Family Car Reviews: Audi

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Audi Releases 2015 S5 Configurator on their Website

This morning for the first time Audi revealed specific details and pricing of the 2015 S5 on their website for the U.S. (audiusa.com). You can build your own S5 with the new pricing, colors, and black optics option here http://www.audiusa.com/models/audi-s5-coupe

The 2015 S5 received a minor bump of $200 in it's base price to reach $52,500 in the United States. With this update in price also comes many new color options that weren't previously available to the S5 including the bold 'Sepang Blue Pearl' that can be added for no extra price. The 'Phantom Black Pearl' option has also been replaced with a new black called 'Mythos Black Metallic' which in our opinion looks much better. The black optics package is also back for $1300 and now called the "high gloss black package".

As we expected, there are no updates to the engine or any major changes to the physical appearance of the 2015 S5, but that is not necessarily something we are complaining about.

Audi RS7 redesign in only 18 months

In the auto market there are a select few cars that one might come across and think to themselves 'This car just can't get any sexier'; in our opinion here at IgnitionSpeed, the RS7 is one of the few cars that falls into that category. Most cars usually see slight refreshes once every couple of years or so and major design updates around every half decade. In the case of the RS7 however we are delighted to find that within only 18 months of it's initial reveal at the Detroit Auto Show in 2013, Audi has already decided to give it an even sleeker design update as well as a top speed boost to 190 mph.

The most noticeable change is the front-end facelift which features a restyled grill and updated LED headlamps. Another differentiation between the RS7 and its less powerful version the A7 is the darkened LED headlamps to give it a more aggressive look. Other changes to the RS7 include redesigned tails lights as well as a deeper front bumper. The only thing in this update we find slightly questionable are the new 20 inch rims.

The RS7 continues with the same power train which is able to produce 552 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. The sprint from 0 - 60 still remains in super car territory coming in only 3.4 seconds. Top speed is normally limited to 155 mph as per standard with most german cars but can be raised to a blistering 190 by checking the "Dynamic Package" option. It also of course comes with the new hip cylinder deactivation technology which allows for more efficient traveling by deactivating 4 of the 8 cylinders when extra power is not needed.

As for the interior audi has made more minor modifications including revised instruments, modified paddle shifters, and different air vent controls. They have also put an updated GPU into the MMI infotainment system. So if you ever have time to look down from the road in this mean track car, your graphics will be operating just that much smoother.

Expect this new face lifted RS7 to arrive here in North America early 2015. For a minuscule $105,795 it can be yours too.

2013 Audi S6 - A Giant Leap In Performance

The new 2013 S6 is dead in the middle of Audi’s performance S class line-up. It uses the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 found in its big brother the S7 which makes 420 horsepower at 6400 rpm. Maximum torque is an impressive 406 lb-ft, which is available from 1400 to 5200 rpm. To change gears the S6 uses a dual-clutch seven-speed transmission, which allows it to get much better fuel efficiency than the previous model. It also uses an upgraded version of the famous Audi Quattro (all-wheel-drive) system that is designed to send the majority of the power to the rear wheels. The exact pricing is not yet known but we can expect the base price to be around $70k.

The previous S6 packed a more powerful 435-hp naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10. The new V-8 engine does not sound as mean, but it is much more efficient, increasing MPG by approximately 25 percent. Despite the slight drop in power the new S6 happens to also be much faster. Car and Driver recently clocked the S6 running to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. To put that into perspective the last S6 need 5.4 seconds to get to 60. It is able to achieve this because of a very improved launch control system. Like most European sports cars, top speed is limited to 155 mph but the S6 would supposedly be able to reach speeds up to 190 miles per hour.

To improve the handling of this car Audi gave it a longer wheelbase, less front weight bias, and decreased the total weight. It was able to get 0.87 g on the skidpad, and stop from 70 – 0 in 157 feet. These numbers aren’t quite as impressive as its straight-line acceleration but it is still in line with similar performance sedans like the BMW M5.

Fuel efficiency has seen an increase to 17-mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. This can mostly be attributed to the S6’s cylinder deactivation system and low engine friction.

The new Audi S6 has seen extreme improvements with the 2013 model. Its 0 – 60 time is all the more impressive when you consider the relatively modest amount of horsepower under the hood. We definitely commend Audi, because this year the S6 went from being a peppy soccer dad sports sedan, to an aggressive performance machine.

