Powerful, loud, irreverent and a little obnoxious are the words I’d use to describe a V8 muscle car and without those traits, well, where’s the fun in that? In the age of tree-huggers, bunny-huggers and the growing popularity of lentils – which, much to my mental revulsion, BA served me a side portion of on my last flight – the modern muscle car must appeal to its owner like Superman to a school boy and Clarke Kent to the more ‘sensible’ majority. It’s a fine line to tread, but Audi’s latest offering has four-wheel drive so there’s plenty of that – ‘tread’ that is.

With the already sleek and masculine lines of the Audi A5 Coupé having earned it the German Design Council’s ’2010 Design Award’, Audi could do no wrong when styling the RS5 derivative. Audi RS styling cues include the single-frame grille with anthracite gray rhombus-pattern grid, larger air intakes within the deeper front bumper, trademark matt aluminium-look side mirror housings, together with front and rear trim strips. The rear is dominated by twin oval exhaust tailpipes, positioned on either side of a large diffuser. An integrated spoiler remains hidden at the base of the rear hatch and is automatically raised at speeds of 120 km/h or more in the interests of greater downforce and high-speed stability. The new RS5 also features flared elements above the rear wheel arches, which are reminiscent of the legendary 1980′s all-wheel drive pioneer, the Audi quattro. The SACarFan test unit was also fitted with the optional ‘Audi Exclusive Black Styling Package‘, a R5 500 cost option that includes a highly polished black grille surround, license plate bracket and front trim strip. The package also adds a matt black finish to the window surround and roof frame. In the styling department, Audi’s elegant two-door coupe, with its athletic stance, now features more brawn, presence and allure then ever before.

Renowned for the quality of their interiors, Audi’s range-topping ’5′ is no different. The front sports seats are very comfortable, even on extended trips, while also offering excellent support. The rear seats are individually sculptured for the same purpose, although being a two-door sports car, rear legroom is limited. The instrument cluster features black dials and white markings, while the on-board computer includes a lap timer and an oil temperature gauge. Carbon fibre inlays are to be found on the doors, as well as around the gear lever and Audi’s Multi Media Interface (MMI) controller. The pedals, the footrest and the buttons of the MMI navigation system, boast an aluminium-look finish, which contrasts against the dark, soft-touch dashboard and black roof liner. Suitably adjustable for height and reach, it’s interesting to note that Audi has chosen to fit the RS5 with a conventionally shaped steering wheel, rather than a flat-bottomed unit found in the TT RS and R8 coupés. The RS5 is equipped with all the luxuries expected of a range-topping Audi, but front and rear park distance control, satellite navigation, as well as a tilt-adjustable panoramic sunroof, are welcome additions to the standard equipment list, which, like the chocolate on your pillow in a 5-star hotel, serve to sweeten the deal.

While the RS emblem may hint discretely at the 5′s performance, it denotes significant effort on the part of Audi’s engineers. Like all RS models, the RS5 Coupé delivers its power to the road via quattro permanent all-wheel drive. However, Ingolstadt’s fastest 5 boasts the latest version of the trademark system, which is now fitted with a crown-gear centre differential. The new differential is compact and lightweight and has the ability to distribute up to 70 percent of torque to the front wheels, or up to 80 percent to the rear when necessary. The RS5 maintains a default torque split of 40:60 front to rear, in favour of more sporty handling, while a new torque vectoring system has the ability to further improve traction by applying just enough brake pressure to any wheel that is about to lose grip. The RS5 is also equipped with Audi’s sport differential, which distributes power between the rear wheels for improved cornering agility. The sport differential can transfer 100 percent of the power to just one of the two rear wheels if needed. Changes to the chassis include a 20 mm lower ride height than the standard A5 coupe, with the car’s foot prints provided by 19-inch wheels with 265/35 profile rubber. Stopping power is taken care of by large, internally ventilated discs, both front and rear, which, together with ABS and EBD systems, bring a swift halt to proceedings. During my time with the RS5 the brakes did elicit an irritating screech under light application, such as coasting to a halt at a set of traffic lights. This is not unheard of with high-performance brake systems, regardless of the manufacturer, and usually remedies itself over time, once the components have bed themselves in, or simply by removing excess brake dust.

