Audi SQ5 and S5 Sportback Join Aston DB11 in Nurburgring Exhaust Competition

We aren't 100% sure what these things are, but that's what makes this video fun to watch. First of all, the "Audi A6" is actually a new test prototype for the S5 Sportback. We know this car will be revealed later this year, so seeing it at the Nurburgring makes perfect sense.

Unless we are mistaken, it's the first time an S5 Sportback has been seen. However, the setup of the S model is not radically different from the regular A5 model. The suspension geometry is the same (shorter springs though), and the 8-speed gearbox is shared with the 3.0 TDI 272 HP quattro models.

What sets the S5 apart from the A5 is the quad exhaust system. There will also be bigger brakes, wheels and the obligatory silver mirror caps. Thankfully, the headlights and grille are radically different to those on the new A4, so you will be able to tell them apart.

Next up, we have to talk about that Q5 model. It's the same one with big wheels we saw yesterday and never realized it could be the performance model. Like the SQ7, it will drop the traditional round exhaust system for a trapezoidal design that appears more modern.

But the engine sound raises some questions. At first, we thought it sounded just like a 2.5-liter TFSI, the 5-cylinder turbo used by the RS3. It's got plenty of power, but we think it doesn't make sense using it here. Instead, we believe that we hear a 3.0 TDI twin-turbo unit that has a fake exhaust system. There are two sound actuators, one for each side of the exhaust, that make diesels sound like a regular hi-po gasoline engine.

The Aston Martin DB11 is the sweetest sounding vehicle here. The British manufacturer has developed a brand new twin-turbo V12 engine and it's a joy for the ear.