2018 Audi RS5 Released + Official Photos

[Wills2]

I like it in the darker colours but the S5 would be a better bet in terms of lease price (they are cheap in the UK at £350 a month) the RS5 will be more like £900 on a lease over here.

I think a buyer of the S models gets a better deal 80-90% of the car for 40% of the lease.

But I do wish people would stop saying that their turbo M car is putting out more power than advertised, BMW and M specifically charge like a wounded rhino for most things, yet we put our cars on a wheel dyno and think that they gave us 50hp more for free.....

Yeah right.

[adc]

Originally Posted by domino_z

anyone else notice the cheap cost cutting widebody mod

instead of blending the fenders or redesigning the lights, audi just used a black plastic grille to fill the gaps

Actually that's a nod to the legendary Sport Quattro from 1985. 300 BHP, AWD, Kevlar bodied homologation special.

Know your automobile history before going off funny like that.

[ghost34]

like the video

[RACEM4TE]

Originally Posted by ghost34

like the video

Kinda sounds like GTR

[rjhoskins]

If the RS5 Sportback comes to life, it's going to be one intriguing vehicle.

[benny Blanco]

Originally Posted by RACEM4TE

Kinda sounds like GTR

still better than the current m's sound

[Habber]

How doesn't the gear selector not get in the way of the MMI knob??

[DieGrüneHölle]

Easy turbo swaps with the top mount hot-v setup.

[Bowser330]

Very interested in the magazine comparisons to the existing competitors.

Also can't wait to see what they can get with upgraded turbos.

[shivaswrath]

Originally Posted by ASAP

Could be a very solid car... I have 2 issues though...

1) an 8 spd auto? Come On...

New M5 will be too..it's where the world is going.

Why does everyone hate on ZF8's? They are great on the track and rarely overheat. Which is surprising...

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by shivaswrath

New M5 will be too..it's where the world is going.

Why does everyone hate on ZF8's? They are great on the track and rarely overheat. Which is surprising...

Probably because traditional automatics are not quite as "direct" as manual or DCT transmissions. But they are improving at a very fast rate and, IMO, it is only a question of time when traditional automatic transmission will make DCT obsolete.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

Probably because traditional automatics are not quite as "direct" as manual or DCT transmissions. But they are improving at a very fast rate and, IMO, it is only a question of time when traditional automatic transmission will make DCT obsolete.

The interesting thing there is that in the area of drivetrain efficiency, a DCT holds enough advantage at present time to warrant some manufacturers switching to them from traditional planetary automatic transmissions. Just for example, BMW is strongly rumored to begin moving all UKL vehicles (both BMW and MINI brand) to a new DCT transmission sometime this year.

If you compare the way the two transmissions work internally, the DCT - like a traditional manual - is sort of the brute force approach. It says, "You want a different ratio? Simple, just slide this system of mechanical on-shaft locks around as needed to engage the set of gears you need." By contrast, a planetary box says - "Hey we can do better than that - here's a complex network of interconnected gears that can give you different ratios simply by holding the right ones in place while letting the others spin". Both approaches use some type of clutches of course, and both can be made to shift between ratios very rapidly. A DCT is perhaps more efficient internally - few gears engaged at a given time can mean less friction. With no torque converter, a DCT may have less power loss. But of course there is much more to it than that.

I personally like the way a DCT feels - neck snapping shifts. I haven't driven a modern, truly high performance vehicle with a traditional auto though, maybe they have this part nailed down now too.

And an far as obsolescence, well, electric motors are going to make all transmissions obsolete.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by shivaswrath

New M5 will be too..it's where the world is going.

Why does everyone hate on ZF8's? They are great on the track and rarely overheat. Which is surprising...

I hope to god its not like the vette z06 8spd auto.

[RACEM4TE]

Originally Posted by ASAP

I hope to god its not like the vette z06 8spd auto.

If its like the RS7 that i had i have no problem with zf8.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

The interesting thing there is that in the area of drivetrain efficiency, a DCT holds enough advantage at present time to warrant some manufacturers switching to them from traditional planetary automatic transmissions. Just for example, BMW is strongly rumored to begin moving all UKL vehicles (both BMW and MINI brand) to a new DCT transmission sometime this year.

If you compare the way the two transmissions work internally, the DCT - like a traditional manual - is sort of the brute force approach. It says, "You want a different ratio? Simple, just slide this system of mechanical on-shaft locks around as needed to engage the set of gears you need." By contrast, a planetary box says - "Hey we can do better than that - here's a complex network of interconnected gears that can give you different ratios simply by holding the right ones in place while letting the others spin". Both approaches use some type of clutches of course, and both can be made to shift between ratios very rapidly. A DCT is perhaps more efficient internally - few gears engaged at a given time can mean less friction. With no torque converter, a DCT may have less power loss. But of course there is much more to it than that.

I personally like the way a DCT feels - neck snapping shifts. I haven't driven a modern, truly high performance vehicle with a traditional auto though, maybe they have this part nailed down now too.

As a technical tidbit, on all types of transmissions, even on a pure MT, all gears are "engaged" and turning at all times when the clutch/torque-converter is engaged. It is just the "torque path" that varies depending on the selected gear. So there are still friction losses for every gear, but friction losses are much much greater on the gears transmitting torque.

My understanding is that the increased losses of traditional automatics mostly come from shear drag in the torque converter. This can be reduced with a torque converter lock-up but a fair bit of fluid churn still remains present in the torque converter housing. There are also more parts spinning around in a traditional planetary automatic and thus increasing drag. You also correct in stating that the torque path may need to travel through much more gear sets in a planetary automatic thus further increasing losses. A planetary transmission also has significantly more rotating mass therefore increasing the drivetrain inertia and slowing engine response.

Since most DCT operate with wet clutches, they also have more loss than pure MT due to the fluid churn in the clutch housing. And the hydraulic pump needed for servo actuation also increases parasitic drag.

Originally Posted by mkoesel

And an far as obsolescence, well, electric motors are going to make all transmissions obsolete.

[brava09]

Alfa Giulia QV got an 8sp ZF auto box as well.

[brava09]

Originally Posted by ghost34

like the video

Cool video

The car sounds nothing like the old V8 RS5

[damnitBobby]

It sounds like the new S4/5.

[JoeFromPA]

Looks exterior like an f82 in my mind - which is to say the side profile looks like the the area behind the doors goes on about 12" longer than it should. Bulbous and not enough hips.

Interior looks great.

No problem with the ZF8 transmission - I like the ZF8 auto transmission more than the VW GTI DCT, for example. It's pretty awesome, for an auto.

[shiv.nandak]

Originally Posted by Ghetto2315

Meh

Looks too much like a Honda Accord Coupe

LOL i was just about to post something like this. The first thing that came to my mind when i saw the RS5 was one of the 2017 civic coupes.

[///M-er-gized]

I like it. I like it a lot. Not sure about that iPad like display. They should get rid of it. The R8 V10 plus doesn't have a display like that and it looks awesome. The Audi digital instrumentation renders that unnecessary, so why clutter it up with that monstrosity?!?!?!

[Motorsportenterprise]

Originally Posted by ///M-er-gized

I like it. I like it a lot. Not sure about that iPad like display. They should get rid of it. The R8 V10 plus doesn't have a display like that and it looks awesome. The Audi digital instrumentation renders that unnecessary, so why clutter it up with that monstrosity?!?!?!

Agreed. I think Audi is going to bring something good here.