At the heart of the new RS5 Coupé is a naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 engine. This engine is closely related to the V10 that powers the R8 supercar, but makes do without dry-sump lubrication. Euro-5 compliant, Audi claim average fuel consumption of 10.8 L/100km and CO2 emissions of 252 g/km, which is not unreasonable in my experience, having achieved 8.7 L/100km at a steady 100 km/h during testing – just 0.2 L/100km off Audi’s extra-urban claims. These are not the figures to focus on though. The 4.2 FSI delivers 331 kW at 8 250 r/min, with the peak torque of 430 Nm available between 4 000 and 6 000 r/min. The sonorous V8 catapults the two-door model from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds on its way to an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h, which can be increased to 280 km/h for an additional R19 300. It’s a high- and free-revving engine that pulls strongly to the rev-limiter, without hesitation and with an addictive sound track – courtesy of the optional sports exhaust fitted to the test car. Audi’s 7-speed ‘S tronic’ transmission serves up a less than stellar performance in the RS5. Up-changes are smooth enough, but swapping cogs in preparation of lower speeds, or to achieve higher revs, results in an awkward mis-match between engine and road speed. The exception occurs under a neutral throttle position, where little or no power torque is being channeled, or when the car’s sporting credentials are being explored and heavy use of the brakes reduces road speed to the point where it better matches that of the engine’s once the lower gear is engaged.

Audi’s electromechanical quattro system gives the RS5 levels of grip that you’d be hard to pressed to overcome on public roads. The ESP program does have an intermediate ‘sport’ setting that allows for a bit more ‘slip ‘n slide’ before stepping in. Although capable of distributing up to 80 percent of the V8′s torque to the rear wheels, the RS5 never feels rear-wheel drive biased. The Audi Drive Select system allows the driver to choose between sport or comfort oriented levels of response from the engine/gearbox, steering and drivetrain. In sport mode the steering is direct and the exhaust note becomes wonderfully vocal – especially when the S tronic transmission shifts down leaving an authoritative bark from the exhausts in its wake. The ride is taught, maybe a little too much so for some, but then the RS5 is no ‘wafty’ cruiser and you’ll be grateful for the suspension’s composure when you wind the car up. Common to Audi’s high-performance cars, getting the RS5 up to a red-hot pace and keeping it there is effortless, even for the novices amongst us. The V8 responds immediately and loves to rev. The car holds its line through corners well, but at higher speeds you’ll need to be smoother to avoid understeer – a characteristic of the front-mounted engine, despite Audi having moved it closer to the front axle by 20 mm. Having said this, the RS5 inspires confidence and can be whipped around turns with an alacrity that shows scant regard for its 1 725 kg weight.

In terms of its engineering, the Audi RS5 Coupé is the best high-performance Audi after the R8 supercar. It posses one of the most sophisticated road-going four-wheel drive systems, is the first example of Audi’s dual-clutch transmission being used in an RS model, has a superb engine and looks the part, but… the RS5 is a little too refined for its own good and doesn’t stir the soul the way a V8 super coupé could, or arguably should. For this reason I don’t expect to see as many RS5′s on the road as there are M3′s, but I do expect the RS5 to sell relatively well, not because it’s Superman, but because it’s Clarke Kent.

What we like…

• Fantastic 4.2-litre V8 that never disappoints.
• Audi’s typically aggressive, yet understand RS styling.
• Quattro all-wheel drive that inspires confidence and makes a powerful car a safer one.

What we would like…

• Smoother down-shifts from the S tronic transmission.
• USB and Aux-In connections instead of SD-card slots.
• A sliding cover to hide the front cup holders when not in use.