The automotive landscape has changed drastically since the days of the first-generation Audi RS5. That car was powered by a 450 PS (444 HP) 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V8, which gave it supercar-like performance, at least by 2010 standards.
The current RS5 is about as fast as most super saloons – or super SUVs for that matter. To have supercar-like performance in 2018 means being able to keep up with something like a Honda NSX, which the RS5 is by no means capable of. It’s not that the Audi isn’t fast – rather, the arms race in the supercar class has been relentless, to the point that entry level models, such as the McLaren 570S, boast close to 600 PS.
What the RS5 can do, though, is attempt to stand out among other sports executive coupes, such as the BMW M4 or the Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe.
When it comes to performance, the Audi utilizes a 2.9-liter TFSI bi-turbo V6 unit that’s producing 450 PS (444 HP) and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) of torque. That’s enough to propel the new RS5 from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.9 seconds and on to a 280 km/h (174 mph) top speed, if you go for the Dynamic Pack.
As for this particular model, it is a resident of the Audi Forum in Neckarsulm, boasting a Misano Red Pearl exterior (a $575 option) as well as the Black Optic Package, which adds those contrasting high-gloss black exterior trim bits, body-color mirrors and 20-inch wheels.
