Audi of America president Scott Keogh made it clear on Roadshow that the RS5 Coupe will soon gain a brother in the form of the RS5 Sportback. You know, the one with more doors for enhanced practicality. You can hear the confirmation by skipping to the 12:20 mark of the interview.
In addition to the RS5 Sportback, which Audi has been keeping secret ever since the RS5 Coupe made its premiere, Keogh dropped another piece of information. More to the point, a “secret RS” model is in the offing, without going into further detail about what sort of vehicle it is.
Could it be the U.S.-spec version of the RS4 Avant, which makes use of the same underpinnings as the RS5 Coupe and Sportback? Or could Keogh refer to something that hasn’t arrived yet? Think the all-new A6 and the performance-oriented station wagon based on it, the RS6 Avant. The third possibility is the twin-turbo V6-powered RS Q5, which should make the Porsche Macan Turbo with Performance Package blush in awe.
Going back to the RS5 Sportback, pixel artist X-Tomi Design offers a realistic impression of the five-door sports sedan with coupe-like styling. The front-wheel-drive platform is augmented by quattro all-wheel-drive, which is connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The sporting nature of the RS5, be it Coupe or Sportback, stems from the Porsche-developed 2.9-liter engine. Codenamed EA839 and also seen in the Panamera 4S, the twin-turbo V6 develops 450 PS (444 horsepower) and 600 Nm (443 pound-feet) of torque in this application. Not bad, huh?
Performance-wise, the RS5 Coupe thrusts to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.9 seconds, on to a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). Customers who want to unlock the full potential of the RS5 in a straight line can opt for the RS Dynamic Package, which translates to 174 mph (280 km/h) on full song.
Being a product of Audi Sport, the options list is extensive and… wait for it… expensive. You want carbon-ceramic brakes, RS sport suspension with Dynamic Ride Control, and dynamic steering tuned to fit the RS5? Audi is much obliged to offer them, as long as your pockets can handle it.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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