2018 Audi RS5 Coupe Sounds Really Awesome, Is Showing Its Weight

Turbocharged V6 engines are nothing new for quattro GmbH cars. However, this 2.9-liter was co-developed with Porshe, and that will bring back so many memories about how the RS brand started (RS 2 with Porsche engineering).

You can already sample what the 2.9-liter twin-turbo engine is capable of in the 2017 Porsche Panamera 4S, provided you are wealthy enough to buy one, of course. But the sound produced by the RS5 is totally different. From the 5-cylinder RS3 to the V8 RS7 performance, there's a trademark growl that this thing captures.

Downsizing from a 4.2-liter V8 to a twin-turbo V6 might even cost the RS5 a few horses, but torque should be at least 50% higher. Fuel consumption will also go down, thanks in part to selectable driving modes.

However, weight won't necessarily be decreased. While platform itself is stiffer and lighter, the complex powertrain requires an intercooler, exhaust gas recirculation and so it will be heavier. You can definitely get a sense of the weight in this latest Nurburgring spy video, as the coup' transfers its bulk from one side to the other.

While the RS5 will not be as light as the BMW M4, it will be faster in a straight line. We expect the TT RS's 0 to 100km/h time of 3.7 seconds to be surpassed by its bigger brother.

Even though the RS5 prototype is camouflaged from neck to toe, not everything will be redesigned. We suspect the new body kit will resemble that of the RS4 sedan, featuring heavier use of black mesh and silver.

Production of the new RS coupe will start in 2017. Following that, Audi will also introduce a convertible and a 5-door model for the US market which, weirdly, hasn't begun testing yet.