Audi RS5 driven

• Great pace, noise, handling and interior
• Questions over steering and ride
• On sale October; costs £57,480

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Audi’s RS performance wing produces powerful pound-for-pound fighters. The TT RS outmuscles many of its featherweight rivals, while the RS6 is the undisputed powerhouse of the heavyweight division. Say hello to a new middleweight contender.

Under the bonnet
Appropriately, the RS5 packs a big punch. Its 4.2 V8 unleashes 444bhp close to its lofty 8500rpm rev limit, but acceleration is brutal from anywhere on the range, and the noise it makes is even more spectacular.

On the road
To keep all that power going where you point it, Audi has thrown all its technological know-how into the RS5. There’s a new, improved four-wheel-drive system with new centre differential, clever electronic aids and lowered, adaptable suspension.

It all adds up to very nifty footwork. The body stays impressively flat in any sort of corner, while ferocious grip and strong traction mean it munches through backroads quickly and securely. This ferocious grip would be even more exploitable if the steering offered more feedback.

The ride can be very raw, but switch the car from dynamic mode into automatic or comfort modes, and you adopt less aggressive suspension settings. It improves things greatly, but because we drove on flawless Spanish surfaces, we can’t say for sure whether it’s compliant enough to cope with the UK’s battered surfaces.

All in all, though, the RS5 is an impressive package. Then again, with a price that pits it against the BMW M3 and Nissan GTR, it needs to be.
Ivan.Aistrop@whatcar.com

What Car? says
A beautiful coupe with beastly power