| LIFE'S A BEACH |  | | | SUMMER WASHOUT | | | | VIEW FROM THE HILL | | | | WHEELS | | |
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Audi's S Express
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| Audi's thundering S5 is a thing of rare beauty |
There's been a justifiable brouhaha over Audi's R8 supercar in the last year but it may just have overshadowed the rest of the company's recent selection of sporty offerings.
Chief amongst these is the S5, the flagship of the new A5 coupe range.
Powered by Audi's renowned 4.2-litre V8, tuned to produce 350bhp, the fine-looking two-door
four-seater is a front-runner among B-segment compact coupes.
The A5 utilises the same long chassis, highlighted in the brand-new A4, giving short overhangs, with the attendant improvements brought about by major new suspension design which gives better balance and more neutral handling. In the quattro
four-wheel-drive models, that improved ride is assisted by the latest 40/60 front/rear torque split to give an even sportier feel.
As in other S series Audis, the suspension, brakes, exhaust and wheels are all uprated to handle extra power comfortably, and the sonorous V8 presents its 350bhp smoothly and predictably.
Talking of that V8, it's a peach, pulling strongly from low revs, overtaking very quickly in third or fourth, and uttering a wonderful but quiet V8 growl.
In fact, the engine sounds so good that I
certainly wouldn't mind if it was less quiet. The ride is necessarily on the firm side and the steering is direct with good feedback - it's slightly heavier than the norm, but that's no bad thing.
You need to declutch to start the engine (good) and place your foot on the brake to release the electronic handbrake. Now, I don't like electronic handbrakes and it's normal to me to let the handbrake off as the clutch bites. But Audi has thoughtfully provided a button which sets the handbrake to disengage automatically when you drive off (however, I kept forgetting it).
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| The S5's mission control |
Generally, Audi makes it easy to find a comfortable and efficient driving position and the S5 is no exception. Multi-adjustable heated electric front seats do the hard work for you and the pedals are well-positioned, though I found my left foot kept catching the footrest. But that's not really surprising as I have feet wide enough to snowboard on.
The principal instruments are good and clear with a handy satnav repeater betwixt speedo and rev counter, most of the other settings and controls are operated by Audi's popular Multi-Media Interface and the aluminium-effect door mirrors are of a splendid size, though they are necessary due to predictably limited rear visibility.
Despite its GT credentials, the S5 is fairly practical, with split folding rear seats (though my nine-year-old complained about the legroom) and a decent boot offering 455 litres of cargo space. But you wouldn't want to "GT" with more than two aboard.
The stylish 5 is definitely a bit special. It benefits from huge, 19-inch wheels wearing fat 255/35 tyres, a quadruple exhaust system, delightful silk nappa' leather upholstery, special instrument dials, scuff plates and inlays, sports seats with electric adjustments and many more exclusive design touches.
The interior roof lining is black - an excellent idea which improves outside visibility considerably.
Optional extras on the test car included the excellent sat-nav system (at £1,975), a digital TV tuner - not much use in rural Dorset - (£850), a Bang and Olufsen sound system (£525) and plenty of other goodies, taking the price from a basic £38,900 up to £45,815.
One standard item of note is the new Audi intelligent' key. This dispenses with the traditional blade and communicates wirelessly with the car's systems. It can also store important information like mileage and warning messages for Audi technicians to scan.
The S5 is a gorgeous car to look at. After my 700-mile week with the Brilliant Red' model, coupled with its relative rarity, I'd say only the white Vantage I drove last year has attracted more attention.
Performance is superb, with a 0-62mph time of 5.1 seconds (similar to a 911) and a limited top speed of 155mph. Though maximum power arrives at 7,000rpm, most of the torque arrives from around the 1,200rpm mark making for a generally effortless drive.
The grip from those huge wheels is superb, though there's perhaps just a hint of understeer (from that big engine up front) when cornering at speed, and the hefty 345mm and 330mm brakes are very effective, although I felt the ABS may just have taken over a little early at high speeds.
Of course the fuel consumption suffers for that performance. Official figures are 22.8mpg combined, but remember, few people will achieve official figures and I'd say figure on around 18-20mpg real-world.
But it's a terrific car and if you're going to spend £40,000 on a sports coupe it's hard to think of anything better. Unless, of course, you want a realistic four seats, in which case you need another £10k for an M3.
12:08pm Monday 5th May 2008
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