Photo: Manhart
Manhart is a tuner best known for its mental E90 M3 forced induction kits. However, the company is widening its portfolio with all sorts of other brands. There's MINI, that Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe and now the first Audi.
Not surprisingly, the Germans started with the hottest Audi to come out this year, the RS5 Coupe. We've seen all sorts of drag races and comparisons against the M4 and C63 Coupe, so it's exciting to see what aftermarket specialists can improve.
As the name suggests, the RS 500 produces 500 HP, as well as 700 Nm of torque (100 more than stock). Those aren't huge numbers, but then we already knew that the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 wasn't going to be a tuner's delight.
So it can't even match the output of the C63. But unlike its RWD rival from Affalterbach, this quattro rocket can make the most of the extra 50 HP.
To get more power out of the engine, Manhart couldn't just upgrade the ECU. Instead, it had to upgrade the intake and fit new stainless steel exhaust system, which can be optionally ordered with new catless downpipes.
Thanks to the performance boost, the RS5 Coupe can sprint to 100 km/h faster than the 3.9 seconds it can achieve in stock form. No numbers are available, but it should be faster than any stock Audi except the R8.
On the cosmetics side, the tuner just brought out more of what was already there with the gold accents (stripes). A new set of 21-inch Concave One rims finished in matt-black were also fitted, along with a custom KW coil-over suspension kit.
Anyway, what's your take on all this? Is the ABT version of the RS5, which has 510 HP, better than what Manhart is proposing. Will the V6 engine ever go nuclear like its V8 ancestor, which people supercharged?
As the name suggests, the RS 500 produces 500 HP, as well as 700 Nm of torque (100 more than stock). Those aren't huge numbers, but then we already knew that the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 wasn't going to be a tuner's delight.
So it can't even match the output of the C63. But unlike its RWD rival from Affalterbach, this quattro rocket can make the most of the extra 50 HP.
To get more power out of the engine, Manhart couldn't just upgrade the ECU. Instead, it had to upgrade the intake and fit new stainless steel exhaust system, which can be optionally ordered with new catless downpipes.
Thanks to the performance boost, the RS5 Coupe can sprint to 100 km/h faster than the 3.9 seconds it can achieve in stock form. No numbers are available, but it should be faster than any stock Audi except the R8.
On the cosmetics side, the tuner just brought out more of what was already there with the gold accents (stripes). A new set of 21-inch Concave One rims finished in matt-black were also fitted, along with a custom KW coil-over suspension kit.
Anyway, what's your take on all this? Is the ABT version of the RS5, which has 510 HP, better than what Manhart is proposing. Will the V6 engine ever go nuclear like its V8 ancestor, which people supercharged?
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