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AUTOS: Audi RS5 Cabrio Ready For U.S.
The German automaker confirms that the high-performance ragtop will come here, with its debut set for the upcoming Detroit Auto Show.
Audi, which unveiled the high-performance RS5 Cabriolet at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, says it’s ready for U.S. sale. (Photo: Audi)
Audi has confirmed that the new RS5 Cabriolet will go on sale in the U.S., with the rapid drop-top set to make its North American debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show later this month before going on sale in the spring as a 2014 model.
The car is the convertible version of the RS5 that went on sale last year, delivering everything that the coupe has to offer but with the freedom of open-air driving.
Based on the regular A5 Cabriolet, the RS5 undergoes an extensive transformation at Audi’s go-fast division, Audi quattro GmbH, before emerging as a serious track performer complete with a sledgehammer of a V8 nestled under its hood.
The engine alone is a marvel; the high-revving unit displaces 4.2 liters and delivers a peak of 450 horsepower at a lofty 8,250 rpm and 317 pound-feet of torque between 4,000 and 6,000 revs.
It’s matched to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel drive, with the latter featuring a compact and lightweight crown-gear center differential that can vary the distribution of torque between the front and rear axles quickly and over a wide range – up to 70 percent to the front and up to 85 percent to the rear, as necessary. The default is a 40:60 front-to-rear split.
The crown-gear center differential works together with an additional torque-vectoring system that acts on all four wheels. If the load on the inside wheel is reduced too much, that wheel is braked slightly before it can begin to slip. If that’s not enough, Audi also offers its sport differential as an option. This feature actively distributes the power between the rear wheels.
All of this does add weight, however, with the RS5 Cabriolet tipping the scales at more than 4,400 pounds. Nevertheless, the vehicle can sprint to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds and reach a top speed limited to 174 mph.
The car also escapes the gas-guzzler tax, with Audi estimating it will return a fuel economy of 16/22 mpg city/highway and 18 mpg combined.
To help save weight, the RS5 Cabriolet makes do with a simple, automated folding soft-top. This spans a well-appointed four-seat cabin and can be lowered in just 15 seconds, even when driving at speeds of up to 31 mph. When the top is down, it requires only 2.12 cubic feet of its 13.42 cubic feet of trunk volume.
Special reinforcements contribute to the body's high rigidity, and aluminum front fenders compensate for some of the added weight of the reinforcements.
The car is the convertible version of the RS5 that went on sale last year, delivering everything that the coupe has to offer but with the freedom of open-air driving.
Based on the regular A5 Cabriolet, the RS5 undergoes an extensive transformation at Audi’s go-fast division, Audi quattro GmbH, before emerging as a serious track performer complete with a sledgehammer of a V8 nestled under its hood.
The engine alone is a marvel; the high-revving unit displaces 4.2 liters and delivers a peak of 450 horsepower at a lofty 8,250 rpm and 317 pound-feet of torque between 4,000 and 6,000 revs.
It’s matched to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel drive, with the latter featuring a compact and lightweight crown-gear center differential that can vary the distribution of torque between the front and rear axles quickly and over a wide range – up to 70 percent to the front and up to 85 percent to the rear, as necessary. The default is a 40:60 front-to-rear split.
The crown-gear center differential works together with an additional torque-vectoring system that acts on all four wheels. If the load on the inside wheel is reduced too much, that wheel is braked slightly before it can begin to slip. If that’s not enough, Audi also offers its sport differential as an option. This feature actively distributes the power between the rear wheels.
All of this does add weight, however, with the RS5 Cabriolet tipping the scales at more than 4,400 pounds. Nevertheless, the vehicle can sprint to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds and reach a top speed limited to 174 mph.
The car also escapes the gas-guzzler tax, with Audi estimating it will return a fuel economy of 16/22 mpg city/highway and 18 mpg combined.
To help save weight, the RS5 Cabriolet makes do with a simple, automated folding soft-top. This spans a well-appointed four-seat cabin and can be lowered in just 15 seconds, even when driving at speeds of up to 31 mph. When the top is down, it requires only 2.12 cubic feet of its 13.42 cubic feet of trunk volume.
Special reinforcements contribute to the body's high rigidity, and aluminum front fenders compensate for some of the added weight of the reinforcements.
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