First Drive: Can the Audi RS5 deliver the true ‘RS’ experience?
The RS5 arrives as Audi’s first performance plug-in hybrid, and James Baggott has been trying it out.
What is it?
But with it comes a bit of a weight problem that even a double dose of fat jabs won’t be able to cure – so is it any good?
What’s new?
What’s under the bonnet?
What’s it like to drive?
The gearbox does offer a monumental shunt as it fires up the rev range, and the combination of electricity and petrol power makes for a very fast car. However, after a first drive on tight French roads, we didn’t fall head over heels in love with the RS5. Think of it more as friends with benefits than immediate marriage material.
How does it look?
What’s it like inside?
What’s the spec like?
Verdict
Now, if we still want to be enjoying incredible sports cars in the future, petrolheads like us need to get used to some performance-enhancing voltage. While that equates to some serious Top Trumps winning figures, it does also mean heavier cars.
We didn’t immediately gel with the RS5, but that doesn’t make it a bad car. It’s just a different one and a new direction for the brand that RS fans will simply have to get on board with.