German Sports Car Comparison - BMW M3, Audi RS 5, Mercedes C63 AMG

If you are in the market for a $60k European sports machine, you without a doubt have come across these three models. They are so similar yet so unique in every way. The Quattro all-wheel drive system of the Audi is so different that the brute force of the rear wheel drive C63 AMG, which is so different than the extreme handling and high revving BMW. Although even with all of these differences, each of these cars has the same simple purpose, to create the ultimate driving experience.

Performance

First up is the BMW M3. A very popular sports car amongst young audiences for its stylish looks and pure power. The M3 gets 414 Horsepower at the wheels from a 4.0 Liter V8 engine. This allows the M3 to get from 0 - 60 MPH in 4.3 seconds. As for top speed, sadly the M3 is limited to 155 MPH but we know it could easily excel far above that.

Having the least horsepower and torque of the group, the thing that allows the BMW to keep up with the performance of the other two is its high revving engine and light weight. It redlines at an ear shattering 8,400 RPM which is higher than most motorcycles. This allows the M3 to stay in a certain gear for much longer because of the high max engine speed. It is also notable that the M3 is much lighter than the other two at only 3552 lbs. That's a whopping 444 lbs lighter than the C63 AMG which gives this BMW a significant advantage in performance.

The Audi RS 5 has a direct-injected 4.2 Liter V8 engine that makes 450 horsepower which propels it to 60 MPH in the same time as the BMW, 4.3 seconds. The Audi uses its famous Quattro 4 wheel drive system to put down equal power to all four wheels, giving this car the best launch of the group. It also has the highest revving engine of the group which can achieve a crisp engine speed of 8,500 RPM.

The RS 5 drives like a heavier and larger car compared to the light BMW. Even though it feels heavy it is still extremely forgiving and easy to drive, thanks mostly to its four wheel drive system. With its Quattro system the Audi is much better at putting down power to the wheels when exiting a turn as well.

Next we have the rear wheel drive C63 AMG. Coming in with the most horsepower and torque, this car takes first place for straight line acceleration. It has an incredible 451 horses under the hood with an even more impressive 443 lb-ft of torque. This allows it to move from 0 - 60 in an astonishing 3.8 seconds, blowing away the competition in acceleration. With the extra weight comes a slight relative lack in handling compared to the other two but you will completely forget about that when you press the pedal to the floor. In short, this thing is a monster.

Interior

Each one of the interiors of the German made cars is just about flawless. It is more about personal taste in the interior rather than one standing out from the others. But there are still some fairly substantial differences to note between the three.

The M3 interior at first glance comes off somewhat vintage but with the short throw shifter, concave navigation screen, and high revving tachometer it becomes immediately apparent that this is no regular 3-series, but the performance oriented M3.

The Audi seemed to have the most sophisticated interior of the group. With red inlays and sleek leather bucket seats you feel like you are in a car of 2020 not 2013.

The interior of the C63 felt like it was the most performance oriented of the three cars. It has ultra lightweight carbon fiber spread throughout the cabin as well as performance oriented leather bucket seats.

Conclusion

In the end, any one of these three cars will put a smile on your face the instant you get into them. The are so similar yet so unique. We found that the BMW was most impressive in its high revving engine and ability to handle at the same level as most porsches; with a weight approximately 400 pounds lighter than the others, it has an extreme advantage. As for the Audi, it produced the best launch results of the three thanks to its signature Quattro all wheel drive system that allows it to put power down through all four wheels. Lastly, the AMG with the highest amount of horsepower and torque produced the best straight-line acceleration results despite being the heaviest of the group. In short, whatever you choose, you can't go wrong with a top of the line German sports car in your garage.

Reasonably Priced Future Cars - Porsche 550 and Audi R4

There have been many rumors about Porsche developing a reasonably priced entry level sports coupe. We suspect the name would be 550 which is representative of the iconic Porsche 550 first built back in 1953.

This car comes about because of a recent spike in sales for affordable sports cars that was primarily set off by the Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S. We can hope that it would be in the $35k range but it will more likely be a little over $40k. The 550 is suspected to have a 1.6 Liter turbocharged engine that will generate around 200 HP. There will also be other trims of the car with engines that produce upwards of 400 horsepower like the current 911 turbo.

