First Drive: 2018 Audi RS5 [Motor1]


Motor1 Senior Editor Jake Holmes takes the brand new Audi RS5 for a spin to see if the new turbo-six can fill the shoes of the old V8.


The new 2018 Audi RS5 may not make any more horsepower than its predecessor, but that doesn’t mean there are no improvements. Weight is down by 132 pounds, torque is up by a whopping 126 pound-feet, and the sprint to 60 miles per hour takes 0.8 second less than before.


Motivation comes from a biturbocharged 2.9-liter V6, replacing the 4.2-liter V8 that revved to a delightful 8,250 rpm. This application of the 2.9-liter mill is unique to the RS5; though it’s related to the one in the Porsche Panamera, Audi specs different cooling and intake plumbing, a new crankshaft, and a different compression ratio.


Its 444 horsepower output rating is identical to the V8’s, but there is not only more torque (443 lb-ft versus 317), but it arrives from 1,900 rpm whereas the V8’s wasn’t available until 4,000 rpm. In other words: there’s more grunt more often. The 0-60 sprint takes just 3.7 seconds if you use launch control. And better still, the engine itself weighs 66 pounds less than the V8 it replaces.


(by: Motor1)
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