The 2012 Audi RS 5 has been Announced

The 2012 Audi RS 5 coupe has been announced priced from £58,725 – deliveries begin in April 2012

The Audi RS 5 is powered by a 450PS V8 engine which is capable of 0 – 62 mph in 4.5 seconds and then onto an electronically limited 155 mph, the limit can be lifted then the top speed is 174 mph.

Audi quote a combined fuel figure of 26.9 mpg and a CO2 emission output of 246g/km.

The quattro (all wheel drive) system can vary the power between the front (up to 70%) and the rear (up to 85%) – with the default ratio of 40%:60%. The gearbox is a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission with steering wheel paddle control

The exterior revisions include a single frame grille design, sharper and more pronounced bonnet contours, new ‘solid band’ wraparound LED daytime running lights and LED rear lights, new look front and rear bumpers and a new ’10-spoke’ design for the 19-inch alloy wheels.

The standard equipment now includes Bluetooth mobile phone preparation, cruise control, DVD-based satellite navigation and Audi Music Interface iPod connection.

The cruise control system can also now be upgraded at extra cost to the adaptive system with braking guard, which uses radar sensors to control distance from traffic in front of the car between 19mph and 155mph, and can also initiate partial braking or full deceleration if its sensors detect an impending collision.

You can even specify carbon fibre-ceramic brake discs, should you have the wish and budget. Audi have added the option of a Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) system, which uses diagonally opposed pairs of shock absorbers linked by hydraulic lines and a central valve. During fast cornering, the system intensifies the stabilisation of the front outside wheel for optimum stability and composure. Its response can be varied across three settings at the touch of a button.

A dynamic steering option is also available for integration into the standard Audi drive select adaptive dynamics system, enabling the actual ratio of the steering to be varied according to the four Audi drive select settings comfort, auto, dynamic and individual. When the dynamic steering option isn’t specified, the system can apply these same four settings to the steering weighting, along with the S tronic transmission’s shift points and the throttle’s response. It can also modulate the sound of the exhaust system, double-clutching when downshifting in dynamic mode.

The dynamic ride control and dynamic steering options are available individually or combined as part of a new Sport Package, which also includes larger 20-inch rotor design titanium-look alloy wheels to replace the standard 19-inch examples and a sports exhaust system that further amplifies the bass-heavy growl of the V8. Priced at £2,250, it offers a saving of £2,915 compared with specifying the options individually.