Porsche isn’t the only one who has caught on to the growing demand of the affordable sports car market. Audi with its brand new 2013 TTRS has already dipped into the middle range sports car market with its petite coupe the Audi TT. The flagship TTRS it costs about $60k but that gets you a 0 – 60 of 3.5 seconds which sets this car up to compete in the super car market. To put that into perspective, that is faster than the +$100,000 Audi R8. The only drawback to the TT is that some sports car enthusiasts claim this is a woman’s car because of its bubbly look. This has actually hurt the sales of Audi slightly because of the lack of purchases by men. Audi has a solution to this and it fits in perfectly with where the market is headed, the R4.

Everybody wants an R8, Iron Man’s car, probably the sexiest car on the planet with supercar performance. The only problem is that it costs about $130,000. Audi plans on addressing the entry level market with the so called “little brother” of the R8, the R4. The R4 will be smaller and lighter than the current R8. The 2.5 Liter Turbocharged engine currently found in the TTRS is what will most likely be used in the R4. It produces lightning fast speeds with 400 HP powering such light cars. The R4 will be around the size of the TT but will look much more aggressive like the R8. This two seater will most likely come in a convertible version as well. We can only hope it will be less than $50,000 but with the Porsche 550 coming in at a cheap price, we know the Audi has to price low as well if they want to compete.

So with both these cars planned to be released around 2015, if you have a steady cash flow coming in and are looking to buy, it may be a very wise decision to start saving now. So while at the moment we can only speculate, we at least know that both of the cars would turn heads and be the best weekend cruisers out there.

Car Comparison – Audi S7, Mercedes CLS63 AMG

The new 2013 Audi A7 has been considered by some as the most beautiful car being built today. With sleek lines and a front fascia that is bound to intimidate, it strikes the perfect balance between beauty, and aggression. Throw in a newly developed 4.0 Liter Twin Turbo V8 engine that produces 420 Horsepower and you have yourself an extremely desirable car. For a starting price of $79,695 this is without doubt one of the best deals on the market right now.

For some people, very few, 420 HP and 406 lb-ft of torque isn't enough. That is where the CLS63 AMG comes in. With a similar body style to the S7, the AMG seems to have less beauty but comes off much more aggressive. And it should, because the looks match what's under the hood; a 5.5 Liter Twin Turbo V8 that produces 518 Horsepower at 5250 RMP and 516 lb-ft of torque. If that still isn't enough, for about $10,000 you can opt for the AMG Package which will bump the Horsepower to 550 and raise the top speed to 186 mph from and electronically limited speed of 155 mph. The AMG has a base price of $94,900, so that extra power does not come for free.

Performance

0 - 62 MPH:

Audi S7: 4.9 seconds

CLS63 AMG: 4.4 seconds (4.3 with AMG Package)

Top Speed:
Audi S7: 155 MPH
CLS63 AMG: 155 MPH (186 MPH with AMG Package)
Braking 60 - 0:
Audi S7: 102 feet
CLS63 AMG: 113 feet
Lateral G Force:
Audi S7: 0.96
CLS63 AMG: 0.92
Weight:
Audi S7: 4,140 lbs
CLS63 AMG: 4,300 lbs

As you can see from the numbers the lighter weight of the S7 helps it does better in many performance categories than the AMG. It also feels more nimble and drives like you might think a TT coupe would.

Interior

As expected, both interiors o these German cars are very refined. You can tell a lot of work was put into the interior by the amount of attention to detail throughout the car. The S7 comes with beautiful sport seating with quilted stitching. Standard in the AMG is the burl walnut trim with upgraded sports seats. Some of the notable differences between the two are Audi's exterior heads up display and Mercedes' interior heads up display, at this point it is all a matter of personal preference. The Mercedes also has a much shorter shifter than the Audis. Both cars have paddle shifters mounted on the steering column for extremely quicks shifts between gears. With these sophisticated interiors, "Don't touch anything" might be words you hear coming from the driver.

Conclusion

Both of these cars have not yet been tested to their full abilities. But when they do, they are sure to beat the conservative estimates given by their respective companies. They are similar, yet so different in many ways. All that matters is that in the end, both of these cars do exactly what they set out to acomplish: To be genuine animalistic sports cars while being luxurious and sophisticated at the same time.

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