New Audi RS5 Coupe gets 450hp twin-turbo V6

Audi has taken the wraps off the second-generation RS5 Coupé at the Geneva motor show. Set to go on sale internationally in June, it will be sold under the Audi Sport banner.

 

The new performance coupé gets a new twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine developing 450hp. Along with the new engine, it also adopts a new platform that sees it grow in size over the seven-year-old model it replaces.

 

Further developments include a new chassis featuring a five-link front and rear suspension coupled with Audi Sport’s Dynamic Ride Control system offering variable damping control.

 

Distinguishing the RS5 Coupé from other recently introduced second-generation A5 Coupé models are a series of traditional RS exterior styling cues. These include a wider single-frame grille featuring a high gloss black honeycomb insert, a new front bumper sporting larger air ducts and an intricate splitter element and headlamps with tinted graphics for the standard LED projectors.

 

Further back, the front fenders have been widened by 15mm and feature so-called quattro blisters, together with additional vertical air ducts along the outer edges of the headlamps. The exterior mirrors get a carbon-fibre optic and the side sills have been widened with high gloss black elements to reflect the added performance potential of Audi Sport's latest two-door performance car.

 

At the rear, the RS5 Coupé receives wider rear fenders extending out 15mm more than on the standard A5 with more pronounced quattro blisters, a subtle boot deck lid spoiler, a uniquely styled bumper housing a prominent diffuser in high gloss black and two signature oval tailpipes.

 

The latest RS model rides on standard 19-inch wheels, with 20-inch wheels offered as an option. Two additional styling packages in either high gloss black or matt aluminium are also available. 

 

As part of a weight saving initiative, Audi Sport is also offering the car with a carbon-fibre roof, which is claimed to contribute to a 60kg reduction in kerb weight over the old RS5 Coupé despite a 74mm increase in overall length for the new model.