German Hype: The 2012 Audi RS 5 Wants To Beat You Up, And You Want To Let It (With Video)

Some may say that cars like the Audi R8 and S5 are refined warriors that rely on a balance of finesse and strength to subdue their opponents.  The new RS 5 however looks like a bar fight brawler with four wheels.  The lines of the new RS 5 while clearly related to its R8 and S5 brothers still hold their own strength and masculinity that just makes it look tougher than its other family members.  Then there is the real source of its grunt: a 4.2 FSI V8 (derived from the R8’s V10) with 450hp and 317lb-ft of torque, most of which is available as early as 4,000rpm.  By the way, all that power and torque is sent to all four wheels via Audi’s “Quattro” permanent all-wheel-drive system that can send 70% of the power to the front or 80% to the rear depending on how its driven.  All of that juice helps get the RS 5 from zip to 60 in about 4 seconds; which is almost fast enough to melt your eyeballs under acceleration! 

So by now you are probably wondering what it will take to get one of these bruisers in your driveway and the answer is: we don’t know!  So far Audi has not announced a release date, price tag, or even confirmed if the U.S. will get the new RS 5 at all.  We are hoping that such information will be forthcoming.  If not then we will squeeze it out of them at the LA Auto Show coming up in about a month or so.  In the meantime check out a few pictures and especially the video below that features the RS 5’s engine grunt!

Tweet

Press Release Exerpt:

The Audi RS 5

The RS 5 Coupé is the star athlete of the A5 family. It offers the power and handling of a powerful sports car packaged in the body of an alluringly elegant coupe. The design has now gained several new, sharp accents, with numerous features that characterize the other A5 models also making their way to the RS 5.

The Audi RS 5 Coupé uses a high-revving, normally aspirated V8 displacing 4,163 cc. This engine is closely related to the V10 that powers the R8 high-performance sports car. The 4.2 FSI delivers 331 kW (450 hp) at 8,250 rpm, with the peak torque of 430 Nm (317.15 lb-ft) available between 4,000 and 6,000 rpm. The engine has a specific output of 108.1 hp per liter of displacement. The potent response, the eager revving and the rich, melodious sound mark the V8 as a thoroughbred racing engine.

Hand-built at the plant in Györ, Hungary, the 4.2 FSI launches the Coupé from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.6 seconds. Audi will increase the electronically governed top speed from 250 to 280 km/h (155.34 to 173.98 mph) upon request. Thanks to the combination of technologies from the Audi modular efficiency platform, which also includes a recuperation system, the high-tech V8 consumes significantly less fuel on average than its direct competitors.

With its high efficiency and its long top gear, the standard seven-speed S tronic also contributes to the good fuel economy. Drivers can let the lightning-fast dual-clutch transmission shift automatically or change gears themselves using the selector lever or with paddles on the steering wheel. The integrated launch control program provides for rocket-like starts by managing the engagement of the clutch at mid-level revs.