Tuned Kia Stinger GT vs Tuned Audi S5 vs Tuned Audi RS 5 Drag Race Is Anyone's Guess

As the headline implies, all three are modified to a certain degree. The Stinger, for example, rocks a LAP3 tune for the engine control unit and transmission control unit. The intakes, secondary downpipes, and meth injection also spruce things up a bit. By how much? According to Sam CarLegion, the crank figures are 565 horsepower and 550 pound-feet (746 Nm) as opposed to the standard 368 horsepower and 376 pound-feet (510 Nm). Pretty intense, and especially intense for a Kia.

Moving on to the S5 Coupe, the black-painted car also uses a turbocharged V6, albeit a single turbo rather than a twin-turbo setup. From 3.0 liters of displacement, Audi squeezes out a respectable 349 horsepower and 369 pound-feet (500 Nm). Add some mods to the mix, including a Stage 2 tune, and you're looking at 450 horsepower and 390 pound-feet (529 Nm).

The S5 Coupe is the dark horse of this lineup because it weighs 3,847 pounds (1,745 kilograms). By comparison, the RS 5 Sportback and Stinger GT are rated at 4,057 pounds (1,840 kilograms) and 4,023 pounds (1,825 kilos), respectively.

Finally, the RS 5 downsizes to a 2.9-liter V6. It does have the edge over the S5 due to its twin-turbo arrangement, and fully stock, that engine is understandably more powerful and torquier as well. Catless downpipes and a Stage 2 tune for the engine and transmission control units level up the stock estimates of 444 hp and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) to something like 530 hp and 480 lb-ft (651 Nm) on high-octane dino juice.

All three are equipped with eight-speed automatics, and all three pride themselves on all-wheel drive. On paper, therefore, it's a pretty close one. But at Dunnville Autodrome, there are noticeable differences between them. For starters, the RS 5 Sportback launches the worst from a standstill, clocking 4.08 seconds to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour). The lesser Audi and Kia both reach 60 in merely 3.6 seconds.

The Stinger GT proves quickest in the quarter mile as well, recording 11.5 seconds compared to 11.8 for the S5 Coupe and 12.16 for the RS 5 Sportback. From a 32-mph (50-kph) rolling start, the S5 is much obliged to teach the other two a lesson in speed. But from 42 miles per hour or 70 kilometers per hour, if you prefer the metric system, the RS 5 clinches the win.

As a brief refresher, the Stinger is going the way of the dodo due to poor sales. It is understood that an electric sedan will replace it, with the rumored successor believed to be named GT1. The internal combustion-engined A4 line will be renamed to A5 for the next generation, which sounds a bit confusing. There is a reason for this change, though, with Audi using even numbers for EVs from there on in. By the way, Audi's final new ICE vehicle will be revealed in 2025.