Audi S5: First Look

Motoring Channel Staff - 22/Mar/2007

Melbourne, Australia — Launching alongside the new Audi A5 at both the Melbourne (Australia) and Geneva (Switzerland) motor shows was the exciting new S5, the performance version of the new German luxury coupe.

Competing against the 3 Series Coupe, the latest addition to the hallowed 'S' range is a unique competitor among high-performance coupes, thanks to its combination of V8 FSI technology and quattro permanent four-wheel drive, says manufacturer Audi.

The 8-cylinder engine that powers the S5 is similar to the 4-valve engine that powers the upcoming R8 super car and RS 4 super sedan, only it's be detuned to suit the S5's intentions. As well as the highly efficient and powerful V8 engine, the new super coupe gets worthy counterparts, as Audi calls them, in the specially tuned sports suspension and high-performance brakes. 

Subtle, but clear design elements inside and out also serve to distinguish this coupe as a high performance athlete in a league of its own, and the Audi S5 will go on sale with the launch of the Audi A5 series in Europe in June, and in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Engine

Though not as raucous as the RS 4, the new S5 from Audi is quicker than a Porsche 911 Carrera, able to dash from zero to 100km/h in 5.1 seconds, on to a top speed of 250km/h (electronically limited).

Audi has revealed that the 8-cylinder engine has a rated power output of 260kW (354hp), and peak torque is 440 Nm, which it delivers @ 3500rpm. 

The German luxury car maker says that no figures can adequately describe the supreme free-revving character or the spontaneous response of its 4.2-litre V8 engine, which derives its enormous power potential from the innovative FSI (direct injection technology) with high compression and optimum fuel mixture formation.

Potential customers can look forward to using a 6-speed manual gearbox - the engine is currently too powerful for any automatic transmissions. The manual shifter has a precise feel and a short throw action that allegedly makes every gear change a pleasure.

The 260kW of power that the engine produces is transmitted to the ground via the quattro permanent four-wheel drive system, which provides perfect traction with variable torque distribution from its basic setting of 40 percent to the front and 60 percent to the rear axle. Audi says that within a fraction of a second, the dynamic drivetrain system adapts to the current driving conditions and constantly delivers the ideal distribution of drive torque.

Chassis 

The Audi S5’s sports suspension is tuned to enhance the coupe's performance with particularly dynamic handling, and has a firmer ride than normal A5 models, upon which it is based. The special high-performance brakes, recognisable by their black painted brake calipers, always ensure precise deceleration while the ESP electronic stabilisation programme can be deactivated in two stages whenever the driver wishes to exploit the potential of the Audi S5 on a suitable stretch of road. The S5 also benefits from a larger tyre and wheel package:18-inch five spoke rims in a new 'S' design are shod with 245/40R 18 tyres.

Exterior Design

Audi says that while the design of the new A5 coupe forms a balanced synthesis of sportiness and elegance, the S5 displays the more vigorous features of a powerfully built athlete: the radiator grille possesses the specific look of an Audi S model – painted in platinum grey and fitted with vertical chrome inlays, while the front and rear bumpers have a more pronounced outline and the air inlet grilles are more striking. 

The aluminium-look exterior mirror housings make an overtly sporty impression, as do the colour-keyed door sill trim and the dual-branch exhaust system with four oval tailpipes. Nevertheless, the model's sporty attributes always have a functional aspect: for instance, the more pronounced spoiler in the boot lid yields additional aerodynamic downforce when the car is travelling at higher speeds.

Exterior Design

However, true strength comes from within, and the interior design of the A5 thoroughly underscores the S5's athletic character, claims Audi. The sports seats, sports steering wheel, instruments with grey dials and aluminium door sill plates provide a dynamic and refined atmosphere that elevates the S5 above its 4- and 6-cylinder cousins. The programme does, of course, provide ample scope to fulfil individual interior design wishes: the inlays are one example – here the choice is between carbon, aluminium, stainless steel or wood.

Alongside the coupe's 18-inch wheels with the new S design, the standard equipment specification for the S5 features items such as xenon plus headlights with impressive daytime running lights in the form of an LED light strip, and sports seats with electronic adjustment.

Related articles:
- Audi A5 (2007)
- Audi RS 4 (Road Test)
- Audi S4 (Road Test)
- Audi A6 (Road Test)
- Audi A8 (Road Test)
- Audi TT Roadster (2007)
- Audi R8 (2007)
- Audi Q7 V12 (2007)
- Audi S3 (2007)
- Audi S6 (2007)