to have one of these ugly transponders stuck on the window. We can't believe that an automaker hasn't come along to fix this issue before, but Audi has finally come up with a clever solution.

Audi has announced that it will be the first car company to offer vehicle-integrated toll payment technology on select vehicles starting this year. This latest example of Audi's vehicle-to-infrastructure technology adds to existing projects such as a system that can tell drivers when traffic lights are about to change. Audi will integrate toll transponders into the rearview mirror, which will work with tolls roads in the US, Canada, and Mexico. This will free up space on the windshield and eliminate the tacky white transponder that is the current standard for paying tolls. It will also unify tolls in the US, so that driver's won't require several passes on cross country trips.

Drivers can register their car onto a current toll account or create a new one and set up payment options. From the account menu, driver's can add funds onto their toll account as well as set up an auto pay function when funds get low. This may not be the most headline-grabbing piece of technology, but it is just another way that Audi is fixing the little issues plaguing everyday drivers. Audi hasn't announced which models will get this new toll transponder first, but we expect it to be available on all models soon.